Ballet and ice skating

[oxfordmummy2]

My eldest (5) has been doing ballet since she was 2. She loves it but has for the past few weeks be on at me to do ice skating as a girl in her class has been doing it. Is ballet and ice skating going to be too much? And more importantly do we think 5 is too young for her to start lessons, I keep having fears of her slicing her hand off or something 😳.

Ice skating is fantastic at about that age, kids have a really low centre of gravity, they're not as scared of falling and they don't have quite as far to fall! There's a structured lesson programme that takes them through basic skills. It does get expensive though. But dance is a great partner to skating.

When I watch the ice skating at the Olympic Games on telly, I can immediately tell which skaters have had ballet training at some point - pretty much all the Russians & other Eastern Europeans, and the Japanese. A fair few others as well.

As a child I started ice skating very young (long time ago!), I think about 5 maybe earlier. I was also doing ballet at the same time. Ultimately I stuck with dance and dropped the skating, I think more because of logistics than anything. I think the two do compliment each other. I am sure the instructors will focus on safety. It will be a safer environment in a lesson than a free for all round the rink.