Dd1 has been doing ballet for about 4 years, since age 4 and at the beginning really liked it - always smiling, happy in the class. She did her primary level exam and got a distinction but was mumbling about other friends from school (who attended different ballet lessons) quitting ballet but I paid no attention to this.
She then did grade one for about 5 terms and was never excited about it and would complain about being shouted at for not tucking her bottom in (did not like the shouting yet loved the teacher). So I decided that I would allow her to pack it in after the exam.
The teacher recently called to say that dd got a distinction about which dd was very pleased.
We have just moved to Edinburgh and I've just signed her up for tap classes (she still loves tap after 3 years) and she seems quite happy to give up the ballet.
Is there any benefit in encouraging her to continue? I don't want to force her to do something she does not enjoy even if she is good at it but I wonder if she was just bored with the same old routine for too long? Is it possible that as you go higher up the grades the routine becomes a bit more exciting?
I cannot even say that doing ballet has endowed her with some amount of grace or poise (you know how you see some girls and know from their movement that they do ballet?) as she kind of just shuffles along without even lifting her feet sometimes 
Doesn't sound as if she hates it per se, and she must have some ability, so I'm really wondering if there's any reason that I should try to encourage her to continue?
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Benefits of continuing with ballet?
maggiethecat · 11/09/2011 15:55
My dd sounds very similar -she's 10 and has done 6 years RAD now. The teacher puts on a show most years and they do other styles of dance for the show and join in with the musical theatre numbers. She appears big and clumsy but actually does well in exams for some reason 
. She keeps it up partly because she does a lot of musical theatre and ballet helps that enormously (got into the panto Junior Chorus last year - wouldn't have without the ballet), and also because her brother does a lot of ballet and she can't bear to be left out! I keep hoping she's going to turn into a graceful teenager. Her posture has to show some benefits one day, doesn't it? 
Has your dd thought that she might be attracting comments (or shouts), about tucking in her bottom etc beause she actually is very good. The children who don't get corrections in class may not be the ones that teachers is paying much attention to, or seeing potential to go further. Why don't you talk to her teacher about her? Or are you going to have to change teacher because you have moved?
dd1 still does ballet at nearly 12, but only because it's such a good base for everything else - she is a tapper at heart, but also loves jazz. here we get the option of a recreational class though, and it is more based around show work or competitions and routines, rather than exams, so a different ethos. most girls seem to carry on right through high school - we often see seniors working on their school work in the foyer at competitions, i think dance is brilliant for inspiring dedication and commitment (and not just to dance lol, the discipline spreads through to all areas)
dd2 is still doing ballet at 8 because she has cp and it's really good for her balance.
ds1 gave it up after 3 years and then did a couple of years of hip hop and musical theatre, but he's into climbing now. the stretching work etc has been a great help - the same for martial arts, the instructors always love dancers/ ex-dancers.
i would say dd2 has a year or two left at most. there's a natural limit as to how far a child with a physical disability such as cp can progress with ballet lol, but she's started a recreational tap and jazz class. but i would probably expect dd1 will want to dance forever. she's never going to be a professional dancer, but she loves it, especially the tap. we've just bought her a tap floor for christmas.
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