A single father needing advice about dance lessons

[ConorM95]

Good Evening, first time posting on this. I wondered if anyone could help me out with some advice. I am a single father with a 4 year old daughter, I have her full time. She’s an absolute live wire, never stops ever! She loves to dance and do gymnastics and has no fear in trying anything. I want to look at dance lessons for her but I’m struggling to decide between all the different types. So does anyone know what type of dance would be best for a 4 year old that is a little bit of a handful and has an enormous amount of energy?
Thank you in advance! From a father with two left feet!

My husband's daughter did dance classes from the age of 4. Looking at her old dance school's website:

Pre-school dance from aged 2
Pre-school ballet in age appropriate classes
Tap and theatre craft from age 3, and modern dance classes from age 4

For gymnastics, look for a local authority run gymnastics club: they're as good as private gym clubs but cheaper

Good luck

Is there a local parents Facebook page that would be a good place to ask for recommendations. I have a 4 year old and don’t really know the answer to this.

For now there are some dance classes on YouTube.

What about cheerleading? It involves a mix of dance and gymnastics, so may save you taking her to two separate activities

I would say most start with ballet and tap (at least around here all the schools do both of those for pre-school ages) then maybe add modern or street.

Ballet is really good for flexibility and strength, and also discipline. Tap is good for rhythm and musicality.

Ballroom and Latin, you learn lots of different dances and can do competitions (and the outfits are adorable), but it gets expensive and comps take up your weekends. She'd have a partner though, so you might be able to share lifts!

Acro. Is that what it’s called?
Street dance? Something fun and lively.
Ballet can be a bit fussy and you can end up pressured to do exams in order to move up with your friends etc.
Look for what’s local, fits in with your week etc

Also look at performance groups - not just dance schools

My cousin started Irish Dance as a little one and is absolutely obsessed! The energy required for it sounds perfect for your daughter!

Have a look at local dance schools/performing arts schools and see what they offer then maybe arrange a trial class. at that age it's more about learning to move in time and start to develop some co-ordination/creativity skills.

My daughter started at Stagecoach aged almost 4. She loved it as it combined singing, dancing with drama games. (she now teaches the early years class at a local stagecoach so has come full circle) She then joined a ballet class. For ballet look for schools that are part of a recognised board such as RAD or ISTD. Ballet is a really good foundation but at this age you are really looking for a teacher that your daughter can gel with. No use her joining a class that expects perfection from 4 year olds, however you do want some discipline and structure.

There are a plethora of hip hop tots,, baby street, acro etc classes for that age group but really I'd stick to creative movement and/or ballet/tap at this age unless its something your daughter really wants to do. She can add those later and those genres aren't always the best for that age group.

By the age of 7/8 my daughter was doing Stagecoach (incorporating jazz/theatre), ballet, tap and she added contemporary aged 11.

For gymnastics I'd echo the advice to look at an actual gymnastics group rather than dance school acro at that age. When she's older there may be some conflict with regards to different postures etc required but that's for the future (if she enjoys it all of course).

It's a slippery slope. My daughter is now trainign full time to be a professional dancer!

I also have a live wire 4 year old. Before lockdown she was doing ballet, gymnastics, swimming and tennis. The ballet has continued over zoom and it’s good but not quite the same. From what friends have said, there is a really wide range in what dance classes for this age are like. I’ve gone with a ballet school that takes them all the way through rather than one where the little ones just wave a few Pom poms. I think the expectations are often a bit higher and it has been really good for mine to have to concentrate. Have a look for the ballet coach on YouTube. Mine really annoyed her classes before her teacher started up her zoom ones.

For gymnastics, there is quite a difference between groups that are aimed at recreational and clubs that are competitive. If you go to the latter, you need to know what you’d do if your child was selected for squads. I know mine would have wanted to do it but we’d never have managed the hours required with our jobs.

She might enjoy a performing arts class as they do dancing as well as role play/imaginative play exercises