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New to dance - hints and tips please


River

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Hi. My 8 year old daughter is taking ballet this year and my 3 year old daughter is taking a pre dance/tumbling combo class. This is the first time any of my girls have taken a dance class. I was wondering if anyone had any tips for us. What kinds of things would we need to get as essentials for first time dancers. Other than tights, leotards, and ballet slippers, and a bag to keep it all in, that is. Any advice at all would be great. I also have a 7 year old starting Irish dance if anyone had any tips for that class as well.

 

Thanks so much!

 

River

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Hi River – I'm sure there will be a flood of comments once the UK wakes up! I would say get in lots of hair supplies (bobby pins/bun pins, hairnets, hairties) and a box with compartments to put them all back in. While they are young, it's fairly low-maintenance but grooming becomes more important as they get older, in ballet anyway. Never let them wear dance shoes outdoors as they track grit (or worse) into the dance studios, which often have special flooring. And just enjoy it while it is more fun than work!

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There are some great threads in here with other bits of wonderful advice. It sounds as though you've got the basics: a class, the leotards & shoes.

 

My main advice is: don't get sucked into studio wars, bragging, or claiming status through your children's dancing.

 

There's a wonderful thread in here about "Not being a Dance Mum" - lots of wisdom & it's hilarious as well!

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Hello River - check out the credentials for the ballet teacher if your children decide they like their dancing more than just a once a week hobby, if the teacher isn't qualified and you aren't, then you will not know what you are paying for.

 

As for Irish, then just soft shoes with Irish socks or bare feet and they will move on to heavies, then you will need shoes, go on eBay or ask around as with tap shoes you want second hand soft leather etc so that they make a better quality noise. With feet growing as fast as they do it's hard work for a child to break in their heavies. Then they wear shorts and t shirts some schools have a uniform but most children that take their Irish seriously dance most days so it's just cycling shorts and t shirt. In Irish the children learn by doing, so it's great for all activists as there are only a few words for steps as in "cut" "hop" "out" and the rest is repetition and counting. You will see a huge difference in your children's ability to focus and their reading and maths.

 

As with ballet don't get caught up in festivals or feis' unless you are willing to change the families financial budget as it is very, very expensive and time consuming.

 

I always expect my child to say thank you for her dancing so she appreciates that dance classes are special and not a right. It works for us.

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Hi River - I would buy as little as you can initially and play it by ear if they like it and want to continue/do more. Hope they enjoy it! I wouldn't evenue consider ballet shoes or leotard necessary for the first lessons..... Hope they enjoy it!

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Thanks so much everyone for the advice! I did a lot of research over the summer regarding different dance studios in the area. It was very important to me that recital costumes were age appropriate. I really don't want my 3 year old in a bikini top and booty shorts. I also asked around for parent recommendations, asking for the good, the bad, and the ugly, and I am confident in the studio we choose for my budding ballerinas, as well as the studio we are going to for Irish dance. Sadly they are not the same studio, but the instructors for the Irish dance started teaching at the same studio that my budding ballerinas will be going to and we were given a great recommendation by the ballet studio. All of the instructors for both studios have several years of dance and teaching experience. There is even some Riverdance experience in there. Lol #riverdanceobsessed

 

Keep the advice coming everyone! I really appreciate the help!

Edited by River
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For little ones you might only want ballet socks as opposed to tights. Some schools only allow tights above a certain age or grade, plus they don't last as long as ballet socks - in terms of being outgrown and/or getting holes in!

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Hi River

 

In terms of equipment I'd suggest

 

Plasters

liquid calpol sachets for them

Haribos or little sachets of sweets

Water bottles

Snap hair bands or the quick bun types

Depending on where they get changed for class or shows or outside fetes etc possibly a bodysuit

Stage makeup (foundation, eyeliner, red lipstick) ready for when they perform :) and makeup wipes

Lots of sticky name labels so other children don't go off with your child's stuff

Notebook in case your older daughter ever wants to write notes (I just think it's a nice habit to get into)

 

Tips

 

Don't let other parents bragging intimidate you and don't compare

Do try to watch some classes if you can so you can hear how your children are spoken to

Do listen out for conversations (obviously without snooping haha) with older girls as you'll pick up signals about what they are happy or concerned about

Don't take it too seriously

 

Wishing you all the best ... It's a beautiful thing to be involved in :)

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Welcome to the forum, River.  It's perhaps worth pointing out that most of our posters are UK-based, so there may be some differences between what's done in the UK and in the US.

Alison, I did notice that, but I figure that any advice is better than nothing at all. I do appreciate you making sure I was aware though.

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1. Enjoy it, let them enjoy it, see where it goes.

 

2. Have a portable hobby - read, knit, whatever* - or sort out a portable way to get some work done. There always seems to be a lot of sitting around to do for the parents and you don't get those hours back. (Or find studios with handy coffee shops, this works too.)

 

* I've got the other parents at our place acclimated to me finding a corner and doing things like tai chi, karate and ballet practice, but you don't have to go that far. :-)

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Worried by the liquid Calpol sachets - really? Why?

.

It was only a suggestion of stuff that has been useful for me to have over the years. I never knew you could buy calpol in sachets, but these helped me with aches and pains and coughs or slight temperatures, to have one in my handbag especially if there was shows or exams and DD feeling slightly under the weather but didn't want to go home.

 

It was just in my head of things I had found useful, Sorry if that worried you

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I feel it is fine for parents to carry Calpol incase their child is taken ill but to list it as an item for a dance kit worries me. Dosing a child with paracetamol then allowing them to dance will in my mind mean they will dance through pain as it will be dulled due to the analgesia.

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