to think that encouraging your daughter to learn ballet is cruel

[morningpaper]

Because BASICALLY, ballet is all about body image and is a money-making racket to boot (silly costumes and unecessary shoes).

There just AREN'T curvy ballerinas. You have to have the perfect body - thin, willowy and in perfect proportion. I well remember when my 11 year-old best mate was rejected from the Royal Ballet School because her 'shoulders were too wide'. She cried for weeks. Ballet had been her life.

Basically, they either get sick of it themselves, or they stop because they realise that their BODIES ARE IMPERFECT. Either way, the time could be better used doing some sort of more useful modern dance that you can learn in £1.99 Asda trainers which isn't dependent on having a perfect body.

Please take your daughters to something more useful instead.

Right am never mentioning Irish dancing to DD1.

See I loved Riverdance, but bloody hell £300!

Ballet is poncey.

Pay attention, I said it was wigs at 15:06

What do your daughters do morningpaper?

not very much because they are too busy trying to escape from the bomb shelter

mainly they make things with mud and gravel

I am taking my children to a mini rave in a few weeks. Much more fun I hope...

what does 'Irish dancing hair' look like, exactly?

bringmeashrubbery that sounds like an excellent plan

We don't have to wear expensive outfits, we'll get high on fizzy pop and wave our arms in the air like we just don't care.

like this edam

scary hair

as an adult i've discovered an unexpected joy in physical activity, unexpected because it was thoroughly driven out of me by my experience as a child, particularly through pe in school. i don't do anything competitive and can't imagine ever wanting to, it saddens me that so many activities that could be joyful and inclusive to all have to be structured into such a competitive system.

My oldest who is 6 does some sort of modern mixed dancing thing which as far as I can tell is a bit like Strictly Come Dancing. There are about 50 people of mixed ages in a ropey old shed that is probably made from asbestos. There is a break in the middle where the children can buy Wotsits while the older ones go for fags. It's great!

TBH DH takes her and I don't pay much attention but if I have to take her I do get to read the Saturday Guardian from cover to cover, which I suspect is DH's main motivation.

They also do swimming lessons to prevent future drowning.

Have any of you who are anti-ballet seen much professional ballet? There isn't much pink fluffiness about, more athleticism and flexibility. And yes I have a 9 year old who does ballet, tap, modern and jazz, a 4 year old who has just started ballet and a 7 year old (dd) who prefers football!

"There is a break in the middle where the children can buy Wotsits while the older ones go for fags. It's great!"

well, that's why I am happier about ds's ballet lessons than his football, mileni

because ballet at our school is all about everybody working together to give a good experience to the audience; it's less self-centered

football is about winning and people get cross with you when you don't get it right (ds gave up football for 2 years for this reason and has only just taken it up again)

i don't think anyone has suggested that professional dancers are pink and fluffy

weirdly, mp, there's a break in between dd1's ballet and tap class where they eat macdonalds and crisps...

but that doesn't really fit in with your body-image theory, eh?

this is my fave smiley evah

particularly in aibu

Then what is this assumption that children doing ballet are in it for the pink fluffiness? At no stage have my dds worn a tutu or anything like it - a leotard and skirt (burgundy or blue) is worn until Grade 3 then a black leotard and tights.

While I had a friend over the other day, my DD picked up a Lazytown CD the other day, looked down the tracklist and said "Well I can't tango to ANY of these!" in an exasperated tone

I very nearly fainted with embarassment

mileniwmffalcon on Thu 16-Apr-09 15:40:42
"i don't think anyone has suggested that professional dancers are pink and fluffy"

ime this has the effect that children who persevere with ballet beyond the age of 6 don't do the pink and fluffy either

because if you are that interested in something, you do try to find out about it

and ballet dvds very easy to get hold of these days

i'm getting a bit lost on when it's supposed to be pink princessy too tbh - or are we still at the pre-school bit here?