Dance - not good at acro

[DanceMumTaxi]

Dd does absolutely loads of dance. She’s only 7 but competes with a group and in solo’s. This week she’ll be at the studio 6 days (it’s a lot, but she loves it, does well at school etc so it’s not a problem for us). She’s pretty good and has won quite a few solo’s with her song and dance, but her acro isn’t good and I feel it’ll really hold her back and she gets upset about it. She can do forward rolls, head to feet, cartwheels/one handed cartwheels, drop back into bridge from standing. But can’t do an ariel, kick over, front/back walkover etc. She works hard but is scared. Her front splits on both legs are good, but I feel like her acro is really going to hold her back. So many of the routines seem to be full of acro tricks. Has anyone whose dd/ds dances got any advice please? Did they get better as they got older? How did you help? Or are some just naturally very talented at acro. I’d really like to help her. Thanks dance mums/dads.

I think it would be far healthier talking about how winning isn't the only thing that counts (especially at 7!) And doing her best etc. Ultimately you want her to enjoy dance and improve - not be the best at everything. The conversations you have with her will help shape who she is as a person too.

So I'd quash the "what else can I do so she can win" for a 7 year old and dial back a lot. Look at other fun things you can do together. Being a competitive parent of a 7 year old often doesn't end up well as above pp.

Sounds like you are at our old dance school!!!

My DD is a talented dancer with gorgeous lines, but is ridiculously tall for her age and with very little upper body strength. She had the flexibility for the contortion type acro but really struggled with walkovers, aerials etc. it’s almost like there’s too much of her 😂😂

Honestly, the competitions really took the joy out of it for her. Whilst she loved the actual competitions, she was often a “backing dancer” whilst the tricks were going on. Her teacher was extremely supportive but it really got my DD down that she just couldn’t get them. It’s also a bit never ending in that once you’ve mastered one trick, there’s another one to do. It’s hard when you see the younger children bypassing you. Doesn’t matter to a seven year old if you have perfect turnout and gorgeous feet if you can’t do a blooming aerial.

We actually moved dance schools in the end. She is so much happier now. No competitions, lots of exams, a few showcases and masterclasses and a different way of seeing progression in dance. I think she’s now a better dancer as a result.

P.s. She still can’t do a walkover or aerial 😂😂😂

DD is 10 and doesn't have a lot of tricks other than some really good high kicks. She still competes in modern and usually places. Judges prefer clean lines and good musicality to tricks which can sometimes be used to cover a dancer that's not amazing.

@DibbleDooDah my dd is also tall for her age (probably the height of an average 9 year old). Her dance school doesn’t do exams, just comps (group and solo) and an annual show. It’s not a huge school, they’re taught in quite a spread of ages based on ability so dd is in with older children. This could possibly have skewed her sense of what’s normal at 7. Although she doesn’t get upset at all about any other style of dance - only acro. It’s interesting that you think exams have helped her. Dd is a lovely young dancer, but you’re right that doesn’t matter to a 7 year old. They want to do an ariel 😂. The dance principal is actually lovely and hasn’t said anything to dd about her not being the best at acro and really encourages her strengths like singing.
@KatnissNeverdone thats a good point about tricks being used to cover poor technique.

I think the exams are good because they can see their own progress over time. Much better than constantly comparing themselves to other kids.

Ditto, mine is a professionally qualified dancer and has never had a single acro lesson. To my mind, acro is acro, it's not dancing.

Yes, I tend to agree. Acro is not the same as ‘real’ dancing. But on the comp scene it’s definitely creeping into more and more genres, which is hard for the kids who aren’t good at it. Maybe it’s different at dance college and in the industry and there’s less emphasis on it? I wouldn’t really know. @taxi4ballet and @Comefromaway do both of your dd’s just do ballet now professionally? Or do they do a range of genres? Dd’s dance principal (mid 40s) said that in her day no one did tricks in dance so she never learnt them. Tumbling etc was kept to gymnastics. She said she thinks it came over from America.

@MrsBennetsPoorNerves yes, I can definitely see how exams would be helpful in that way.

My daughter is 9 and, loves dance and signs up to every dance class going. Her school is exam and performance focussed not competitions though

Acro is definitely her weakest class and she can't cartwheel yet even, but she wants to do it and I see it as a good chance for her to learn that some things don't come easily. She enjoys it and she is making progress and has just been moved up a class. Noone has ever made her feel pressured though, I would be concerned if they are feeling pressured that young. It should first and foremost be enjoyable

I agree, the pressure isn’t coming from the teachers at all. And I’m not sure you could really call it pressure. Dd just wants to be better at acro because it’s her weakest area and she doesn’t like that her friends can do things that she can’t.

Ah yes I can understand that ! My DD is similarly driven (hence why I might as well pay my entire salary direct to her dance school )

@SweetSakura 😂 yes! It’s so expensive 💰💰💰💰

Hello, fellow dance mum here (not by choice) glad a teacher has posted on here and her advice seems good. I wanted to echo what others have said and share my own experiences. My dd is a very good little dancer. At her school they don’t do acro formally but they teach some tricks. However, their first and most important lessons are technique, flexibility and strength etc there is absolutely no point in being able to do a walkover if your ‘normal’ dance techniques are poor. At 7 this is what you should be focusing on.

We were comping this weekend and some of the dc as young as 4 were doing acro and lots were falling and downright dangerous. It was clear they were being pushed beyond their limits and I said as much to my dh at the time. Most dc did some tricks but lots had poor actual dance skills, bent legs for eg. It did look fancy and wow but it seems the focus has shifted somewhat and most comps are morphing into gymnastics displays. Word on the dance scene is that many adjudicators are trying to pull back to actual dancing and are trying to ban some acro moves as they are becoming dangerous.

As it happens my dd won the championships without a single acro move. Her competition all did mostly acro routines and I was convinced dd would lose due to this but from my non professional perspective and clearly from the judges their technique was not perfected. I honestly don’t care either way if my dd wins and I’m adamant she will not be pushed and injured. My dd is also the only child at comp without hair pieces, added bits and bobs and was in total plainwear. To me all that is the ugly side of dance and I will not allow my dd to get sucked into it. Some parents treat their dc like show ponies. What are we teaching these young girls! How does wearing hair extensions and tan make them a better dancer? Anyway got off track there sorry.

What I will say is I agree that it’s about working on condition and strength first. They need the proper form or they are going to be in surgery by 10. If it’s something your dd wants to improve fine but you need to reassure her that it will come but she needs not to lose the focus on her technique.

Also I do think your dd is doing too much.
Some schools round here are a lot more serious than our dds and even they don’t train as much as yours. Even the local elite school. I know two young dancers who did lots of stretch classes and ended up retired from competitions before they were 13 because of back injuries. Dc are still growing and we need to be card with their bones.
I get your dd enjoy me it, I really do, my dd dances around all day, she dances from the sofa to the table and back etc but classes are kept to a minimum. To be a good dancer or any athlete you need sufficient down time. Your at risk of your dd giving up by 9. I’m sure your dance teacher is lovely but this sole focus on dance and the pressure that brings is unhealthy. Try remember that there are literally hundreds of thousands of little kids who dance, it’s unlikely any of ours will go on to make millions or be a shining star, it’s just a fun hobby not a whole lifestyle.

Thanks, it’s good to hear that adjudicators are trying to get away from all the Acro tricks and great news that your dd won without them. I agree, technique is important. Our dance school don’t allow hair extensions, fake tan, nails or lashes which I’m pleased about. It shouldn’t be about that.

I agree that a lot of it has come over from America, too many people watched Dance Moms, saw that type of dancing and decided that's what it's all about. Which began a much greater demand for those styles here too. More of the disco freestyle, acro, song & dance, competition stuff. Classical ballet isn't the main focus of the schools.

She no longer dances after a career-ending injury. Ballet was dd's main thing, but she also did tap, modern, jazz, lyrical, contemporary (Cunningham & Graham styles), some flamenco, national dance, street, commercial, and a little Irish dance too. I think she even had a go at Greek at one summer school. In full-time vocational training they also did pas-de-deux, pilates and weight training. I think in over 15 years she only ever did one competition.

I’m so sorry to hear about your DD’s injury @taxi4ballet That must have been really hard. I agree, Dance Moms probably did change our competition circuit. That woman is cut-throat. DD’s dance is definitely not like that.

Im sure it really ramped up c 2010. I was a pro dancer mids 00s - 2010s and doing a backflip was seen as more unusual, although i have seen audition panels for cruise ships etc really impressed when someone threw one out in an audition. It will go out of fashion eventually in sure.

Sounds like your DD needs to improve her back stength and flex maybe? Laying prone on the floor limbs outstreched and lifting your (straight) arms (elbows by ears) for 10 secs then same with legs is a good idea

Thanks @Namechange828492 that’s really helpful.

I agree with this. Adjudicators will not be impressed by flashy moves covering up poorly-trained technique, they can see right through it. It isn't the dancers' fault - it is they way they have been trained. To take high kicks as a for instance, it is no good including them in a dance routine if you haven't mastered the technique of clean grands battements properly and with the correct placement first.
It is no good being a naturally amazing dancer if you haven't been trained to use yourself properly. Some of what I've seen on tv talent contests makes me cringe.

Don’t even get me started on “foot stretchers”……….

Oh really, are they bad? Don’t know much about them tbh. How do people stretch feet?

With a elastic band/theraband so you are stretching and toning. And they are a couple of quid vs the stretchers

Ah good, that’s what dd is currently using.

Ooh DD's dance teacher hates foot stretchers with a passion. Said they're a great way to wreck their feet quickly. She loves a stretch band though.