how much dance is too much for a (very enthusiastic) 3 year old?

[NeverTwerkNaked]

DD is 3 (4 in October). She already does Musical Theatre dance and Ballet, and lives for those days when she has a dance lesson. She's now nagging me (incessantly!) to let her do Tap as well. The class follows straight on from her ballet so she watches the girls do it.

I don't mind paying, it just seems a lot for a three year old so not sure whether to try and stall her for a bit?

I don't think it seems like a lot, but only you can decide if it would be too much for your child. Lots of the three year old children at our school do tap/ballet/gym or acro as standard. Some of them have a private lesson too, with hopes of joining the competition team at four years!

Ooh that makes me feel better. She does gym as well but she absolutely lives to dance. Her musical theatre teacher was saying how her face just lights up when she dances.
I guess I might ask the teacher if we can pay as we go for a few weeks and see how she gets on!
She does a whole morning of theatre school (dance, singing, drama) on Saturdays so that as well as ballet, tap and gym feels like a lot but then it is all driven by her and I guess that is the main thing!
She lives to dance and perform, I've never seen anyone quite so passionate about something at such a tiny age

Well she took the decision out of my hands in the end and told her teacher she wanted to do Tap too

That was meant to be a

Does she like skipping around a lot?
That's basically it at this age.
I saved a bit of cash until my dd was about 5, although she skipped about and pointed toes for a few years first.
It can get very expensive and before my dd left after a few exams at age 9 I'd spent thousands.
It starts off a few quid but they soon rack up bills for costumes, tickets, stage make up, exams different bloody coloured progressive uniforms, shoes and look at the cost of pointes.
When you start on even more classes, that they see the bigger girls do, you are looking at Ballet, Tap, modern, national and Jazz.
These classes all come with the same requirements as the above
Good luck, and just hopes she wants to give up before primary and senior school

I forgot Exams, bloody things cost a fortune for 5 dances as they got older.

argh don't tell me this!! she's not leaving me with any choice at the minute!
the good thing is it is next to a leisure centre, so her brother and I can swim together while she dances, which he loves.
I may have to curtail her ambition if she tries to sign up for any more classes though!

Sorry, just a warning, I wish I'd have known more
You have to let them do what they want to do, and your child sounds exactly like my dd was. She too lit up the stage and loved every minute of it.
If only she could have kept it up, but you can only be in one place at a time and she chose mucic.
It was the best choice and where her future lies, dancing may be where your dd future lies.
Good luck

no, its important, thank you, and I can see I need to keep a degree of control over her (if I can )

Yup - it's a slippery slope.

(Dd went skipping off to full time dance school aged 11!)

mmmhhhmm I agree - keep her under control! We didn't start until later, once they were already at school but then they added to their ballet, modern and tap and then another dance style too, then drama.... got them to drop drama but still stuck wtth the other 4. costs do add up I agree, exams can be anything from £25 ish for the initial ones up to over £50 depending on grade and board. and as for shoe costs...... BUT we don't have many shows, competitions are optionall here and they get so much out of their dancing that it is worth it if it stays within affordable limits for you. I did explain to mine from them being about 6 that some people had money to do more than they would be able to even if they did really want to (and some of the otehrs didn't but were doing it) and that they had to keep in mind what was their favourite. Every term when we get the billl we talk about do they still like all the styles, do they still want to do them etc. if they ask to add anything they know they have to drop something else. I know some people think that is a bit odd with primary age children but I think it is important they understand the cost of what they are doing and that there isn't an endless pot of money and so they have to stick within limits, it makes them appreciate it more.

Like the lady above, I agree it doesn't B sound too much. at your DD age mine was doing tap, ballet, musical theatre, jazz and a bit of National within her classes. I do agree financially it's a slippery slope but I wouldn't change what I spend for the world. She absolutely loves dancing. Add to the list of expsenses - audition costs, junior associate classes and festivals/competitions.... it does stack up so easily but I do think dancing from early in life teaches them some valuable lessons as well as they have all that pleasure of doing it.

I don't think they ever lose anything by dancing, even if they don't keep it up or become Darcy Bussell.
It's a huge benefit to them learning good posture and the discipline is second to none.
It gets them used to working in teams, on their own, practising to get something right.
Learning how to cope with rejection, disappointment etc.
I would even say that starting early in the little classes prepares them for lots of other subjects where discipline is required, like music.
Even though it cost us so much I don't regret allowing dd to dance when younger.

thank you all. Its good to hear all the positives, as I'm not sure she's going to let me have much of a say in matters! She will have to make some difficult choices in the future if she tries to add many more classes though.

It is a very useful warning to try and keep spending under control. her teacher has said don't get Tap shoes until she has been going for a few weeks and seems keen to stick to it, my plan is to tell her she can get Tap shoes in September, as no point getting them just before the summer holidays. The dance school did send home a uniform list with £30 leotards on, but none of the girls seem to be wearing them yet and think I will resist for as long as possible!

DD9 is grade 2 tap. I think the little ones find it jolly difficult...just to warn you in case of tantrums. I think DD probably started tap at 6 or 7 once their sense of balance/coordination/timing had improved.

Our school runs a secondhand shop for character/tap etc (as some gets so little use before the next growth spurt). You could also try eBay or local family/Facebook selling sites.

I thought Dd would find Tap hard but ten minutes in and she was dancing away like she'd been doing the class as long as the others (she didn't get this from me, I have two left feet!)

Second hand would be perfect, will ask the school!

That's a good idea miaow, that's what me and my friends do with kids clothes/ wellies etc

I guess one bonus is that the other girls in her class are mainly at least a year or so older than her so hopefully their mums may be willing to sell on as they grow. (She's youngest of four so not bothered by being youngest in the class!)

I've tried telling her to just stop growing but she won't listen

Tap shoes are seriously hardwearing, and everyone grows out of them far quicker than they could ever wear them out There's a roaring trade in second-hand character (national) shoes and skirts as well.

If you wait until the start of the September term, there will be loads of people who need new shoes and you should be able to pick up a used pair easily from somebody else at the dance school. Best not to buy online/Ebay though, as dance shoes have a sizing system all their own and often bear little relationship to regular shoe sizes. The other thing is that, unlike school shoes you don't buy them with growing room, they need to be fairly close-fitting, otherwise they flap about and aren't easy to dance in. She will need to try them on and if you aren't sure about the fit, then the teacher will be happy to check them for you. As soon as she outgrows them, you can sell them on again.

that's perfect timing then dodo I shall attempt to hold strong and resist buying them until September!

That is very inconsiderate of them not to sort their feet sizes out better miaow

Yes Dd sounds v similar to your Dd2, her brother despairs of her!