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Original poster

Ballet? Yes or No?

86 replies

ekra · 22/03/2007 09:40

Did your dd do ballet classes? How long did they keep it up for?

DD1 says she wants to go to ballet classes. She currently goes to gymnastics and swimming. She's 4. I'm not overly keen on her going to ballet but it seems mean not to let her go if she is asking to go, although she's not begging me, merely mentioning it from time to time.

On the other hand, I suspect part of her desire to go to ballet classes is to wear pretty clothes.

She does very well at gymnastics and I'd like her to keep that up. I also want her to learn to swim, so I'm not dropping the swimming lessons.

TBH there are other things I would rather she took up if she has spare time and energy for an extra curricular activity. She's a very energetic, never still type of child and I think ballet may be too slow and disciplined for her.

So, is ballet class a rite of passage most girls goes through? How long do most girls keep it up for?

I'm sure I'll get a mixture of responses here.

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NuttyMuffins · 22/03/2007 11:03

My dd1 does ballet, started when she was about 3, and baring a couple of months out when we were looking for new classes she has always carried on, she is now 9.

When dd first started it was most definatly that she wanted to wear the nice clothes and shoes etc but now she really loves it.

My advice though would be to shop around and find a class that suits both of you.
I didn't want anywhere that was constantly doing shows etc or where the classes were really long. I actully took dd out of one school for those reasons.

Where she goes now, she does a 45 minutes lesson and the teacher is fantastic. They don't do any shows at all, although you can watch their last class of each term, and when it comes to exam time if she thinks they are not ready then she tells you so.

IdrisTheDragon · 22/03/2007 11:06

My mum had to do ballet when she was small (have never quite worked out why but I think it was something to do with child care).

So I wasn't allowed to .

Sometimes think about trying it now - can 31 year old rather clumsy people start doing ballet?

paulaplumpbottom · 22/03/2007 11:15

Have a look at your Yellow Pages Idris there are adult classes around

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Enid · 22/03/2007 11:16

idris I am joining an adult ballet class on thrus at my dds ballet school

I have seen the others that go and they are all lumpen and crap like me

foxinsocks · 22/03/2007 11:21

dd begged and begged us to do ballet so I let her do it and she hated it. Lasted a term and then we binned it.

Was too much emphasis on actually doing what you're told and lots of little steps and trying to look graceful rather than swanning around looking pretty and prancing about (which is, I think, what dd thought it might be ).

puddle · 22/03/2007 11:22

DD's teacher is pretty strict. DD loves her. And her assistant (a gorgeous 15 year old).

NuttyMuffins · 22/03/2007 11:24

My dd's teacher is quite strict too puddles, but all the kids love her.

KTeePee · 22/03/2007 11:26

DD started ballet when she was 4, still doing it now (nearly 10). I would say it is only in the last couple of years that they are learning "proper" ballet (the various positions, etc) - there was a lot of what looked like just skipping around before that.....

DD hadn't asked to do it but I thought it would be a good way of staying in touch with her friends from nursery (who were going to the same class) who were going on to other schools. I don't know how much longer she will keep it up but I'm happy to send her as long as she wants - any exercise is good imo.

bundle · 22/03/2007 11:26

lots of the mums from the dance classes I take dd1 and dd2 to are doing adult tap now too (after a brief skirmish with pole dancing )

McDreamy · 22/03/2007 11:26

My DD goes and has been going since she was 3 (is now only 4). She likes it, mainly because it is full of her school friends but I think it's good for her. She does swimming lessons too but that's it for out of school activites, I don't really want her to do much else yet. HTH

Marina · 22/03/2007 11:30

I was interested in BalletMum's view that ballet classes can help harum-scarum fidgets like dd, nearly four and doing Beginners Ballet at school. She is a lively child and I think the classes, which seem very well-pitched for this age group, are helping her with standing still, then moving, then watching. I'm not sure she's graceful exactly but she does have rhythm. My one misgiving about ballet is that round where I live it seems to be closely linked with make-up, stage school and making little girls look older than their years
I'm sure dd will adore it but I am not comfortable with that aspect.

franca70 · 22/03/2007 11:36

I went to ballet classes, I started when I was 6 (and anyway, I wouldn't reccomend to start too early). I wasn't the most agile and graceful ballerina. and we had a recital every year. Lots of excitement but anxiety too. Overall I'm glad I did it (had to stop when I was 9 becuase of scoliosis, just when I started to really enjoy it). As for wearing pretty clothes, we couldn't wear anything other than black leotards.

KTeePee · 22/03/2007 11:40

The ballet school my dd goes to does a show every other year - it is very professionally done so enjoyable to watch and all the children take part (some ballet schools pick the most talented children only for shows). I think the opportunity to go on stage is is great for the children's confidence.

batters · 22/03/2007 11:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SSShakeTheChi · 22/03/2007 11:43

If you can afford it, try it for 6 months or so. There's no huge investment involved at that age. H & M does very cheap pink ballet leotards and little skirts for dc up to about 7 years. They don't need proper ballet shoes at that age really either.

Dd started a year ago aged 5 although I wouldn't say she has a natural talent for it. Ballet can make dc more graceful and coordinated. You need to check out the teachers/classes though. Some can be very strict and demand much more from little girls than they should have to achieve at that age. I really like dd's teacher but I observed classes in two other schools first which I decided against.

I do feel though sometimes that it is too demanding an activity after a long school day. Dd is often very tired from concentrating at school all day, and of course, ballet demands a lot of concentration too. I am considering stopping ballet after the summer holidays but it definitely didn't do dd any harm.

bundle · 22/03/2007 11:44

oh gosh marina, yes, i saw a bit of that Baby Strictly Ballroom programme (or whatever it was called) and the girls were plastered with makeup

I think that both dd1 and dd2 have gained a real sense of poise from ballet - dd1 especially has terrific posture. though she's hardly graceful - she literally ripped the stitching open across the whole toe of one ballet slipper last week..had to do emergency trip to west end for new pair

the downside of ballet is the torture of sitting through the almost daily home performances

PandaG · 22/03/2007 11:48

My DD goes, started at 4.2, and has now nearly completed her third term. She really enjoys it, the lesson is an hour and is part ballet and part tap, and quite a lot of skipping around as far as I can make out. Her school does one major production every 2 years, and concentrate more on exams in the other year. She is about to do her first exam (pre juvenile) at the end of April.

hana · 22/03/2007 11:50

one of the reasons I was happy for dd to stop the gymnastics was because of the makeup as the children got older with it - she participated in 2 gymnastic shows, and my god, even the 5 year olds were plastered it it.....wasn't a big fan of that. I didn't like the fact too that at 6 she would be expected to go one weekday and one Saturday, as they got older there was less emphasis on doing it for fun and more of a conpetitive edge to it. don't know how the ballet will pan out, but it's fun now and she really likes it and is ecstatic about a summer show that is planned.

Sherbert37 · 22/03/2007 11:52

DD is 12 and dancing is one of the highlights of her week. She is very tall and if I have spent what must be thousands of pounds only to have her lovely straight back, then it has been worth it. She does ballet, tap , modern and jazz. I would look at different schools as some are 'show' orientated (the local one like that has very tarty costumes). DD's one does a show every 2 years and the costumes are very tastefull. There will be considerable expense ahead, unfortunately, but it is still worth trying to see if your DD enjoys it, as it may be her passion.

batters · 22/03/2007 12:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Blu · 22/03/2007 12:08

In response to the OP - is your 4 year old at school yet? 3 activities seems an awful lot to fit in as well as school and it's various knock-on demands.

I am amazed at the strength of ceoonection between particpation in ballet for young children and the perceived future as a ballet dancer. Surely partipation for fun, fitness, physical skills associated with it and the social side should be as important below thew age of 12, say, as any likelihood of the child pursuing it professionally?

motherinferior · 22/03/2007 12:09

My four year old yearns to do Ballerinadancing, but so far I have resisted the pressure.

BalletMum · 22/03/2007 14:15

Hi everyone, so sorry got interrupted by uninvited guest for coffee!!! I will try and answer all the questions but if I forget someone ask again!!!

Re what is a teacher looking for? Obviously I look for grace and natural movement but also a brain. It really is important that they can pick up the exercises and copy me really fast. You can be as beautiful and slim as you like but if they are slow to remember the steps they will always find it hard.

The gymnastics and ballet conflict is to do with the use of the back. In ballet we keep our back very straight and use our tummy muscles to keep strong. I know in gymnastics they do stand straight but the mere flexibility that they have to develop in order to do back flips etc make it very hard to maintain the strength for ballet. Not impossible but harder.

DumbledoresGirl - I went through all the grades in RAD ballet and loved every minute of it. I have always lived and breathed ballet as it is just part of me, not a job or hobby. I then went to ballet school in London at 18. You will know if your daughter has the ballet bug as she will never want to miss a class for anything. It was all I could think of when I was younger.

Just going to read the rest of the questions and then post again!!!

Original poster

ekra · 22/03/2007 14:16

When she starts school she'll have finished Pre-school gym and be on a waiting list for gymnastics - leaving us at least a term for her to try out ballet.

OP posts:

majorstress · 22/03/2007 14:25

I think the ballet my dds do is not what you are describing here. They started at 5 and just 3 and it is just energetic fun, they aren't doing exams or anything. And they aren't very interested in the clothes. I keep asking do they want to keep going and so far over a year later the answer is yes. I expect that the teacher will quit before they do (no activity lasts around here for long).

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