First ballet lesson

[Judyandherdreamofhorses]

DD, after much pleading on her part, is trying a pre-primary ballet class tomorrow. What should she wear?

Sorry if it's a stupid question, I've never experienced ballet before! I'll be investing in the full uniform for next week if she likes it/ joins in/ doesn't sit with her thumb in her mouth throughout.

Thanks.

Anything she can move easily in - leggings and Tshirt are good. Welcome to the ballet world, it takes over your life!

Leggings and a t shirt. Have you got a little flared skirt she could wear too as they hold their skirts for some of the exercises. Bare feet. Hair tied up.

Thanks. I don't think we've got a flared skirt, only cord ones.

Do I need to get her hair tidy?! It is always tied back, but is an unruly curly mop.

I hope she likes it. She was desperate to try gymnastics but couldn't cope with not already being brilliant at it, so I couldn't get her to go again. Swimming lessons are going well - she started in September and follows instructions well.

She started reception this week and it is a success so far. A busy week!

Hi. My daughter will have her trial lesson next week.

She tried before but always gave up. Now she is buggering me again and I gave in because I can see potential.

We enjoy watching Dance Mums, have you heard of it?

Yes apparently it does take over your life and bank account. I don't know if I can cope, but I got to try.

I will restrain myself and buy the full uniform just after the trial too.

It's lovely. All my children have danced, one professionally.
My 2 yr old dd started last term and adores it, she even did a show at Xmas which was hilarious.

dancemoms is a bit ott I think.
We do go a lot but they are there every night till late.
Dd1 is in panto at the moment so we are runnj g her to rehearsals 3 times a week plus normal classes.

Oh heavens, I'm not sure I want her to love it that much!

Dance moms makes me feel better about myself! Lol!!! I don't think I'm tat bad (yet!!!)

My daughter insists she must do her training at Abby Lee company and wants to go to America.
We love it.

It was pretty full on with ds so I've worked hard to keep perspective with dd.
She's more of an all rounder and wants to be a holiday entertainer so there's no need to be as competitive.
I love not having to live it.

The abbey lee dancers are outstanding though.
I'd Love to see them compete at British dance festivals!

OMG, dd also talks about working at Butlins lol
She is only 6

Really hope her trial goes well and I can go buy the uniform. There is virtually nothing on eBay at the moment.

The classes will be around £90 a term. Does it sound alright? It is London.
How much more am I expecting to spend on exams, costumes, shows...?

Erm. Lots.
Exams are expensive, costumes you can hire but I do make alot of my own.
Private lessons are also expensive.
It can be as costly as you allow it to be.
I draw some lines as I have other priorities.
Dd wants to work in Mexico.
I'm a little happier with that than Butlins!
Ds worked at Butlins for a season, it was fun but incredibly hard work and not gret living conditions.
They take money for your means but then work them so hard there's no time to eat!

I think cost depends on the school you go to. Ours cost £6 for 45 min lesson. The uniform isn't too expensive, and after hte initial outlay, I find she tends to grow out of bits at different times, rather than all together. Exams cost £30 - £40 from memory. we hire show costumes from the school, shows are every 2 years though so not too bad. However, my DD started ballet at 2yo, and now we have ballet, tap and modern every week (she is 9). she loves it though, and I think the exercise and discipline are good for her.

My daughter is extremely energetic, she never stops bouncing and is very flexible . She needs some discipline too. I think ballet will do her wonders.

Just a thought: can a ballet school turn down children after their trial lesson? The friend who recommended the ballet school to me is sounding like the trial is a kind of audition and the child got to impress.....I find it weird but she is new in the country and her English is very poor so I wonder if she is just mistaken. Her daughter attend ballet classes there.

No this isnt the case at all.
Any child can and will dance. Auditions are for vocational schools only.

£90 a term sounds like a lot to me for 1 class a week. I have dd1, who is 11, on a special program at her dance school and pay £288 per payment session (we have 4 payment sessions a year).

That covers all her classes and gives her reduced private lesson fees (we pay £12 per half hour private lesson as apposed to £14). She does everything going. Ballet (5 classes a week), contemporary, modern, jazz, street jazz, musical theatre, tap, Classical Greek and body conditioning.

That said we aren't in London, we are in deepest darkest devon.

Exams vary from £20-£120 (£120 would be a major, vocational exam).

Shows we hire costumes. Festivals we can hire or buy ourselves or even make. Dds last tutu cost £120.

Festival entries vary from festival to festival. Some are £3.50 a solo, some are £5.75 a solo.

Leotards can be picked up relatively cheap, or second hand. Shoes can be got from dance direct for £6. Pointe shoes (if she gets that far) are another story! £50 every couple of months by the sounds of things!

£90 does seem a lot. I pay £70 a month for 9 classes a week.
The shoes and uniform cost as much, 5 different types of shoes.

we pay £6 an hour for my daughters dancing classes
DD1 does 2.5hrs a week (1hr ballet, 1hr modern and 30 mins tap)
DD2 does 1hr ballet a week but is about to move up a class to do 1.5hrs a week which will be ballet and tap with an introduction to modern.

uniforms - ballet shoes are about £10 a pair, socks we pay about £2-3, can't remember, leotards seem to be about £13ish maybe a bit more, little ballet skirt was about the same. Ballet school might be able to sell you a uniform second hand, I have bought second hand when I could, saves money on tap shoes in particular.