“As we step into an unknown world of groundbreaking technology, our children are going to have to be imaginative, entrepreneurial, and emotionally resilient. It is the arts that will give them that.”
— Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of San Francisco Ballet

We are standing at the edge of a new era. Artificial intelligence is already reshaping the way we live, work, and learn. As machines take on more and more routine tasks, the question every parent faces is this: What skills will truly set our children apart in the future?

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The answer may surprise you—it’s not coding, robotics, or even advanced math. It’s creativity. It’s empathy. It’s resilience. It’s the ability to think outside the box, collaborate with others, and bring imaginative solutions to complex problems.

And there is no better training ground for these qualities than dance.

Dance Builds Creative Thinkers

Every time a child steps into the studio, they’re not just memorizing steps. They are practicing how to think imaginatively with their whole selves. Dance challenges them to solve problems in real time: How can I embody this rhythm? How do I interpret this movement? How do I make this phrase my own? These are the seeds of entrepreneurial thinking—risk-taking, adapting, and creating something from nothing.

Dance Cultivates Emotional Resilience

Dancers know that progress doesn’t come overnight. It comes from repetition, perseverance, and learning to push through challenges. Whether it’s nailing a difficult turn or finding the courage to perform in front of an audience, students build resilience in the face of setbacks. And in a future where flexibility and grit will matter more than ever, this kind of resilience is priceless.

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Dance Nurtures Empathy and Connection

Perhaps most importantly, dance is a profoundly human art form. It asks students to express themselves authentically and to listen—really listen—to the people moving around them. Through collaboration, performance, and storytelling, they learn to connect, empathize, and see the world from perspectives beyond their own. These are skills no algorithm can replicate.

Why Parents Should Care

As parents, it’s easy to think of dance as “just an extracurricular activity.” But in reality, every plié, leap, and turn is doing something much deeper. Dance is shaping your child into someone who is not only strong and expressive, but prepared to thrive in a world where imagination and emotional intelligence are the real currency of success.

As Tamara Rojo reminds us, it is the arts that give children the tools to flourish in times of change. And in the midst of the AI revolution, that is a gift worth investing in.