To make my daughter do ballet

I have to disagree with you. Even different companies in different countries will have different views on what is the perfect physical line and even then different choreographers and repertoire teachers will have different views on the line.

It's incredibly subjective.

Well my daughter is terrible at sports and great at ballet so that’s her moment. It’s not different in impact to the child.

Try modern dance or Street dance something quicker and more fun

Ballet is not “totally subjective”. The artistic expression may be partially subjective, but the physical expression is definitely not.

The RAD shorts are definitely not what I’d call loose fitting! More like ⚽️⚽️ crushers! And the T-shirt is leotard-tight too.

I don’t disagree about it being not the most pleasant garb, but they do need it to see the muscles working correctly and I guess it’s no worse than swimsuits.

Ballet is totally subjective and therefore not the same as sport competition.

Especially dance competitions which are known for their subjective judgement.

For most professionals it's a short career and not much pay isn't it?

I also don't like the ballet 'industry' because the men nearly always end up with the director, choreographer roles when they retire, even though there's way more competition for women to enter the professional world in the first place. Seems very old fashioned

@Hairyragemachine "What if she is missing out on a career as an international prima ballerina? "

If she doesn't love ballet she will never make a prima ballerina. It takes way too much dedication and hard work and you have to really, really want it

why ballet? Would you be so keen if you had a son?

I ask that question because the 'posture and good for you' thing only ever extends to ballet being good for girls.

Get her out playing a team sport which doesn't require her to look in the mirror at herself, examine her body in very tight fitting clothes, be relatively static whilst turn her legs into position's which are not great for physical well being.

Sorry I wasn’t clear. When I mentioned the boys, I was referring to little boys’ ballet uniform, typically a shorts and shirt combination that fits more loosely than a leotard. I have no issue with little girls running around in leotards if they are comfortable, but they should be allowed to wear underwear and/or looser clothing if they choose; I don’t think that the line argument for the girls’ leotards has real validity.

Yes indeed for the boys, just a different version because most boys would run a mile rather than wear the same as the girls. The majority of boys have short hair anyway so don't need a bun (if long hair they need to tie it back), and for clothing they either have a tight-fitting t-shirt or a white leotard, with snug-fitting shorts. The older ones wear a dance belt and either an all-in-one, or leotard and male tights. All the clothing is snug fitting so the teacher can see their lines.

Yes I think they do try.
But it inevitably becomes a bit “nose meet crotch.”

I don’t have many regrets about the way I patented my children, but a big one is making them do things I wanted them to do, rather than letting them give them up after a decent stab…

But yes, if you take out the lines, the discipline, the placement, the “ shapes” and the pain bad Strictly is pretty much what you would be left with @LittleBitofBread !

Maybe I was just a bit prudish! 🤣

If you take out the lines, it becomes people on Strictly doing bad contempo-waft

I don't know about the lifts thing; I'd say the hand placement in lifts is very carefully designed so that the women are always held and touched in pretty neutral places.

Boys would have to tie it back if it impaired the line.

But ballet is a very visual art and the body is given completely to it. There are plenty of holds where the man lifts the ballerina and places his hands in ways safeguarding could have a field day with.

But if you take out “the lines” ballet almost ceases to exist and becomes people jumping or wafting about in a hall. It’s hard to explain but the lines are kind of what it’s about.

eta children don’t have those lifts done to them. But having their hair in a bun is seen as acceptable request for young ballerinas. One of the key benefits of ballet as a discipline is exactly that: the discipline.

Yep. The fact that ballet puts so much emphasis on form is precisely why they want hair up and out of the way; so they can see the head, neck and shoulder positions.

You sound like the mums on dance mums! 😆 You can't force your child to do ballet just because you want it! That's how you make a kid resent and hate you and they'd have every reason to do so

Lol are you sure your teacher didn’t tell your mum to remove you because you weren’t good enough? That’s what my ballet teacher did… perhaps your mother just didn’t tell you

Boys in my daughter’s class have to either have short hair or have it pulled up and back. Same as the girls. They can have short hair but they can’t have hair that swings around.

all this stuff only gets more intense each year so for anyone finding it challenging when your children are young, this activity isn’t for you. And that’s fine! So many other options.

wish someone had been honest with us when my son signed up for the wee ones football. Now I’m driving him to the middle of nowhere every Sunday morning to listen to a bunch of grown men yell at children and I hate it.

But strangely enough, not for the boys.

I think the argument re line is quite invalid now that society is trying a little harder not to brush safeguarding issues under the carpet. And honestly if a teacher can’t judge head and neck position on a 5 year old because of a bob, what’s the point?

She’s 5. Does tap and modern. Maybe she wants her Saturday back. To lie in /chill etx

weekends are meenr to be fun

I won’t sign up for any sat sun activities

if paid to end of year as most activities are then finish the term. If she wants to stop then. It’s fine

or maybe wants on a week day after school

No I wouldn't be forcing a 5 year old to do something they clearly don't want to do, if she is crying about it then she is obviously unhappy about something to do with the ballet, maybe she is being pushed too hard by the teacher and its hurting her, either way I would be telling her she can stop if that's what she wants