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Original poster

ok - do any of your sons go to ballet or dance?

43 replies

cupcakes · 17/01/2005 11:50

My ds is 4½ and is going to his first ballet class next weekend. I am perfectly happy with this as it is exercise and something he really wants to do - his best friend is a girl and he wants to join her class. He loves dancing anyhow and is really looking forward to it. Even my dh is ok with it!
Just wondered if there were any other boys out there who are into this? My only concern is that one day (if he wants to continue with it) he may get teased or bullied because of it.

OP posts:
Original poster
cupcakes · 19/01/2005 14:04

Thank you bellababe! Your ds sounds so similar to mine!
I'm really glad that he's happy with it. My ds has shown no interest in any other activities so I thought I would give this a go.
Your experience sounds lovely.

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princesspeahead · 19/01/2005 14:16

my ds is 4.5 and has been doing ballet at nursery once a week for the last 18months. he loves it. does masses of dancing at home as well - puts on the nutcracker really loud and does all the marching around and standing on one leg while my dd (6) does the twirly bits!

root · 19/01/2005 15:04

Hooray!

Well done you lot for letting your boys do ballet/ dancing, whatever you want to call it. How fantastic that there are parents out there who are prepared to challenge the gender conditioning all children are still subject to. It cheers me up enormously. I hope my son will, like me, enjoy dancing and I shall be getting his dad to teach him how to cook whilst I show him how to put up shelves. I don't have a daughter yet, but I'm already planning her football lessons!!

Original poster
cupcakes · 19/01/2005 16:38

princesspeahead - what version of the nutcracker do you have?

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motherinferior · 19/01/2005 16:52

This is such a lovely thread.

princesspeahead · 19/01/2005 17:21

I don't know, will have to check. I have a feeling it is the lpo or something english anyway. hang on a sec

princesspeahead · 19/01/2005 17:23

couldn't have been more wrong! it is the kirov orchestra valery gergiev conducting. On Phillips.
It is excellent though!

princesspeahead · 19/01/2005 17:24

they also love their romeo and juliet which I know is the paris opera orchestra. or I think I know that, I'll probably check and it will be the Baltimore Phil or something

beachyhead · 19/01/2005 17:28

I am inspired and have found a local drop in dance class for 3-5 year olds and will try the ds on it on Friday.. thank you....must admit, my nanny looked absoulutely appalled!!!!!!! But hey, who's the mummy...

Original poster
cupcakes · 19/01/2005 17:46

Is it this one?
The Nutcracker

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princesspeahead · 19/01/2005 19:36

oh sorry cupcake, it is just the cd that I've got, not the dvd. It is this one

glad to see amazon gave it 5 stars though!

Original poster
cupcakes · 19/01/2005 19:59

Obviously shows how tv orientated we are ...
Having said that I used to play him the music to Swan Lake when he was a baby so maybe something filtered through then!

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Deirdre · 20/01/2005 14:53

My son only gave up ballet and tap at 10 1/2 when it clashed with Rugby. As a working Mum neoither I or the Au Pair could manage the other class that was avaialble to him. If he could find a class that was easy to get to after school he'd still go, but from Spetember until easter our weekends are didicated to Rugby.

My son is convinced that his dance has helped him with his rugby. Everyone at school knows he danced and no one took the pee - well he tackles too hard on the rugby pitch.

D

aloha · 20/01/2005 15:11

It's a bit of myth that male ballet dancers are sensitive souls btw - there's a lot of macho stuff going on and they shag a lot (allegedly!) - all those lisson and beautiful ballerinas draping themselves all over them.... On Desert Island Discs Sue Lawley was interviewing a S American dancer who is over here with the Royal Ballet who is drop dead gorgeous and you could hear her swooning! There are boys-only ballet classes near me (Peckham), but only for older boys.

Beetroot · 20/01/2005 15:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
cupcakes · 22/01/2005 17:00

Ds had his first lesson today and seemed to really like it. I didn't sit in on the lesson but sat outside so I didn't see how he got on. Apparently he stayed with his best (girl) friend for most of it.
Will be going back next week and see if he still likes it then. The teacher has got some ballet shoes he can use then as this week he had to wear his school plimsolls.
I'm not sure if it was the lesson he liked or spending time with his special friends!

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Cristina7 · 31/01/2005 14:48

My son went to ballet classes when he was 2.5 or so. We only gave up when it started clashing with football. He loved it. There was another little boy there. I had some negative reactions (more just very, very surprised eyes) from a friend and my sister and her husband but no-one else. My son is 5 now and he likes looking at pictures of him at dancing classes (that's how we called them). I don't know how much he remembers but he likes the pictures.

beachyhead · 31/01/2005 15:20

well, I was inspired by this thread and took ds(3) to dance last Friday. It was a drop in class so it was a bit of a bun fight!!!!! Lots of boys dressed up as ninja turtles and power rangers and lots of girls dressed up as ballerinas.....so it was a start, but a bit too crowded for my liking. Still I'll try him on this until the dance thing appeals and then move on.....

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