To consider ballet for a two year old?

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Dd is 2.8 years and loves dancing around to music at home. There are toddler ballet lessons local to us which I am thinking of trying. We watched a lesson and they look like fun - just prancing about to music with various props but I have a few niggles about it:

• parents are not allowed to sit in the class and watch as it's a distraction. Not sure if dd would be happy with me leaving her. In the lesson we watched, one little girl was crying for her mum and the teacher said that eventually they settle down after a few weeks. But how would you know if they were just playing up or if they genuinely hated it? Last thing in the world I want to be is a pushy mum!!

• Is ballet totally inappropriate at this age? They do "exams" where they can win rosettes for doing basic little things but these are optional. Am just worried it's all too formal and structured.

Maybe I'm over thinking it but just wanted to know if anyone else has done something similar with their two year old?

Dd started baby ballet when she was 23months old. She loves it, but wouldn't force her to go if she wasn't in to it.

Our classes are different to yours, as I have to stay with her, so it was better for her when she started.

It is nothing strict with exams, it is all about fun, dance and learning to listen to instructions.

She is now 3 and still loves it.

I am not sure where you are based, but google tippy toes ballet, they may have a class near you

My DD would love that.

I wouldn't leave her though. What if they need a nappy change or to go to the toilet?

My DD started around the same age. It is much better for them to get used to Mum not being there - our teachers/class assistants are so lovely and the wee ones get loads of attention. They DO settle down, and mums in the room just prolong the agony so to speak. My own DD clung on, had to be prised off me - but skipped out of class with a beaming face, clutching a little sticker!

It's not appropriate at this age - it's not a rigid ballet class, it's more "movement" with balletic undertones i.e learning to skip gracefully and playing with scarves etc.

My DD is now 7, has sat her first exam when she was 6. She's performed in 2 shows (3 nights, 250 of an audience) with her first when she was 4. She now does ballet, tap and hiphop and I can really see the beginnings of a dancer in her - her posture and balance are fantastic. But more importantly, she loves it. In fact, she told me last night that when she hears music she just HAS to dance.

Go for it, you'll soon know if she really doesn't like it.

*not INAPPROPRIATE. Sheesh. Must proof read!

To the poster that wondered about toileting - at our school the class assistants will take them to the toilet, but for anything more serious (wee accident, nappy change needed) then they simply come and get us from the coffee area to deal with it.

Sounds a little too formal. My DD goes to a preschool ballet class and it is fab. Parents are allowed to watch. The children bring a toy to rock at the end. However they are still being taught proper ballet moves - galloping, rises etc.

Oh so you don't have to leave the building, just the room?

I think that I will google those classes then, DD would really love them. Thank you

They do baby ballet near me from 6mo I think your DD would love it :) I think I'd start ballet with mine at about your DD's age if she showed an interest :)

My dd1 went to a melody bear ballet class at the same age, I wish there was something the same where we live now for dd2. It taught her to listen, to sit up straight and gave her so much enjoyment. She loved showing her dancing to me and looked forward to it every week. Some children do cry, dd1 has always been extremely confident so didn't but the ones who did got used to it and hopefully enjoyed it.

Yanbu. I took ballet when I was 2 and LOVED it!

I took it until I was 14.

Dd is 2 but I've missed the deadline for the fall classes. She says she wants to try so I'll see how she feels in the summer.

My DD thrived on the formality of the class, even though it was just movement. Uniform, hair reasonably neat and tidy....all good prep for the stage she's at now where we need hair in buns, no jewellery or nail varnish. Should say that it's not a franchised class we attend, just a very good local school that happens to be within a large sports centre.

I started ballet at 22 months (I was out of nappies) and parents didn't stay. I continued with the same dance group until I was 21! Give it a go, you can always stop if it doesn't work out.

• I also loved the alone time to read a book!!

Fine to start this age. My older two were both 2 when they started, I started when I was 3 and I will start my 3rd child at 2 or 3 as well.

However, if you're uncomfortable with it, I don't think a child will be held back by not starting at 2/3. I don't think they learn much that a child starting at 4/5 or even 6 instead wouldn't catch up on very easily.

DD started ballet when she was just over 3. Parents could come into the first class if they wanted. Then we either waited in the next room or went and came back. She is now 7 and still adores her ballet (and jazz and modern). She has done one exam, last summer and been in two major shows. They did not take children till they were 3 though.

DD started at 2.10. She's 3.8 and just took part in her first show - it's given her loads of confidence and she loves dancing.

At ours parents aren't allowed in the class but an assistant (usually older girls from the dance school) bring them through to the coffee area if they need the loo.

Try babyballet.co.uk

They have classes all over the country. Ds is 2.7 and loves his class. Parents stay and join in this class, and they don't go independent of carer until they are at least 3. They don't take exams (which I feel are unnecessary at such a young age) but at the end of the term, they all get a certificate presented to them and a big fuss made.They learn basic ballet principles in a fun way, and you can tell that the teachers follow a well researched syllabus. I love our time together there!

Have you tried Baby Ballet? My daughter goes and it is absolutely lovely. Parents can stay until they are 3, then they go into the big class and parents are encouraged to wait outside or at the back of the hall. It is not strict and if your child is upset you can sit back in until they are settled. They also offer a short session of tap to make up the full hour (ballet in 45 mins). It's all done to songs and with props...my little one loves it.

Dd started when she was 2 1/2 and has always loved it. Parents aren't allowed to watch although they can stay in the dressing room where they can hear what's going on. Personally I think my dd would have just sat on my lap if I was in the room with her. Without me she was shy at first but soon came round. They are strict on uniform nod classes aren't cheap but dd has gained so much confidence. She's 4 now and about to do her second dancing show in a theatre. Regarding going to the toilet they have loads of helpers, normally older students 14/15 year old who take them to the toilet if needed. They can normally last the 45 minutes though.

It depends on what your view of throwing money away is.

My 2.9 dd does 1hr if ballet n dinky disco all very fun movements. We leave her to it, she loved it. We go for a costs or breakfast nearby. They have our number.

At then end if term we get to watch a sort of performance and take pics etc. I'm looking forward to seeing the difference in what she can do.

Gymnastics on the other hand isn't as well taught n cud rant about that a bit!

My dd did dance classes at a school from being 2.5 until 9 years old.
Up until about 7 parents were allowed to stay in Saturday class but not exam classes during the week.

Some schools allow parents to stay and some insist somebody is there. If you look around you'll find the right one for you.

It is never a bad choice, the discipline helps in so many other things they do during childhood.

Baby ballet for us too. Been doing it for over a year now (she's 2.10) and love it. Just love it. She joins in as much as she wants, I join in if she's feeling shy or hesitant or I sit and watch and she runs over for a cuddle when she wants one then skips back off. Sometimes she does what the class is doing, sometimes she does her own dance, sometimes her dolly dances with her. It's all very lovely x

My dd goes to ballet, she's just 2 been going since about 18 months.
She loves it, I went in to the first few classes with her then she didn't want me any more because the big girls didn't have their mummy's.
I love the structure and disipline, our teacher is quite firm with them.
My dd skips into ballet every week and wants to practice at home. I wouldn't force her to go though if she was unhappy. Would probably have made her do a couple of classes to see if she settled if she'd been a bit upset by it at first.
Would depend on the child though my dd is very confident and independent she'd seen ballet on TV and talked about it non stop, asked to watch it etc so she knew what it was before the class started, maybe watch some youtube videos first of baby ballet so she goes to the class with some sort of idea about it.

DS started ballet at 2.6 and was much better at paying attention if I was out of the room ( we could stay or wait outside as we chose). He still dances now age 8.6, but not ballet, now does a folk dance class, and performs at festivals.