What age is the best one to start ballet lessons?

[MrsFogi]

I keep meeting mums with children who have started ballet (age 3-4). I would like dd to do ballet at some point but don't want to waste my money or put her off at a young age. At the same time I don't want to find that I start her in a few years and regret not doing it earlier if I find the others have been doing it for years and are therefore much more confident.
Any views and experiences gratefully received!

my dd is 3 she has been doing ballet for about 3 months now. I looked at a few classes before starting her and found a relaxed one that isnt too strict and is done in a fun way. She is building her cofidence learning some of the basics and has loads of fun. Plus it is only £3.50 a week and £15 for her shoes and leotard.

Mine all started at three, but quite honestly that is for the fun of it more than anything else. A child starting at five or six would catch up within a few weeks.

Up until the age of about 4 or 5 ballet is more for fun than anything else. Dd started at 3 but that was because a ballet teacher came into her nursery and did half an hour with them at £2 a week.

I would never start a child under 3 and to be honest even 3 is a bit young really in a ballet school environment.

I moved her to a proper ballet school at 6. She is now 7 and takes it very seriously lo.. She will be dancing in a professional production in the summer bless her (proud mummy moment).

DD1 started at 10, is now at grade 6 standard (6 years later), DD2 started at 5, DD3 at 3, and both are comparable with their classmates, all of whom started at different times. Makes little difference IME, provided the school is good.

DD2 started ballet at 3 DD1 started at 6. DD1 is a grade ahead of DD2 now and they can't start ISTD ballet exams until they are 6 anyway.

I don't think there is any great advantage of starting when they are really young as far as dance skills are concerned but there again it is fun, good exercise, good for developing co-ordination, listening skills, social skills etc. so still very worthwhile.

It depends on the type of ballet they do and your child. My DD2 has been doing it since she just just turned 2. It is mostly pretending to be fairies with a bit of hopping, skipping and 'washing their toes' mixed in. She is now 2.4 and has learnt to point her toes and skip. But most importantly, she loves it. At the school she is in, the early years is about having fun, and they get serious as they get older (and they have several girls from the school who are associates at the Royal Ballet, so it is a proper ballet school). However, I chose that school because I knew it was a good school without being pretentious. It keeps the activities age appropriate. Another ballet school I tried was very strict from teh age of 2, my DD1 lasted one lesson there! DD2 loves her ballet, and gets loads out of it, but I don't for a minute think it will make her a better ballerina. Just go when your child is ready, to a school where she will have fun for the first few years. HTH