Last Updated on August 17, 2024 by Sarah McCubbin
If you are looking for online dance classes and lessons that your kids can enjoy learning at their own pace right from home, YouDance offers unlimited access to a ton of options. Dance lessons for kids can often become a huge investment of money and time than can this experience prohibitive for many!
When I had a bunch of little kids at home, the only place my daughter could take a dance class was at our homeschool co-op. I was grateful for that exposure because we had too many little kids to run her to weekly dance lessons. Fast forward many years. My older daughter is a Senior in high school!
My youngest daughter is now 6 and my son is 9. I no longer have a house full of little people to juggle. I don’t have to drag a small army with me to lessons and activities. I finally enrolled those two in a local dance studio this winter and they loved it. Week in and week out, their classes taught them new dance styles, they made new friends and they learned the value of hard work.
But after an intensive spring session, I found that we needed a break from in-person classes. I’m just not wired to go…go…go…all the time. I need down time in my schedule or I crash!
** This is a sponsored post. I received this product or compensation for review purposes only and was compensated for my time. I was not asked nor required to share a positive review; all opinions are my own. READ DISCLAIMER HERE for more information.
So, I was absolutely delighted when I had a chance to review YouDance.com. My kids love dance and this was a great opportunity to see if the quality of online classes could compare to in-person dance training.
Table of Contents
Features of the YouDance All-Access Membership
- YouDance can be streamed on nearly any device (phone, tablet, Smart TV, and computer).
- Independent Learning: Lessons are designed for self-study, requiring no adult assistance.
- Ad-Free Experience: Focus on learning without any distractions, as the platform is completely ad-free.
- Monthly or Yearly Program Access
- New classes added regularly
Program Components:
- Comprehensive Dance Access: Explore a wide range of dance styles, including Hip Hop, Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, and Clogging.
- Preschool Program: Specially designed classes for children ages 2-6.
- Learn Anytime: Access on-demand lessons to practice at your own pace.
- Families can take an unlimited number of classes: monthly and yearly access available
- Engaging Monthly Challenges: Participate in fun and motivating challenges every month.
- Dance History Education: Gain insight into the rich history of dance.
- Online Choreography Workshops: Create complete dances by learning to piece together various steps.
- Character Development: Build confidence and perseverance through structured dance training.
Inside YouDance.com Online Dance Classes
In our family, we have never pursued online dance classes before. It never crossed my mind. But now that I have used YouDance, it seems like a completely obvious choice for so many reasons! If your child has never taken lessons or if they are taking dance lessons in person this would be a perfect complement to what they are already doing.
YouDance focuses on the fundamentals of different types of dance and builds up through different levels. Students can begin at whatever level they are comfortable at or they may want to go back and review the fundamentals. Either option works in this platform.
If you have a child that wants to try dance, YouDance is great. You don’t need to buy fancy equipment and you can take lessons with a low month to month commitment. Everyone in the house can take lesson on one subscription. You won’t find that for a low price at any in-person studio.
On the other hand, I think YouDance pairs perfectly with in person lessons because sometimes students need extra practice doing something and this platform feels like you have an instructor in your living room for at-home training! Some kids are less coordinated and need the extra repetitions to build up that muscle memory. And this program does such a great job of teaching and reinforcing those skills. My kids will take lessons with their friends again this winter but we will absolutely be using YouDance to practice up until then.
This program is the perfect alternative to in an in person dance tutor or class. It’s also the perfect way for kids to burn off energy in a controlled, productive way. The cost is completely reasonable and much less than taking lessons in person…especially if more than one child uses the program!
When my son took dance this winter, I was surprised at how much he loved it. The room of 8-10 year old boys was full of kids having a great time. One room over, little girls in tutu’s whirled and twirled. But in the boys room, they learned cool moves and would sometimes end up in a breakout dance. When we pulled out YouDance, he loved the contemporary dance lessons. After a few minutes, he declared himself worn out! I tried it with him and it was a workout.
YouDance is designed to stream on nearly any type of device. I tested it out on several and it worked fine. It didn’t want to play nice with the browser app on our television so I screen casted it to the TV.
I personally think that this works better on a larger screen just to see the details. I preferred that over watching on a computer or phone.
Unique Elements of the YouDance Program
This past year my kids took beginning ballet and beginning contemporary dance. Starting as an absolute beginner, the lessons cover different dance skills at an incremental (almost micro) level. With any kind of new skill, students can become easily frustrated if new skills are added too quickly. So, as I looked at YouDance, I was really comparing in to our “in person” experience that we had fairly recently.
Here are the things I noticed…and liked!
- Each video is relatively short teaching skills incrementally.
- New skills are added one at a time
- Warm ups are included with the lessons
- Quizzes are included to test their knowledge
- There is a ton of variety so kids can try new things
Compared to an “in person” lesson, I thought these lessons were very similar. They are recorded in an actual studio giving the student the view of the instructor in the front with a mirror.
Homeschool Dance Curriculum
Courtney, the founder of YouDance.com, was homeschooled herself. As she created and YouDance, it was done specifically to meet the needs of homeschool families. It offers the perfect solution the doing PE at home especially in the middle of winter when everyone is cooped up inside.
A single subscription is good for the whole family making this a great way to integrate movement and physical activity into your homeschool!
YouDance Is Perfect For Parent’s Too
As my kids were doing their dance lessons, the thought kept crossing my mind…”I want to do this too!” Let me be clear…I don’t dance. I have zero dance experience. I am not coordinated. Aerobics was the hardest activity for me in gym class growing up…I could never step the right way at the right time! I tried a class as an adult and it was always just too fast for me.
But as I watched these lessons, I became more and more convinced that these are a great option for parents who want to start moving and tone up. All of the classes are taught by adults and the methods they use to teach would work for any adult who wants to learn. This certainly isn’t the main audience for this program, but as a parent, I love that I can do the lessons with my kids…or go put them on a screen in my room and do the lessons there.
My sister takes dance lessons at a local studio with a bunch of moms. She loves it. But when you need something in the comfort of your own home, this is the perfect solution. Get the subscription for the kids and mom can use it too!
Whatever your reason for taking dance, YouDance offers a great option for families with young dancers. Try out one of their free lessons and see what you think!
Sarah McCubbin and her husband and 9 kids live in Ohio. She loves talking about all kinds of education topics and is passionate about helping families find the best education options in each season! Socially awkward growing up, she loves to help families teach life skills, social skills and leadership.
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