Ballet: what is the best age to start?

[Popparoo]

I am thinking of waiting until my daughter is four years old before starting ballet classes. Many parents I know have started their children at two or three: is four a bit late to start? I know that sounds a bit crazy, but I have been told that if dd starts at four she will be left behind all the other four year olds who started earlier, and that it will be hopeless...Does anyone have an opinion on/experience of this one?

[tamum]

Can I just point out that the child in the OP must be at least 6 by now?

[zebratwizzler]

LOL tamum.

[mummyhill]

DD will be 4 in Feb and has just started to go to a small school after nursery on a tuesday. She goes for half an hour and they do 15mins tap and 15mins ballet and it only costs me £2 a week. TBH they don't seem to listen to the teacher much but she seems to be enjoying herself. My cousin didn't start dancing till she was 5 and she was the junior tap champion of england and wales for 3 years on the trot. So I think what I am trying to say id that it doesn't matter what age they start at as long as they enjoy themselves.

[NutcrackingXmas]

Dd1 first went to a ballet class at age 2.6 but she just wasn't interested enough, and I was really paying for her to just stand there and watch.

When she was about 4 she joined another one which was ballet, and tap. She enjoyed it but after a while they wanted to move her up to the next group which was 2 hours long. I thought it was too much so pulled her out.

Since then she has gone to a classical ballet class on a saturday morning and she loves it. She has done a pre primary and a primary exam and is now doing grade 1. Her teacher is fantastic, very strict but a great sense of humour too.

TBH I think it depends more on wether you like the class than the childs age.

[Passionflowerinapeartree]

I think 4 is the best age to start. DD1 started at four and she isn't behind the girls who started 3.5 (the earliest her ballet school will take). In fact a lot of the girls who started at 3.5 have given up as they got bored. If you start too early they don't see that they are progressing and get fed up. If you start when they start school they are soon into the grades and concerts.

I have kept DD2 from starting until she starts school even though DD1 goes and she want's to be like her sister. I think until school age she gets more from her soft play/gym sessions and swimming.

[Passionflowerinapeartree]

Oooops just read the whole thread, costs £62.50 per term. Lessons 45 mins long. Plus kit. Is a serious school (Imperial ballet) though rather that church hall job.

[twinsetandpearls]

dd started ballet at three and a half, she was four in september and about to take her grade one. She has been doing dance since her third birthday but only really got it at aroun d 3 and a half which is when she started proper lessons.

We pay five pound a week for half an hour ballet and half an hour tap.

[twinsetandpearls]

Dd school is a serious dance college where full time students attend and extra classes are put on in the evening for children. So no shows, just lessons and exams.

She laso does attend an informal church hall type dancing class which costs £1.50 for about 40 minutes or dance and they do two shows a year. They take tots from 3 all the way to a few brave mums. I found it was an excellent way to see if dd liked dancing rather than starting with formal lessons.

[lucykate]

my dd's classes are £2.25 for a 1/2hr session once a week, kit was £40 altogether (leotard, wrap, skirt & pumps), she's been going since sept this year and is 4 at beg jan. seems to like it but i can see what some people mean with the little ones, it being more like babysitting for the teacher. although i would be happy to stay for the lesson, most ballet classes seem not to like the parents to watch.

[mummyhill]

They don't like you to stay because they think it distracts the children. I wouldn't want to be in the room cause I would be itching to go and put dd right when I can see her not payng attention etc. because I want to see her suceed in everything she tries sad mummy aren't I.

[suzi2]

4 isn't too late at all. I started at age 4 but quit within a year as I was scared of the teacher. I then started again at age 10. Although starting late probably prevented me from being Darcy Bussell, I still got on well and almost went to dance school at 17 - had a horrible injury which prevented it!

Anyhow, I used to teach some classes during my teens from age 3 to age 9. The 3/4 yr olds classes are just kind of structured mucking about really. But some things are for building the basics such as "good toes, bad toes" etc. I think it's a great thing for kids to do and I will be sending my DS to dancing when he is older.

[shellby512]

can anyone out there help me i'm in a fix? i need to stiffen my daughters ballet tutu, hair spray and starch these days isn't stiff enough. My mum used to use sugar and water on mine but she cannot remember the ratio of how much sugar to water can anyone help?

[sykes]

What? What stage is she at? It's just about hair in a proper bun and shoes that are tied properly - with hair spray to make them stick - ie the ribbons and hair.

[fortyplus]

Start a new thread - this one is ancient!

[shellby512]

my daughter's tutu is for a show she in but i had too wash the tutu as it was filthy now it's all limp. my daughter is at grade 4 RAD and now has a solo part in the schools ballet show this christmas, she has worked hard to get this part and she want's to look her best.

[choosyfloosy]

i was a bit intrigued by this so googled 'stiffen tutu' - wasn't sure what i'd get! - but it turned up the following advice:

sagging tutu's can be revamped,
by simply adding new layers between the existing net layers,
using same or even a different colour net to brighten it up.
only two to three layers in the right place need to be added
[under top, middle & bottom layers]
bob's your uncle a brand new looking tutu.
have done it numerous times and works every time.

from www.forums.dazzlem.co.uk

hth

[shellby512]

Thanks for that BUT one problem there isnt much space to add net as when i made the tutu last year the net wasn't very strong so added more layers than required when i made it to hold it up. And i haven't got time to make another one for her as i am currently making other girls costumes for the same show. Thanks anyway