Recreational gymnastics and ballet at 8

[Rosetintedglass]

So my dd loves the idea of gymnastics started her on it through a summer holiday scheme last year at our local sports centre but when it came to signing her up after the trial it just proved to be too expensive insurance grading kit etc.
We"ve now come across a class thats cheaper but doesnt do formal grading or comps they just get a little certificate at the end of each term.
Is this worthwhile, beneficial?

Woops also dd wants to do ballet is 8yrs too old to start and as eith gymnastics is formal grading the whole point of it

Of course formal grading isnt the whole point of gym. Learning a skill, moving the body and having fun is. Gyms vary a lot in how pushy or strict they are. Id go to one they'd enjoy.

I wouldn’t say 8 is too late to start Ballet although there might be a bit of catching up to do . In my daughters classes the exams are quite important and what they work towards most the time . They also do a show every two years .

The cheaper class sounds more fun and your daughter will be learning gymnastics and keeping fit so definitely worth signing up for. Going to competitions isn't the be all and end all - it can be very expensive and time consuming not to mention boring with all the hanging around and waiting at the venue!

I moved mine from a dance class with exams and grades and stuff to a cheaper non examined class. Didn't like how the dynamic of the other class was shifting as the kids were getting older and the parental cash grabs were getting more and more ridiculous and blatant.

They now go to this little class where the teacher got disillusioned with the same stuff we did and just wants to keep dance accessible to kids and them engaged with it and it's so much better - for my kids but our faces definitely didn't fit where we were before - for those whose did I've no doubt it is still amazing for them.

8 isn't too old to start dancing, one of my girls loves exams, she thrives on them, the other one likes to get something to show what she has learned before she moves on to the next level but she isn't really keen on them and would probably happily not do them. Many children would be equally happy just doing shows and enjoying themselves. Gymnastics can be very hard work and competitive. I would definitely stick with recreational, as long as the club does have insurance etc then there is no need to do lots of formal grading in gym. I would start off with the recreational, non assessment side of things and see where you go from there. Don't forget there are other activities linked to dancing and gymnastics too, there is team gym, sports acrobatics, rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics (this will be what you have seen with the 4 bits of apparatus), some clubs just do floor and vault, cheerleading, acrobatic dance (which I am not a huge fan of, I worry when I watch kids performing gymnastics skills without mats and you can qualify very quickly to teach acrobatic dance compared to gymnastics coaching), then you have ballet, tap, modern theatre, modern jazz, contemporary, disco, ballroom, commercial etc. There is a whole world of stuff out there so let her try a few things that fit your free time slots and budget and appeal to her, don't worry about exams etc and see what she enjoys the most.

Thanks for the advice will give the recreational class a go.

At her age if she hasn't done either, then she would need to learn one on its own.
If she tried to start gymnastics and ballet at the same time, she would get conflicting messages from the teachers, as the muscle groups they use and techniques are very different and not entirely compatible with one another.

As long as they are not on the same day and its for fun rather than an intention to pursue proffesionally would it matter?

Yes. The ballet teacher will want her to work on turnout from the hips so her feet point sideways, the gym teacher won't. There will also be considerable differences in how the arms are used and held, plus a lot of other things. Even weight placement when standing still is different.

I just thought it might be more physically difficult for her to start both at the same time because each teacher will be training her body and muscles to do things which contradict one another.

Oh thats interesting never thought of it like that