Do your boys think they’re too tough to dance? Heaps of research – and the experience of real people – has shown that studying dance can help athletes excel at a variety of different sports

Can you recall the movie Remember the Titans? What about that famous music video the Chicago Bears American football team made back in 1985? Or the huge splash linebacker Lawrence Taylor made on Dancing with the Stars? Turns out most sportsmen benefit from studying dance – and for good reason.

“You have to be strong and physical in football, but the guys who really excel are the ones who move efficiently,” says Ken Croner, the Athletes’ Performance coach who has worked with NFL pros such as Brett Favre, Matt Hasselbeck and Deuce McAllister. “When you talk dance moves, it’s the same thing. [Football players] have the ability to control their bodies and that comes with having a nervous system trained from getting into position all those years.”

According to Croner, the stop-and-go nature of football emulates dance movements, so it stands to reason that if you want to excel at one, you would benefit from learning the other. Steve Watson – who plays with the Abu Dhabi Falcons Australian Rules Football team and helps manage the Abu Dhabi Striders running club – agrees.

“Learning dance obviously helps develop coordination and agility and that certainly leads to results on the football field,” says Watson. “Even more importantly, you have to have balance to dance, and any time you work on your balance, you’re strengthening your core muscles. Having strong core muscles helps with everything from playing football to running to carrying groceries or lifting a book bag.”

If your little athletes are ready to give it a try, check out the schedule of classes at Arabesque (050 845 2314), Stepanian Ballet Dance School (050 751 6548), Libra (800 LIBRA) or Expressions of Dance and Drama (02 448 2778).

Laura Fulton