nce classess for DTDs (7). Cheerleading or Funky Street Dance or Ballet & Tap???

[SlightlyMadSweet]

Need to make a quick decision as I need to get them in for a taster session this week.

I know they want to do Tap cos of the clicky shoes. I am not keen on them doing ballet. I think they are perhaps too old to be beginners. Also the ballet & tap is a combiined class, so time wasted whilst changing shoes etc. But they could do exams in ballet & tap as well as shows

I think if they knew what cheerleading was they would probably jump at that. But is it a bit cutsie?

Then there is Funkie street dance which TBH - I don't have a clue what it is - but sounds modern and less restrictive than the others.

With Cheerleading and Funky street dance they could do school fetes and gala's as well as shows.

I was looking for Ballroom/Latin but can't find any classess local enough.

Other alternatives I could offer them are acrobatics, gymnastics or trampolining (whihch are obviously not dance - but alternative extra-curricular activities)

Before I ask them - I am asking your advice....which way would you steer bribe them? Which are they likely to stick at the longest/enjoy most/get most out of?

Ta.

I am off to bed now but will check and see if anyone has actually got to the end of that mammoth message in the morning.

Ballet is the foundation of all dance. If in the future they want to take dance further they will need to do ballet at some point. I know dancers who have trained in tap/jazz start ballet at 16 in order to get into college.

Street dance is sort of what it says, did you see Britain's got talent, there were some street dance teams on there. Older kids like street dance a lot, especially boys.

I personally think jazz dance is very useful as it is used for music theatre a lot so later on if they want to go into amdram shows they would have an advantage.

Cheer can be VERY expensive (check out the cost of costumes and how much it costs to compete in these galas)

I think you should ask them! Really, I think steering them towards something isn't the right thing to do at this age. Pretty sure there isn't much time wasted changing ballet shoes for tap as well (dd does a combined tap/ballet - teacher wastes no time!)

something you haven't considered is where lessons are and what time they start/finish - that's always a consideration for me.

so street dance is not particularly girlie then?

I don't necessary aim for them to become pro's or anything...I ultimately want them to have fun. I just don't like the idea of pubescent girls (which I know is hopefully) a while away doing ballet. I thought it starts to get bad for the joints? It just seems a bit too "classical" for me. I don't want them to chop and change and learn something new every time they change. I also can't afford for them to need a new set of shoes/outfit if they decide they want to try another.

I want to make the right, or at least a reasonable choice now.

Hana - I have filtered the ones that are a suitable time or place.

I will ask them - but I know what they are like. That list is too long to chose from. I need to narrow it down to 1 or 2 as I have already suggested to them that trampolining may be in their choice list.

Ballet is fantastic for posture and general fitness. The main danger is going en pointe too early but school's these days are pretty good. In fact most other type of dance classes will do ballet based warm up excercises for safety and to warm up the muscles.

Cheerleading, although expensive, is a lot like dance x gymnastics

As mentioned, ballet is the foundation of every genre of dance. My dd does all the different dance styles you mentioned and enjoys them all. Street isn't particularly girlie but girls are just as good as it as boys and it is really cool and fun! Have you thought about istd disco dance lessons, these are taught to exam level and are great fun! My dd does street jazz aswell and the teachers always refer to ballet positions whilst going through the choreography, so luckily she does ballet aswell.
How about taking them to as many classes of different types that you can so that they can watch before you shell out on costumes etc.,!!! Oh and by the way almost all the dance classes end up quite expensive, what with, costumes, shows, exams etc., etc.,!!

My DD does ballet and gymnastics.

Ballet can start to get expensive once they do exams and shows but she loves it. I think the discipline of doing the exams is good practice for them in later life. She also had excellent posture. But she has been doing it since she was 3. You need to find out what age the other children would be your DDs class.

Gymnastics - she actually begged me to do this. And it turns out she is quite good and has entered competitions - not won anything yet though! Good for confidence - she used to be very cautious when playing in the park for instance - now flings herself around - but in a safe way! Not so expensive re shoes, (there are none) and our club lets them wear whatever, no set uniform as such.

I think you need to ask them and also chose days, times to suit you.

The comments are very useful.

Maybe I will rethink he ballet/tap.

ATM I am looking at 1 dance school which does all the above disciplines, although I have made enquiries at others - just waiting for replies.

Street Jazz sounds very fun - but the only school I have found that does it is a) v expensive and b) at a v incovenient time.

They have been two a single ballet/tap class - But I got bad vibes about teacher whihc was corroborated by other parents. So they know what(ish) to expect from that genre - albeit it with a different teacher.

I think I will try and take them Saturday to the funky dance session as a taster - which runs back to back with cheerleading so we can hag around and see a bit of that.

dd1 (8)does ballet, tap and freestyle (disco)
ds1 (6)does ballet
dd2 (4)does ballet

round here the teacher always suggests they start with ballet and then moves on to other things. she has 16 year olds doing ballet for the first time as they suddenly all want to do dance gcse, so she has quite a lot of older beginners.

no messing around with changing shoes here - it's v fast!

but I will have 2 sets of shoes to change. It can only be as fast as I can do it (DTDs are not that competent at laces)...or am I missing something?

dd1's class do it themselves now - but there are always a whole heap of mummies. you're only talking about an extra 20 seconds though tbh..
last year they all skippitied through in their ballet shoes, ripped them off, clattered into their taps, mummies tied, and they clattered back. two minutes from plie to shuffle, or whatever...
if they're doing it for fun, do whatever they fancy - if you suspect you are about to be dragged into five years of assorted dance classes, start with ballet and add them on as you go.

dd1 has done cheerleading, majorettes, ballet, tap, freestyle (disco). but it is seriously pricey with exams etc, so we're down to 3 now!

we're keeping her away from the street stuff at them mo - maybe next year - they run performance workshops in the holidays and stuff where they get a taster.

Slightlymad. At age 7 you would not be expected to do it. You probably wouldn;t even be expected to stay. I go shopping whilst dd has her ballet class.

i go home and get the next one ready to go, lol.

I wish Remy. Ballet is 45 mins but it takes half an hour to go home and another half an hour to get back.

Dd goes after school (5 mins walk from her school so it works out well for me as it is also 5 mins walk from the town centre.

At the classes I run (dance/drama) we would expect parents of 7 year olds to bring them to class inthe right clothes with the right shoes but not to stay and have to see to them half way through.

i'd quite like to go shopping.... sigh....

I agree with what Romy7 says about students suddenly wanting to start ballet because of taking gsce dance, i have heard the same from our local ballet teachers. But they have all said that to do gcse dance ballet is not at all necessary. My dd will be doing gcse dance in a few years time and them go on to a dance college, hopefully the Brits (which includes a dance stream)
Disco freestyle is great fun for children, and they love the costumes!!
My dd's main loves are ballet and street jazz, but she plans to train as a teacher in ballet, tap and disco.