What age to start dance lessons?

Hi All,

DD1 is 4yo and she has loved to dance and prance around since she could walk. Recently I started her in dance lessons. She does 1/2 jazz and 1/2 ballet. Whilst at her lesson DD2 who is 2yo joined in and subsequently has continued.

We didn't budget for both girls to do dancing and each term we are up for $400. This doesn't include costumes and end of year expenses or all the fund-raising the school wants us to do.

The girls have been attending for 8weeks and I still can't get out of DD1 if she likes it or not. DD2 loves going because she gets a lolly at the end of the lesson.

My question: For the dance teachers or mum's with dancers: Do you think my girls would be ok to start dancing at a older age? Or would they be missing out on the basics if they wanted to do dance when older?

I'm subscrbing Bek because I want DD to do dance and I have been wondering exactly the same things. Answerings are going to be very interesting.

There is a BB member called Raising Dancers who is a dance teacher I think - maybe PM her if she doesn't see this?

I remember starting tap at 4! and i think my niece did too.

Is there anywhere cheaper to do lessons? DD1 is doing Kinderballet and it is much cheaper than what you are paying, no fundraising and minimal cost for costumes for the concert etc.

I started at 3. before then i dont think they can really "learn" IYKWIM ?

But im sure it would be fun for oyur 2 yr old, maybe look at some knid on gymberee ? or kinder dance for her

I started dancing at age 4 and continued until I was 18 :) I can't wait to have children so they can try dance too - I hope they love it as much as I did!

At that age, there isn't so much emphasis on learning actual moves...moreso focus on fun, rhythm, music, coordination etc...I really don't think your girls will be disadvantaged if you put it off for a few years. They would benefit similarly from you putting on some music and dancing with them at home, watching and mimiking DVDs with dancing (Hi5, Wiggles etc). I have friends who are working as professional dancers and didn't take up dance classes until late primary/early high school...if they have a love for it and a natural sense of rhythm and coordination, they'll be fine :)

My DD started ballet at 3, and people often commented she still has the poise of a dancer. And she only did it for 2 years. But she had a blast.

We don't have dance lessons per se out here, but Child Elder started calisthenics when she was about 5, which seems pretty standard. They had a class below for kindy age kids.

She turned out to be horrendously uncoordinated and totally useless at following instructions, so my kid turned out to be THAT kid put riiiiight at the back of the group doing twirls the opposite way to all the other kids 10 seconds late while the other 20 or so kids were all doing just fine. She is academically very bright and used to being the center of attention so she absolutely hated calisthenics and ended up being very upset and begging to quit. They've put her in the dark back corner of every dancy thing she's been in for school since then too, usually with the excuse she's tall but its pretty obvious the real reason. There's always one and *someone* has to be their mother ...

Fastforward 3 years and one of her friends does calisthenics, so she has selective memory and thought she was brilliant at it and wants to join up again and is ****ed at me that I won't let her.

She's fine doing freestyle disco dancing though - the boys love her :rolleyes: So in her head she's a fantastic dancer and always has been ...

I'm a dance teacher, I've danced for 21 yrs.
I personally think 3 is a good age to start any younger and they don't learn much. Also starting at 3 they are quite flexible which makes it easier for them rather than starting at 5 or 6 and they have to practice more to develop that flexibility.