Dancing Classes

Hi there! My daughter is 4yrs. and has been doing dance for about 2 months now. The studio that she goes to is great! They make it fun and my daughter looks forward to it every week! Good luck :)

I use the local rec. center for classes and this allows my, now 5 yr old, daughter to try out various activities. She has done ballet/tap and didn't really like it. She does gymnastics and soccer and loves those. She wants to try a sports variety class to see what other sports are about and she wants to try ballet again, now that she is a bit older. Oh, she wants to try karate, too.

The rec. centers have inexpensive classes and many varieties. They also have art and music classes. I like that there isn't a competition, no recital to perform, just learning the skills and having fun for only a little money.

We actually live outside of the rec. center districts, but they allow us to pay a quarterly fee (less expensive than the taxes for in-district) and we sign up a week later.

We don't always get the class we want because of the later sign up, but there is always another quarter to try and we can usually get in then.

I know several girls - as young as 2, who have taken and loved dance classes...at that age, they are not intended to be for kids who have a lifelong dream of being a dancer...just for development and fun.

I read through the responses and only saw one that even mentioned the dancing teacher. This is a very important factor as well. My daughter started ballet just 2 months after turning 4. We were blessed with finding a wonderful ballet teacher who was great with the little kids. She is now 12 and is doing classes 5 days a week because she loves it, not because she is required to. She has said for years she wants to be a ballet teacher herself someday. I have observed other teachers who just don't have the patience or creativity to conduct a class for young children. This alone can discourage a child very quickly. My daughter also tried tap. This teacher was not very creative or fun so we ended up dropping that class at the end of the year. At 4 the class should be more focused on creative movement and development. Dancing is great for developing poise, grace, and self-confidence. Just pay attention to how the teacher interacts with the kids. If it doesn't work out try a new teacher and/or a new studio before giving it up completely.

We put our daughter in dance class a few weeks ago. She was 22 months at the time, and I thought it was an awful idea as I had been a gymnastic teacher for several years, and I didn't think she'd be able to follow instructions well.

I was completely surprised - she took about 4 weeks to get comfortable and to stop crying all the time. Now, she's keeping up with the older girls and paying attention really well. She loves going.

Our son will be 4 in June and is just getting involved in activities this spring.

I'd say do it. Don't go overboard with leotards and tutus, but see how it plays out for a few months.

Hopefully, you'll enjoy it!

I was in dance class age 13-18, and my little cousin has been in dance classes since she was about 5. No complaints! :)

Dance classes for the really little kids are more about having fun rather than learning a routine and performing it. :)

usually places have free trials. I would also recommend trying a gymnastics class also to see which she likes better. My kids loved gymnastics because of the trampolines and bars.

My daughter is now 5, but she is finishing up for the year & will start back in the fall. She goes 1 day a week for 1 hr. & loves loves loves it. She likes the activeness of the class & she soaks it up like a sponge. I still think her favorite is the chicken dance. they do it as a warm up. She did great at her christmas recital & her spring recital is next weekend & she's excited. she is actually fairly shy, but lights up on stage. Hope this helps you. :)

My rule of thumb with my kiddo is if he as a Big Ole Grin on his face the whole time... or comes running/bouncing up to me grinning at the end... we do "it". My mum was a "stage mum" and I *hated* half the stuff she kept me doing because I was good at it... so I refuse to do the same. <laughing> And let me tell ya, kiddo is TERRIBLE at half the stuff he loves, but he's so happy doing it, I just have a big grin myself the whole time!

The only one activity I ignored this rule of thumb was swimming. It's a life skill and he really despised it the entire first month (great teachers, great class, and as a rescue swimmer me'self once upon a time... i felt completely comfortable with the class). But I kept him in, tears and tantrums and all. Drowning is not something I'm willing to risk for tears. By the end of the summer he was a "water baby". And he's been in lessons ever since. But swimming I ignored the rule for safety's sake, because all other activities are bonus. Swimming is life or death.

My mom put me in dance classes when I was 4 and I hated it! I'm not sure how long I was in it for but she let me stop going after we had our first recital. I had friends growing up in dance and most of them loved it and continued doing it for many years. I think you should at least give it a try but if she goes a few times and really doesn't like it I wouldn't make her do it anymore.

My oldest has been in dance since she was 4 (she's now 7). She loves ballet and takes it 3 days a week at this point. I think the biggest positive has been the practice of self-control and really learning where her body begins and ends (a challenge when they are growing so fast). We go places and people often comment on how graceful she is, just in the way she walks and moves.

My youngest is in "creative dance" as a 4 year old and most days she loves it. Some days she melts down. Overall it has been a positive experience for her - building her coordination and her ability to follow directions in a setting other than school. Probably as she turns 5 we will take her out of dance and enroll her in riding lessons (which is what she REALLY wants to do). She does fine with dance but you can tell it's not what she loves, not like with my older daughter.

I recommend it. If it turns out she doesn't like it, you can always find another activity for her, or wait a year and try again.

I think it is a good idea, but don't expect her to pay strict attention attention to every single step or instruction at this age. She won't. And will be best if you don't watch--at least the first few times. I did it will my daughter when she was six. At four she had gymnastics and it was a big hit.

you might also want to check out the program they have at your Park and Recreation center... a lot of times the classes are just as good & fun AND cost a lot less than a studio - a plus when you don't know if your daughter will like the classes.

I think she is old enough to say if she wants to do it or not. Maybe look for a class without recitals or pressure, just purely for fun. I think I liked my dance class, but I really don't remember. I think I was 3. I did continue onto gymnastics, etc. throughout high school.

You can often try out a free class first.
That is what I would do.
Just ask them.
THEN based on that, and IF your daughter likes it, then you can sign her up.

My daughter, took dance classes since 3 years old. SHE wanted to. So we signed her up. She liked it.
Now though, she is taking Karate. She chose that as well.

Main thing is it is fun for the child... otherwise it will then be a pain.

good luck,
Susan

I work in their clothing store for the owners of a gymnastics and dance studio. I have had K going to dance and gymnastics there, and now added tumbling too, since the summer she was 3 1/2, that Fall K took the combo class, 1/2 hour tap and 1/2 tumbling/gymnastics. At 3 yrs. old the teacher should be focusing on play, like doing the Hokey Pokey, it teachers left and right, it teaches body control, following directions, etc...not standing in front of a class making them do repetative excercises. Mrs. Kem will sometimes do a hula day and let the girls wear leis and grass skirts, and dance to Hawaian music. This is in no way trying to teach them to hula, it is to teach arms go left, arms go right, step together step, it teaches them basics but is fun and "playing". She doesn't allow parents in the classroom except a couple of times a year because it is very distracting and the children really don't pay attention to the teacher. they look to mom and dad for being the boss and if the teachers are in the class with just the students the kids start the process of learning someone else can be the boss.

J(3 yrs. old) started as soon as he was old enough for "Buddy and Me" at 18 months, I also have my 11 year old grandson in Hip Hop and gymnastics, and my 2 year old grand daughter in the Buddy and me class.

The kids absolutely love the gymnastics classes and Buddy and Me. K is in the combo 2 class and they do tap, ballet, and a few minutes of tumbling if time allows. We do a recital every other year because it tends to be very expensive and time consuming and lots of people are just not interested in doing that every year. Costumes can run well over $100 for recital and that on top of dance shoes, tights, and matching loetards for the weekly classes can become a burden if the money isn't budgeted for.

One thing Mrs. Kem will usually do for the "Itty Bitty's" is to make the recital dance a daddy daughter dance, the dads will wear black pants, white shirts, and a dark tie. The little girls will wear very cute leo's with some kind of tutu and daddy will pick them up and do moves, like hold them in poses, and then hold their hand to walk around and preen. This helps them to be comfortable in a setting that has to be new and scary to them. The next age group up may be just turning 4 and they may do something like "I'm a Little Teapot" and do the movements with some tapping steps.

So, to make it short, it's about fun and movement. The money you are going to spend can be a lot but it is very much worth it.

Tap shoes, Revolution, usually run from $20 up, Leos can run anywhere from $15 up to $60 or $70, my friend bought one for her daughter that looks like black leather with hot pink butterlies on it. It is awesome looking, and with our store discount it was still $60. Tights are usually around $10. the name brand leos and tights are good because you can pass them down to younger siblings or resell at some shops. The ones that K often wear have been through at least 4 other kids and they still look new. In gumnastics the teachers don't usually make them all dress alike but some may. If you are buying any leo you want look for ones that have lining in the crotch area and in the bra area, thicker fabric will look better for longer, and buy where they have a little room for growth but not a lot. For gymnastics we prefer to buy 2 peice outfits with a brief, like cheer panties, and a top of some sort. That way they last longer as she grows taller. Also a bike-tard will work better for me because they don't wear panties under the leos and I make her wear shorts in gymnastics so a biketard has a much longer leg and she can wear them without adding another layer.

Have fun!

My 4 yr old does dance class now , it is 1 lesson/week for 45 mins. 30 mins of ballet and 15 mins of tap , it is very low key and they only work on the basics and is geared more towards them having fun. If that is what you are looking for then do some research and make sure the school you are putting her into is like that and not for the "serious dancer". If she enjoys it and looks like she could have a promising future in dance then you can move her to another school , I think most dance schools get serious around age 7.

I put my daughter in dance/acrobatics at 3, and she did it until about 6 or 7. She loved it, but eventually got tired of it. It was a hoot! My sister and I usually sat in on it, because in order to get her to practice at home, I had to learn the steps. She was in several recitals, and a little "beauty pageant". I still have pictures of her in some cute costumes. It's not for everyone, and I certainly didn't want to be a pageant mom, but it was fun and my daughter enjoyed it. And my sister and I still laugh about all the goofy stuff my daughter did, and how cute she was. Let your daughter decide after a few lessons if she wants to continue, and enjoy it. Don't forget the camera!

Go observe the class, see how the teacher works, and how the other little girls enjoy it. Personally I was really into dance, I wanted to be good at it, but I started when I was 9 or 10. Either way I think it's a good idea because dancers, gymnasts, etc. have better sense of balance and body placement, it makes them less prone to injury in everyday life. As long as the teacher is good, it should be a good experience.

I started dancing ballet at age 3 and didn't stop until 16 - then I chose sports. I only wish I would have kept going! I loved it.

Dance? Let's see....my mother and her sister were both dancers from an early age--not professionally, much, but for pure enjoyment. My mother has had a lifelong love of dance as a result--attends multiple types of dance performances, learns all different kinds of dance whenever she can, and, when I was 2 1/2, put me in the dance school she had studied with. She was unhappy with them after the first year, because their classes for small children were too big, so she opened her own dance school when I was 6--just for me, really! I took lessons from my own mom until I was 18 and moved out to go to college. Loved it! Performed, gained poise, learned to deal with stage fright, and my ability to use my body and keep good posture endures to this day. Dreamed of being a professional dancer, but went a different way with my life. All three of my daughters have taken dance, and the elder two no longer do, but have both put that training to good use in their lives and loved it at the time. My youngest is another story. From the moment she saw her first ballet she wanted to dance. We got her in an excellent and very small local dance school at 3 1/2, and she is now 11, dancing on pointe, just did her first solo as the Flower Girl/Ballerina for her godfather's wedding (godfather and bride both are performers in Las Vegas--Cirque du Soleil and the like), and has been continuing her dream of being a professional ballerina--with the apparent talent and work ethic to make it happen. Whether she ultimately does or doesn't make that happen, I know that her experience with dance has been ALL positive! And it will greatly enhance the rest of her life.

So yes!!!! Give your child dance lessons! Just be prepared to have her love it and want to keep going.

Both my girls started dance in preschool, once a week. Very easy going and low key. One performance per year, about 5 - 6 group numbers. The older one picked it back up when she was in 6th grade. The studio was great. The kids came in after school and did homework and ate snacks until their class time. They would travel to disneyland to perform, from time to time. We moved and she found a new studio, which was a little more aggressive. We had a hard time there, although she had fun. They were heavy on the competition side, which meant traveling about 350 miles, 2 - 3 times per year. Basically, anytime the school said we are taking your daughters routine to comp. In order to get her to a point where she could compete, they would schedule private classes. At that point, she was already driving and they would schedule the classes without me knowing and she would show up, because she was driving and they said she had to be there. It all ended one day when they said I had a $600 private session bill on top of my regular bill and I said, "no I don't". It was a bitter ending, but she did have fun. So, just make sure you understand the nature of the school. If you see trophies (which belonged to the school) all over the place and they display how many competitions they have won, start asking more questions!

My mom enrolled my sister and I in a classic ballet class starting in grade school. My sister loved it and I was fascinated by it in the very beginning, but wanted to quit ( it bored me). My mother made me stay in anyway because she thought I should finish what I started.
At age 4, I would look for a fairly unstructured class where she could just have fun, but not a classic ballet class which is more focused and serious. If she's not interested, I would listen to her.
I personally think (now that I've done it with my own children) I wouldn't plan structured time for a 4 year old, but simply let them play. Have some music and dancing scarves for her to play with in your play area for her and her friends.

This is the first year that my daughter is taking dance class. She was 4 when it started in September. They meet once a week and in May they put on a recital. She loves it! She can't wait until Tuesday when she can go to dance class. But this is just my daughter... you never know with kids... Good luck!