Boys not allowed at school ballet class

Just because you've done something yourself, it doesn't mean you are automatically any good at teaching other people to do it.

Chilly -
"a girl's only space? Pity it's so pink and fluffy hmm"

What does that mean? What's pink and fluffy?

I'd suspect if it's a mum running it that it may be a tad amateurish? A professional dance teacher would always welcome boys and encourage them to dance as ballet is not just for girls. I'd follow up and check out local dance classes where there are other boys - older ones to have as role models as well as boys his age in his class.

Also there are a few ballet things on the BBC at the mo on i-player if he's keen on watching ballet - cbeebies has the Hare and tortoise on, plus there are several other documentaries which maybe he might want to see bits of - Margot Fonteyn, Darcey Bussell, The nutcracker, Ballet Boyz etc.

So strange were discussing this a program has just come on channel 4 about boys dancing!!

I hire facilities from a local authority and I have signed a contract to the effect I will abide by their equal ops policies etc. so the head's excuse is rubbish.
I think its brilliant your son wants to learn ballet. Just watched West Side Story (again!) and the dancing is so wonderful - athletic, balletic and expressive. Bet Matt Whitlock has had ballet lessons!

And the school should have an equal opps policy for all children, for everything. They have a wider responsibility to teach children that they can explore all sports and activites regardless of being a boy or girl, black or white etc I do no see that a 4 year old boy who wants to dance is so different to a girl who wants to. Same as girls are just as good at footy and rugby at that age

Absolutely!

Boys in dancing classes, let alone ballet, are like hen's teeth.

Normally teachers grab 'em with both hands and work like hell to keep them. It's not like ballet is a cushy number - they work very hard and have be very, very fit.

And even if he did decide he wanted to drop our=t - do all of the girls stay? Do they @rse!

I would be fuming and would take it all the way.... sexist awful discrimination

Does your ds only want to go because his friends are going? That's not really a good enough reason if so.

What?? At age 4/5, children often choose what clubs they want to attend based on what their friends are choosing. For that matter, they still are doing that years later!

I really do agree that OP is PC in this matter. But I really wonder if pursuing it worth it? Yes, I get that you want to teach your child to stand up to right and wrong. But worst case scenario, the mum decide to quit teaching at school, school wouldn't be happy for losing income, other parents wouldn't be happy that they lost their dds' ballet class.

Absolutely fight it, how dare she exclude him just because he's a boy and so what if he wants to join because all his friends are there? If the girls wanted to join because of that reason they'd be welcomed with open arms!

I had the same fight to be able to play on the football team when I was at school, I was better than all the boys but still our sexist arse of a headteacher thought it was improper for a girl to be on the football team. My mum backed me 100% and eventually they changed the rules, I didn't feel like i could get my own way whenever I wanted I felt like I had made a small victory for girls in our school and I felt supported by my parents with something I felt strongly about, it didn't matter about the outside teams I was allowed to join.

Billy Elliot
that's all

Some boys enjoy twirling and pretending to be princes. Equally a girl in dds class chose tobe a soldier in ballet class when they were little.

DS was the only boy in his ballet class at that age. His teacher had no problem teaching him, but she was an excellent, highly qualified teacher. I'd put him elsewhere.

I imagine the mum has some pink leotards and girly dress up costumes and they are going to twirl and point and do princessy things. Does your ds only want to go because his friends are going? That's not really a good enough reason if so. If he wants to do ballet a proper ballet school would be better. If you continue to push for gender equality (albeit correctly) the mum will just pull out of the club.

The quite serious dance school my DS went to had one all boys class a week. It was a chance for the boys of all grades to practise together once a week. All the other classes were entirely girls or had just one boy in so it was great for him to dance with older boys. They rehearsed some chorus parts for the shows and they did some strength training too relating to moves the older boys were working towards.

But the girls weren't excluded from the school by that class existing.

Op I think it's ok to be one of those mums when you need or want to be. Otherwise we risk being back in that playground pressure to conform all over again