Am I only one to think dance in schools is utter timewaste?

[inkyfingers]

Our local co-ed school does dance for all in KS3 - 1 lesson a week or two for THREE years. My middle son loathed it - painfully embarrassing. Not the only unwilling boy in the class by any means I gather. But DC3 heading there & I'm feeling cross .

i think it's brilliant - all 3 of mine love to dance and i think it's a fantastic way of opening dance up to all as a good way to exercise. last year a number of the gcse age boys in our area decided they wanted to learn more, and my dc's dance school put on a specific ballet/ dance class for the 15yo boys - it was truly amazing, and a huge bonus for ds1 as he got to see some real live role models enjoying themselves, instead of the ferociously pink ballet girls.

the gcse class took part in the annual dance recital - they also learnt to choreo their own work, costume design etc. in my opinion all the angst is based on homophobia - but anyone who saw these cool young men doing back flips from the stage to the adoration of the all the young ladies not used to witnessing such athletic dance from boys could see that these guys were not going to have their pick of the girls. far more so than any common or garden footballer, lol.

i think it's fantastic

at typo.

clearly were going to have their pick of the girls...

My son did dance last year as part of the rotation of sports, and it wasn't at all girly (they did some kind of African slave self defence/dance I can't remember the name). But it was nothing like once a week for the whole 3 years, they had so many other sports to cram in (Rugby, Football, Athletics, Basketball, Cricket as well as Running, Gym and Fitness). This year he will have to spend 1/3 of 1 day a week doing ballroom dancing as part of the health and fitness strand.
The dancing at shows is often from the extra-curricula dance which is often mainly girls, and is here often choreographed by local Dance degree students. So its a bit different to the dance they learn in timetabled lessons.
I hated all sport, but never sympathize too much when my kids moan. Its good for them, and if some find something they enjoy then that is great.

oh yes, i get that, mummytime, but this was a group of boys whose interest had been stimulated by having to do dance as part of their school timetable - and it had been done so well that they wanted to learn more.

i hope more boys discover that dance doesn't have to be pink and ribbons - it can be powerful and athletic.

It's used as PE in our school and taught by proper dance teachers. Both my children dislike it and much prefer traditional PE but,no, I don't think it a waste. Some will find a love of dance and it's great for fitness even if they do not go on to work in the area.

Its fine to do Dance as an extra curricular activity. A boy in DSs school is an Irish Dancing champion.

It is widely and openly regarded by the girls in the senior school attached to DSs Prep as the easy option to get out of doing sport.

There is also a worringly high X-Factorisation of a lot of things in the school. It does traditional choir but also an X Factor contest and Britain's Got Talent contest. Also picking up on what inkfingers said, some of the dancing and singing was totally inapproprate and we wondered what message was being sent to the girls.

Also Meow75 makes a good point that there are totally over the top expectations among the girls (boys the same with sport) that they are going to be X factor stars It just is not going to happen.

I do not expect this in a private school and as for doing Dance as a GCSE - dont even get me started on that one.

DD2 did Dance GCSE - since she had ten other academic GCSEs and an AS level I didn't see a problem with doing something fun.

I don't think Meow75's point about unrealistic X factor expectations has any bearing on whether dance should be taught in schools- or are you suggesting football should also be banned, as so many little boys dream of being professional footballers? Or athletics, because they'll all grow up thinking they can compete in the Olympics? Seems like double standards to me here.

The way dance is taught in state schools round here strikes me as very good: it is a part of the curriculum, but so are more traditional sports. You simplycan't use one to get out of the other, as all elements are compulsory.

Dance is also taught as part of a context and (in the secondaries) put to further use in musical drama productions. I think a class that has worked for 6 months on putting on a musical with dance routines will have learnt rather more than they would just watching X factor.

There is a very wide range of dancing between traditional ballet and "X-factorisation": modern dance can be very challenging if taught by a good teacher. I am happy to say that the teaching dd has had has been generally very good, and that I am glad that ds will have the same opportunities: I am hoping that it will challenge his preconceptions and introduce him to a world of drama and creativity. I haven't seen the slightest sign that drama/dance is taking the edge of dd's academic performance; quite to the contrary, I would say.

dd had a great games session the other week , an hour of dance/choreography followed by swimming (which I'd excused her from) then cheerleading! Mind you she also has over 2 hours of extra curricular dance lessosn a week. Even ds who is very uncoordinated has participated in curriculum dance in the past - they usually develop theri own version to music like Stomp. it isn't only about dance itself but music appreciation adn working together. I would n't like it imposed on him in secondary but for ks2 and younger it is fine and as an option later. For older girls it is a way of engaging in physical activity for those who don't like team sports and as stated below has potential health benefits long term, and as such is often underrated.

fgs it's just FUN, i think it's nice they do such a broad curriculum

ds enjoyed it and he is now skilled in the lindyhop should he ever be asked to do it.

Depends how/what they are taught - my Y5 class are just finishing a unit on the Haka, which they've loved. It's very physical.

( New Zealand bakery advert is v funny to share with children if anyone is teaching it).

I agree with Bonsior on this - physical ed where boys and girls have the same class is a total waste of time, for the girls anyway.

I had the unpleasant experience of shared classes.
If it hadn't been for my dance class after school, and the all girl basketball coaching, I would have thought all physical experience was an opportunity for boys to oogle my breasts.

However physical training is very useful for brain development. Crossbody movements are very important in cross cerebellum brain development - which can help reading etc.

Non competitive sports are much better for girls - like yoga pilates and dancing, and more competitive sports for boys have been shown to be better.

Having boys and girls in physical ed class together is a waste of time.

"Non competitive sports are much better for girls - like yoga pilates and dancing, and more competitive sports for boys have been shown to be better"

What a sweeping generalisation! Many girls are competitive and play football, hockey, netball, etc.

I used to hate PE at school and the idea of sports day was so bad that I used to get my mom to say I was ill. Dance is exercise that is good for posture and breathing. I would have loved that at school and there are some boys that love it to. I have a DS who would hate it but he also hated Irish football that he was made to do and would rather read a book, which for other children is awful. I think drama would be really good especially for boys as they might think it wimpy to choose as an outside activity but it can teach them confidence and to discuss issues they might not want to open up about normally.

I agree that teaching girls separately for at least some PE is probably a good idea- but is that any reason to think that the curriculum cannot be the same? Why do they have to be taught different things? Lots of boys hate competitive sports, some girls love them. Plenty of children loathe maths: doesn't let them off it, does it?

I think it would be highly embarrssing for most kids, but that's what school's for.

I would have loved to have learned dance at school - but not "modern" dance - proper latin and ballroom dances - would be perfect now Strictly Come Dancing is a hit with all ages.

That kind of dancing is much more productive.

I guess its something else which encourages children to get off their asses and move and yes some will hate it.

But its no more of a waste of time than all the hours and hours I spent at hockey bored stiff and freezing cold with bright red and purple legs....or at netball with all the sporty girls going ME ME ME and my head shouting NOT ME NOT ME NOT ME.

Dance is another form of physical activity, which some children might find they enjoy, when they hate other sports.

Everyone needs to build some kind of physical activity into their lives, and we all need to find out what suits us. Isn't school sport mostly about getting opportunities to try out different things? After all, they only do 2 hours of sport a week. It's hardly a lot.

I think dance in school, if taught well, is a good thing.

None of the children at the school where I work have parents who can afford extra curricular activities, so it offers them an opportunity they wouldn't otherwise have.

As for not being a 'proper sport', I assume you mean it has no competetive element, in which case YABU
Dd hates football, shall I complain about it's inclusion in PE because it doesn't appeal to girls?

It is ridiculous to suggest that because your children don't like an activity it should be removed from the timetable
Dd hates science, I may well demand they remove all trace of the crappy renewable energy project they are currently boring my daughter with working on

We also have street dance teachers in sometimes, and most chidren love it, especially boys.

i think lots of things in school are a timewaste.

if dancing is going to be included it should form part of and instead of PE.

i also think drama is rubbish - despite my dd doing fantastic at it and wanting to become a drama teacher.

i think things like woodwork and other stuff like that is a waste of time.

I especially think that citisenship is a waste of time.

As Custy for education minister, i would change things thus:

kids would do the 4 main core subjects. in year 3 ( whatever that equates to these days) they would take their maths english science, IT GCSEs. in option yer they can take all these wish washy subjects like art and pe and leisure and tourism (for fucks sake!)on top of optional languages and compulsory humanities

Feenie
"Non competitive sports are much better for girls - like yoga pilates and dancing, and more competitive sports for boys have been shown to be better"

I'm quoting research I read about how girls and boys fare in sports classes - it's not a generalisation. It's backed by a study I read.

"Shown to be better" sounds very woolly to me - what does it mean exactly? And even if it was the best research, it still deals with generalisations - it doesn't mean that there aren't a significant proprtion of girls who enjoy competitive sports.

GSCE woodwork is actually not that easy - and tbh I'm quite glad we have it - I'm pleased to think that there are still people studying trade subjects so we continue to have tradesmen

I can knock things together, but my god I struggled with the YR7 woodwork marking when I was helping exH

I think FAR too much emphasis is placed on EVERYONE doing "academic" subjects at school, and they should all go to university to get an "academic" degree............but actually we need some of those people that do the practical (and "fun") stuff.

I don't want to live in a world of "overnight" start (X factor BTG etc), I want to see people that have studied their art form and have worked hard to do it (they're generally much better at it), I don't want us to be reduced to a place where we rely purely on flat packed imported furniture - and nothing hand made with attention to detail. If I ever learn to drive - I want the mechanic at the garage to know the inside of a car back to front, and upside down - I won't care whether he's got a degree in applued engineering (or whatever).

I like to do online shopping on well designed websites, with decent photographs of the products, I want a plumber that knows his stuff. If I go to the hairdressers I'd like someone that knows how to cut my hair well, and can figure out what would suit me.

And so on - I don't want all imported produced with machine stuff (although that's all I can afford right now ), I don't want to live in a purely academic society and so I think that the "soft" subjects shouldn't be dismissed so easily

and yes - this is totally off topic,

Dance doesn't bother me, not even for DSs, but Drama, I really can't see the point of that.

DH went to High school (in a boy-racer town) in 1980s when dance wasn't part of the secondary curriculum... but one of his male classmates became a professional (West End shows) choreographer. So I can see the point of dance, woodwork, statistics, team sports.. anything but drama... .