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Best Dance Styles for Children in Somerset West

16 April 2026 · Outline Dance Centre

Choosing a dance style for your child can feel overwhelming when there are so many options. At Outline Dance Centre in Somerset West, we offer training across seven disciplines, each with different benefits and suited to different personalities. Here is a practical guide to help you decide.

Ballet

Ballet is the foundation of all dance training. It develops posture, coordination, musicality, and discipline. We recommend ballet for every young dancer, even those primarily interested in other styles. Our ballet programme follows the AIDT syllabus and accepts students from age 3.

Ballet is a good fit for children who enjoy structure, precision, and music. It builds body awareness that carries into every other dance style.

Contemporary and Jazz

Contemporary and jazz are expressive styles that build on ballet fundamentals while encouraging creativity and individual interpretation. Contemporary focuses on floor work, weight transfer, and emotional expression. Jazz emphasises isolations, rhythmic precision, and dynamic movement.

These styles suit children who enjoy storytelling through movement and want more freedom of expression than classical ballet offers.

Hip Hop

Hip hop classes develop rhythm, musicality, and confidence through street dance techniques. It is high-energy, social, and builds individual style. Hip hop and acrobatics classes at Outline are available for all age groups.

Hip hop is a good entry point for children who are drawn to popular music and want to dance in a more informal, expressive way.

Acrobatics

Acrobatics builds strength, flexibility, and controlled aerial movement. Skills range from basic rolls and bridges through to advanced tumbling and partner work. Many of our students combine acrobatics with other styles to add dynamic elements to their performances.

Acrobatics suits physically active children who enjoy challenging their bodies and building new skills progressively.

Musical Theatre

Musical theatre combines singing, acting, and dance. It develops stage presence, character work, and the ability to tell stories through performance. This style is ideal for children who love performing and have interests beyond pure dance technique.

How to Choose

The honest answer: try a few classes and see what resonates. At Outline Dance Centre, we welcome students from age 3 and group classes by age and ability. There is no pressure to commit to one style immediately. Many of our students train across multiple disciplines, which produces more versatile, well-rounded dancers.

The most important factor is finding a style your child enjoys enough to commit to regular practice. Technical excellence follows from consistent, engaged training over time.