Ballet and Self-Confidence: What the Research Says

You often read that ballet makes children more self-confident. Let us look at what research says about this, and what is not yet known. How ballet benefits health is covered in The Benefits of Ballet for Physical and Mental Health.

What a Review of Studies Found

In 2018, Tina Schwender, Sarah Spengler, Christina Oedl and Filip Mess published a systematic review of how dance interventions affect aspects of the self, such as self-concept and self-esteem. The review included 24 studies, 11 of them with children and adolescents.

The authors’ overall conclusion: dance can have positive effects on these aspects. In studies where participants were interviewed, children and adolescents reported better body-related perceptions, more self-trust, higher self-esteem, freer self-expression and a better sense of their dance abilities. In studies with measurements, the most common improvement was in body-related perceptions. On self-esteem and self-efficacy, however, the results are contradictory.

Why the Conclusions Are Cautious

The review’s authors say plainly that the evidence is still poor: there are few studies on each question, the findings are inconsistent, and many have methodological shortcomings. Large, high-quality studies are needed. A 2019 meta-analysis by Sabine Koch and colleagues, covering 41 controlled studies and 2,374 participants, also notes methodological shortcomings in many studies. According to it, unlike dance movement therapy, dance interventions mainly showed gains in motor skills.

What This Means

Based on the research, the most honest way to put it is this: dance can help a child feel more at home in their body and express themselves more freely, but no one can promise that ballet on its own will make them confident.

How to Support Your Child

Here is what we advise parents on our course page:

• Ask what your child has learned and which exercises they enjoyed.
• Recognize specific achievements: remembering a combination, performing a movement more smoothly or completing a difficult transition.
• Performing is optional. In our course, students can take part in online concerts and competitions, and the teacher helps prepare a solo routine suited to their age and level.

How to prepare for a performance is covered in How to Prepare for a Ballet Performance.

How to Get Started

The easiest way is a trial lesson for $8: it is individual and lasts 45 minutes. More about the course is on the Ballet page.