drdance Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 The discussion about school etc is very important and often overlooked. I recently opened a dance school starting on Saturdays with Pre-school, then added pre-primary then last September I moved some of the kids to Primary. 3 older children were ready to take the exam so I put on a new Primary class after school at 4.30pm. The difference in these children was astonishing - on a Saturday morning they could concentrate, listen and apply feedback (not exactly corrections as they're only 6/7). On a weekday the girls were prone to silliness, grumbling about doing things more than once and had difficulty concentrating. I will NEVER schedule classes below grade 1 after school again! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farawaydancer Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Have you seen Dance Moms on television, Sascis?! I don't think that any UK ballet mums are as bad as that.......Or perhaps some are. Sadly I have seen some behaviour that would rival Dance Moms... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara in NZ Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Its only ballet lessons for now not a school. It seems like a rewarding thing to do. She did ballet for 2-3 year olds for the last few months and really enjoyed it and was still dancing when the lesson finished. We will see if its something she continues to pursue. Anyone have a child who is serious about ballet and wants to pursue it. Ha, Sascis, I smiled when I read your last sentence! Many of the people on this forum are parents of 'serious' dancers. My DD is 12 and doing a ridiculous seven ballet classes a week plus two Pilates (plus a weekly physio session for her weak knees). If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be not to get caught up in the 'ballerina dream'. Yes, when they are little they all want to be 'ballerinas' and yes, it's fine to encourage them if it's something they are enthusiastic about. But it snowballs and can become all-consuming, which is where the dramas come in. If you can keep it all in perspective, you will manage it all much better – so rather than comparing your child to work out how talented they are, you say to them: 'Yes you work hard and you love it so that's great and we'll support and encourage you. But only a few people make it a career so let's remember there's lots of other things in life that are also important and not get too focused on ballet?' I use this approach now when DD is comparing herself to the 'class star', and we always talk about other options in life. So while she is little, just keep it lighthearted and supportive. Ballet is a hard enough taskmaster without emphasising that part when they are little. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowerpot Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Sascis my dd started ballet in January. She was 6 then and is having so much fun and made lots of friends. She was doing a weekday class after school for primary ballet and did get tired( she also does 4 hrs of gymnastics after school on other nights) but now is doing grade 1 on a weekend and definately a better option for her. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascis Posted July 30, 2016 Author Share Posted July 30, 2016 Princess ballerina, was thinking about gymnastics as daughter enjoys watching it and has a very small frame but wasn't sure if I should mix the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowerpot Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Sascis my dd has a very small frame too and is showing potential in gymnastics. She is in the squad and is doing well in competitions. From what i've heard i don't think gymnastics is good for the posture required in ballet. My dd ballet teacher has already told her that she will have to choose between gymnastics and ballet but at 7 she is loving both and doesn't want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascis Posted July 30, 2016 Author Share Posted July 30, 2016 Its a tough one even though she will be doing it for fun if later on she wants to take it seriously. My dd has a tiny frame and is skinny so probably that would suit gymnastics more. But it also depends on what she enjoys and she loves dancing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aileen Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I don't think that gymnastics is a problem at a young age. Many East European and Russian ballet dancers started off doing gymnastics before switching to ballet. Daria Klimentova and Sergei Polunin are two who come to mind. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 A lot of Russians started in gymnastics. They tend to make the decision to switch to ballet only ....around the ages of 10-12. In some cases because they definitely preferred ballet by then and in others because they got too tall for gymnastics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 When children are little I tend to think they should try as many different hobbies as time and finances allow. Not just different dance genres, but swimming, gymnastics, music, Rainbows/Brownies, even horseriding! If they end up loving one above all the others then it will become clear as time goes by. As ballet students get older then it is much more difficult to combine ballet and gymnastics because the two develop different muscle groups and very different posture. But at 4 that would definitely not be a problem. :-) 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate_N Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 It's generally the hyperextended back in gymnastics, and the lack of sustained training of the action of turning out (turn out is not a state, but an action) which are the problem for ballet. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Regarding build my observation of my kids at gym and dancing is that the gymnasts tend to be more muscular and bulky than the dancers with a classical frame. Not that build should affect choice of hobby at age 6...... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherbert Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Oh my goodness, you mentioned gymnastics, here we go...! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascis Posted July 31, 2016 Author Share Posted July 31, 2016 Finding out alot being on this forum. Didn't know gymnastics and ballet don't mix as kid gets older. My daughter isn't that short but its her frame that's very small and skinny always thought that would be better for gymnastics. But she loves ballet and dancing and for now she's only going to be doing it for fun cant wait till she starts her classes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 (edited) Didn't know gymnastics and ballet don't mix as kid gets older. Honestly, it isn't an issue at all, not unless they decide to pursue things very seriously and have got to an age where they need to put in a lot more hours of training. At that point, it can become more difficult to commit to both, partly because of the sheer amount of time involved, and also because beyond a certain level, the muscle groups used (and the way their bodies are trained) are less compatible with one another. But that is years and years ahead - let her have fun and do what she loves Edited July 31, 2016 by taxi4ballet 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Looking at the GB gymnastics team, I'd say that the stockier, more muscular frame seems to be what predominates these days, although of course that may be only in the very upper echelons! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAK Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 Alison that is certainly the case in the UK. Both my dds were competitive gymnasts a few years ago (and still train for fun now) but after a while their coach decided they wouldn't be suitable for elite level specifically because of body type/shape. They had the flexibility but in her view not the fast twitch muscles. In the past, where the gymnastics you would see was based more on grace and elegance and less on power and highly complex moves then their body type would have been more suitable apparently. What was tough (character building?) for them at the time has turned out to be a blessing in disguise as they can do more dancing abd performing as well as doing a few hours' gym a week. If they had carried on at the previous level they would have been expected to train for 20+ hours a week from the age of 9. I totally agree with other posters here. It is lovely if you are in a position to let your daughter try a range of activities that she enjoys initially. If she does show promise in one or more, in my experience it really won't be long before she is invited to do more hours/classes as teachers in all areas are always on the lookout for new talent and then managing multiple activities, especially if you have more than one child, becomes more of a challenge! Good luck and hope your daughter has a lovely time ???? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huddsballetmum Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 At 4 ballet is all about having fun and making new friends and that is exactly how it should be. My daughter started at 2 after begging me to "go dancing"! She is now 16 and dances 5 days a week. However she also did swimming, brownies, guides when little as I wanted her to have options. Dancing won! On the positive, it is a healthy activity which encourages, discipline, confidence, hard work and elegance. Plus both my daughter and I have made friends for life. The negative is it can become costly, time consuming and there are some really awful dance mums.(just avoid at all costs) Enjoy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 There was an article in yesterday's Sunday Times magazine about gymnasts and saying that because the judges these days award higher marks for big tumbles both on the floor and the vault the smaller muscular build suits this It's a shame in a way as I used to love the gracefulness of the 'old gymnastics' ladies and now you hardly ever see any taller girls and the whole programme seems to suit the early to mid teens age range .....career usually over by twenties ....though I know there are a couple of girls in GB team who are early twenties. It has become what it has become but I don't watch the big competitions nearly as much as I used to. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascis Posted August 1, 2016 Author Share Posted August 1, 2016 I wanna hear stories about these dance moms. Yes for now my daughter is definatley more interested in ballet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 I wanna hear stories about these dance moms. Yes for now my daughter is definatley more interested in ballet. http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/12065-those-dance-mums-help/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascis Posted August 1, 2016 Author Share Posted August 1, 2016 Thanks RuthE. Some interesting stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 Looking at the GB gymnastics team, I'd say that the stockier, more muscular frame seems to be what predominates these days, although of course that may be only in the very upper echelons! The last time I watched gymnastics on TV it was the Russian gymnasts who stood out in their floor work for me - it was obvious that ballet still forms part of their training. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowerpot Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 Yes my dd coach in gymnastics asked her if she did ballet as she was impressed with her dancing in the floor routine. She won a gold medal in her comp so definately improves the performance. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparklymommy Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 My dd1, 13 now, started ballet 11 years ago, aged 2, once a week. It definitely snowballs! She's now 13, doing a baseline 19 & a half hours a week of dance (ballet, tap, modern, jazz, Greek, street, body conditioning and contemporary). It's definitely her passion! I have five children, all four of the oldest ones dance. My 8 year old son has just got into JAs (something I dismissed and didn't even try for with the older ones). He wants to BE Billly Elliot. My dh was dead against it when I took my oldest to her first lesson, now he's the one playing taxi to her! Getting them to classes, performances and rehearsals, even doing the curtain for the dance school show! Good luck to your dd. I hope she enjoys it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 Oh my goodness!! 4 dancers - do you get time to sleep?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascis Posted August 3, 2016 Author Share Posted August 3, 2016 Thanks Sparkly mommy. She loves dancing i think she will love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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