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Original poster

Baby ballet tinies vs Ballet at a proper ballet school

48 replies

Hopitihop · 05/02/2022 21:50

My DD is almost 2 and we want her to do ballet classes.

This is firstly, to introduce her to some form of dance, secondly to meet other mums and thirdly as having her at home and entertaining sufficiently is becoming a challenge lately!

In our area there is the popular "baby ballet" franchise school and another proper more academic ballet school that has students from babies to adults.

We tried both and although I prefer her to start at the proper school, she was more engaged at the baby ballet tinies class.

The proper school class had a faster pace and it was more focused on ballet stuff. The baby ballet tinies class was more like a sensory class with a flavour of ballet in it.

Which would you prefer?

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GrazingSheep · 05/02/2022 21:51

Go with the one she enjoys most

Parker231 · 05/02/2022 21:53

She’s still a baby - I would go for the babies class. More fun more her and she isn’t going to be learning proper ballet steps at her age regardless of where she goes.
Why do you prefer the proper ballet class?

rhowton · 05/02/2022 21:55

We went with a proper ballet school as they can stay there as long as they want. They can make friends and stay friends if they continue with ballet.

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ChildHeadache · 05/02/2022 21:55

Go with what she enjoys. She's only 2 so won't be learning "real"ballet yet. Go wherever she enjoys it or you make friends.

At 4 or 5 try the ballet school if she's interested.

daisypond · 05/02/2022 21:56

The one she enjoys the most. That’s the only thing that matters. She’s too young for ballet, per se.

Original poster

Hopitihop · 05/02/2022 21:58

@Parker231 Thank you for the advice! It's only because when in 1-2 years from now she would like to do real ballet classes, then it would be beneficial for her to already know other kids there, to know the environment, the teachers etc. It won't be a completely new start... but maybe I am overthinking it.

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toppkatz · 05/02/2022 22:01

There's no point in starting at a proper dance school until at least three really, so I'd go with the baby ballet one she enjoyed more.

Until they have developed an awareness and sufficient control over their limbs, and are able to pay attention, listen to and follow a teacher's instruction, then you would be wasting your money on 'proper' teaching. She may as well go somewhere she has fun, because that is all it can be at that age.

Parker231 · 05/02/2022 22:03

DD did the baby ballet classes and said she wanted to do proper ballet. She didn’t know what it meant and by the time she started school she had lost interest and stopped to a football class instead.

daisypond · 05/02/2022 22:03

You’re overthinking it. In a couple more years she’ll be going to nursery or school and getting to know all sorts of new people. If it helps, my DD is a ballet dancer and didn’t start having dance lessons until she was 8.5.

itwasntaparty · 05/02/2022 22:03

Babies class, ballet lessons under rada are hard core, she iif she even likes it first

Parker231 · 05/02/2022 22:04

Swopped not stopped!

Original poster

Hopitihop · 05/02/2022 22:05

Thank you all!

@rhowton This was my initial thought. But then when she went at the proper ballet class and the teacher started with good toes, naughty toes she was not getting it. She just about know what toes are...
Then she had to pretend watering some flowers and was not getting it too...

The baby ballet class was more all jumping around class with teddy bears etc. and she was more into it.

Can it be that she is too young for the proper ballet school?

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Original poster

Hopitihop · 05/02/2022 22:07

That's really helpful! Thank you all :)

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blacksax · 05/02/2022 22:13

I suppose it depends on whether she wants to to wear a pink frilly outfit and dance in her 'own unique way' (as it says on the baby ballet website), or whether you want someone to teach her ballet.

Anyway, 2 is a bit young for proper structured ballet teaching, so she might as well go to the fun class.

Seeline · 05/02/2022 22:20

My DD started ballet at a proper school at 2 -she loved it from the start. Certainly got good toes, could skip, and could do the mime type stuff. They also started tap as well.

She is nearly 18 now and still doing tap and jazz to relax from her A level studies.

Having seen some of the baby ballet stuff, it's not dance. If you or she wants to continue, she will have to start at a proper dance school.

taxi4ballet · 05/02/2022 22:26

Can it be that she is too young for the proper ballet school?
In a nutshell - yes. The class would be too structured, and she wouldn't understand half of what she's being asked to do.

Original poster

Hopitihop · 05/02/2022 22:34

@Seeline mine (22months old) had only 3 classes yet but nowhere near understanding good toes, skipping and mime stuff! But she also had no idea where we were going because she hasn't seen any ballet on TV.

I think maybe she needs more time to get it...

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MsAnnFrope · 05/02/2022 22:39

If you want to meet other parents go to baby ballet. 2 seems very young for formal classes. I danced for a long time but even then I didn’t start til I was 3, almost 4.
DD adored the gymnastic equivalent of baby ballet but was no way ready for formal training even at age 4. Now she is 8 she trains 3 times a week and loves it.

ChocolateRiver · 05/02/2022 23:05

My dd is 6 and she did baby ballet from age 2-4. She moved to a proper dance school then (in her pre-school year) and has been there ever since. She loved the baby classes when she was really little and I think it gave her the confidence she needed to start more structured, formal classes at age 4. Now at 6 she does loads of dance and is in the comp troupe so it certainly didn’t hold her back if that’s what you’re worrying about.

Cherryblossoms85 · 05/02/2022 23:07

We went with RAD classes for toddlers at a ballet school. Still fun and lots of age appropriate play. She's nearly 4 and started to make friends

Sablemablelable · 05/02/2022 23:11

Of course she's too young at 2.

Also don't get your hopes up on her sticking with it. My parents pushed me to do dance and of course by the time I got to high school I gave it up because I detested it.

Original poster

Hopitihop · 05/02/2022 23:22

@Sablemablelable I know! My parents started me ballet at 4-5 years old and I didn't like at all this girly/princessy thing...

I was hoping I would feel differently so many years later now that I tried a baby ballet class with my DD but no...

All these tutus and pinky stuff are just not for me! But I will let her decide as she may likes it more than mummy....

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toppkatz · 05/02/2022 23:32

My dd started ballet at 3 and eventually became a professional. At no point in all those years did she ever wear girly princessy stuff or frilly tutus during ballet class. She would have run away in horror. Normal dance schools don't dress them up like that. Most schools don't even have pink leotards.

Original poster

Hopitihop · 05/02/2022 23:36

@toppkatz Good to know! Thanks! Maybe it's the baby/preschool classes then that I feel they have this pinky flavour... Nothing against it but not my taste.

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TheSpottedZebra · 05/02/2022 23:37

[quote Hopitihop]@Sablemablelable I know! My parents started me ballet at 4-5 years old and I didn't like at all this girly/princessy thing...

I was hoping I would feel differently so many years later now that I tried a baby ballet class with my DD but no...

All these tutus and pinky stuff are just not for me! But I will let her decide as she may likes it more than mummy....[/quote]
But if you're not into it and she doesn't really care, why do ballet at all?
Why not pick another activity, or just try lots of different things?

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