what age can little girls do ballet?

[indiasmum]

i just have no idea, i am guessing it might be about 3. dd is 2.5 and very girly and i think she would really like it and my mum seems keen to pay. also i have noticed she has weak insteps and her feet sort of 'fall in' when she walks so thought ballet from a young age might strengthen them and help her walk 'properly'. obviously not grown up ballet, i guess there might be lots of skipping and prancing around for quite some time. but she would prob think that was great. she seems to think she is a fairy already!
so, if your dd's went to dance classes, can you remember what age they started?
and also what should i look out for in a class?

. tell me, which estate agent?

I started at 3, but it's more like messing around till they're about 5 or 6.

A couple of litle girls at the nursery where I work started ballet recently and they are almost 3..

My dd started at 3, I think. Certainly well before she started school. It's not an easy road for a mother - be warned. Every year there's THE SHOW. Jealousy, bitchiness, fighting over parts...and that's just the other mothers! And there's always stuff to sew, cheques to write and egos to calm. Think very carefully before you follow me down the road towards block shoes.......

LIZS, your dd still weekdays?

DD was almost 4 when she started. I felt that was early enough - too much earlier and I'm not sure the children (well, DD) would take meaningful instruction.

at balletdancers in nappies!

Oh katelyle the show! Ours is looming (it was hell last year) and costumes have set us back £30.

my dd started about 3, I think

oh no i'm rubbish at sewing.
and may be far too laid back to actually care about the roles etc. can never be bothered to be a worked up pushy parent!

Most classes state 3yo round here, but will take slightly earlier if out of nappies. DD started about 2.5yo but didn't enjoy ballet very much. A little bit later on she did a ballroom dance class - lots of dancing to kiddie pop - which she loved. Only stopped going when she started school as she was so tired; just not restarted it.

sorry - you won't fit in as a ballet mum! I've been drummed out of the coven for sending socks when she should have had tights and forgetting to put heel taps on her shoes and not knowing whether she was supposed to be a tree or a pond and not caring that child x got the leading role two years running....er would that be because child x bears a marginally closer resemblance to a dancer than the others and can actually remember the steps, perhaps?

After 11 years in the parenting front line, my judgement is that ballet mothers are the worst. Closely followed by pony mothers and gym mothers. Oh, and swimming dads.

down here its 2

my charge started at 2

IME, people don't take it terribly seriously, I mean, how many of them are actually any good at ballet - about 1% (my daughter is the 1%, OBVIOUSLY )

Hi Dinny ,yes still weekdays and it looks likely that this will continue next year as Modern is also scheduled for weekdays atm not Saturdays as expected and she's not interested in Tap - yet ! We have a few weekend extra lessons in June to prepare for her exam on 24th though , and they are quite strict (see my other thread lol !). My excuse is she'll never be tall enough to be a dancer anyway !!

Is your dd doing the Dance Camp tomorrow btw?

no, we're off down to Wiltshire, so can't make it. yours???