'OLDER' BALLET BEGINNERS

[wotnochocs]

My DD1 who is 9 has expressed a desire to dance! She is a keen gymnast and she is petite graceful strong and flexible but i wonder how she would begin ballet as I assume most of the other beginners will be 3 and 4 YOs!!

Oh not at all!

If she can have a few lessons to teach her the basic she could probably go into a more advanced class.

The only thing is to start quick as otherwise her turnout won't develop properly and that would be a shame if she wanted to continue with it.

I found ballet quite helpful with gynmastics - especially for beam and floor work.

My foster sister and I both started ballet when we were 12. The lady assessed us both, and put us into different classes. I went into grade 3 (with mostly 9ish year olds) and she was put into primary (mostly tots) because I was a gymnast and quite rhythmic, she was (and still is) very clumsy and struggles to find rhythm. We both benefitted massively from it - she progressed slower but it did help with her co-ordination, I went through the grades quickly and caught up.

She shouldn't have a problem, she'll love it!

DD1 started when she was 10, and went into a class of 8-9 year olds - she caught up pretty quickly, and now workd at her ballet school demonstrating for the younger classes. TBH we've found there's quite a lot of older beginners as they've moved up through secondary school - especially as dance is a popular choice for GCSE PE.

Fortunatly ours os a particularly relaxed dance school, somewhere more formal might be harder to slot in.

Thats not "older" !

From the thread title, I thought you meant adult beginners!

our place also has adult beginners - I'm really tempted as I was never allowed ballet lessons as a child .

The gymnastics should mean she has good core body strength, balance, and be quite bendy; all of which should help give her a good start. Talk to the school and see whatcthey recommend.

Private individual lessons are usually quite expensive, but it might be worth considering a few to give her a start that will let her join in a class made up of girls nearer her own age. My DD's ballet teacher reckons it's only after about 7 or 8 that progress consolidates enough that there is a definite gap to be bridged, so she's not that far adrift really.

ShrinkingViolet - go for it, its a very good way of getting your body toned up - you will find muscles you never knew existed!

dd (11) has just had two 15 yr olds start in her grade 3 RAD formal ballet class. The class is due exams in the new year and i'm not sure if these girls will be entered yet, but in the past girls have been able to move up with the class then take the exam when they are at level.

Although age wise the gap seems big the girls have fitted in well. Talk to local dance schools and i'm sure it will not be a problem.

Our local ballet school runs a beginners' class for teenagers, not that unusual.

DD is 9 and will be doing her Grade 2 next term, she has been doing ballet for 4 years and was danceing for a couple of years before that.

There have been older beginners join her class, they just stay in there a little longer and maybe don't take the exams for a little while.

I would possibly expect a 9 year old to be put into a Grade 1 or 2 class with children whose age ranges from 7-10. She won't be with the babies as the baby pre praimry classes are all fairies and creative movement.

French ballerina Sylvie Guillem trained as a gymnast initially. I think she started ballet when she was 11.