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Original poster

Is 6 hours of dance classes a week too much for a 10/11yo? Even if she wants to do it?

30 replies

castille · 13/02/2009 15:06

A comment from our GP at a check-up has got me thinking.

DD2 loves dancing and now she's coming up to secondary age she wants to audition for a local secondary school that has a dance section with modified timetable - normal lessons until 3pm, then dance classes 3.30-5pm.

But our GP thinks that 6 hours of dance classes a week is a lot for a pre-teen's body. He also hinted that lots of kids do this sort of intensive training under pressure, conscious or otherwise, from their parents.

DD is keen and quite talented but I don't think she's going to be good enough for a career in dance, and I'm not so sure now it's the right thing to do. The school is great academically (she's very bright so it should suit her in that respect), but if she doesn't get a dance place she won't be able to go there as we don't live in catchment.

Anyway, my question is: would you let your DD do this much sport?

OP posts:
QueenofHerts · 13/02/2009 15:29

Well there are specialist dance schools for children that age, so I'm sure it's fine. I know children that age who do similar amount. Maybe your GP thought you were a potential "stage mother" rather than the caring mum that you sound!

fluffles · 13/02/2009 15:29

We're all supposed to do at least an hour's activity a day so i don't see how 1.5hrs can be too much. Most kids in the 70s were out running around playing in the street from about 3.30pm till 6pm every day...

Obviously dance like ballet is more challenging on the body than a mixture of other activities but if you trust the school to nurture your daughter's health and growth emotionally as well as physically then i can't see that the actual amount of dance should be a problem.

smartiejake · 13/02/2009 15:24

I'm sure that if I totted it all up, my active sporty, dancey 12 year old must do about 6 hours of quite intense activity every week.

If my dd wanted to do something like this I would be very pleased that she was getting lots of exercise in a controlled and disciplined environment. Not vegging at home in front of the TV or on MSN or wandering round the streets getting into trouble.

If the school is a specialist dance college they must know what is appropriate for young bodies. I would go for it.

Shame there isn't a school like that round here, my DD would love it!

psychomum5 · 13/02/2009 15:21

mine do.

they do 4hrs of dance a week at school, and then 2hrs on a tuesday, 2hrs on thursday, 3hrs on friday, 3hrs on saturday.

my girls are 14, 13 next week, and 10........and have been doing this amount since they were 7yrs old!

KateF · 13/02/2009 15:19

I would let her go for it but I have a dance mad 9 year old who does 4 classes a week and was in a panto where she danced for 6 hours a day!!! I don't think an hour a day is overkill as long as she's healthy and eats and sleeps well.