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TO BEGIN
(Toddler - Preschool)
Beginning ballet at age 5 or younger has become popular. This can produce a good dancer or undermine the entire training process.
How Young is Too Young?
For ages under 5, readiness varies greatly from one child to the next. A child must:
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Be able to follow instructions. |
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Be able to listen and try to do as told.
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Have an attention span of more than 15 minutes
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Be potty trained.
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| 5. |
MUST want to dance!
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The best method to determine readiness is to take a class and see what happens. During a first class, the child may seem distracted. Remember the dance studio is a new world, bigger than big. This all new makes some children want to explore. It makes other children want to run and jump. Still others want to hide. In spite of this, a good teacher can get a feeling about the readiness level of the child.
Traditional Ballet training starts at age 6-7 because the body is developed enough to develop technique without causing damage and there is no lag time later on. By lag time, I mean there is a flow of consecutive goals to shoot for. First to learn the basics. Then to learn the tricky stuff. Then to get pointe shoes. When the student begins at age 3-4, there can be lag times. The child has learned the basics but cannot progress to tricky stuff because the body is not adequately developed. The child has learned the tricky stuff, but bones are not hard enough to support pointe work so the goal of getting pointe shoes is years away and a year to a child can feel like a life time.
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WARNING!
Do not let any child on tips of toes without pointe shoes. Raising heel off ground and walking on ball of foot is okay. No child under age 10 should walk on toe tips even with pointe shoes. |
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TEACHER SELECTION
for Pre-School Ballet:
(see also Ballet Generics)
Being a good ballet teacher does not automatically qualify a person as a good Pre-School ballet teacher. One should have classes in child development, solid knowledge of what a 3-5yr old extremely moldable body can do and most of all SHOULD NOT do. Skills in group dynamics is also extremely helpful. Ballet is a powerful tool - strong enough to mold a body, strong enough to help or to hurt. Make sure your teacher understand this. The class will also answer questions for the child, such as, “What is a teacher?” “What is learning?” These answers will shape the child's approach to all future teachers and learning experiences. Make sure the teacher is a match to what you think the answers to these questions should be.
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BALLET FOR PRE-SCHOOL, IT’S DIFFERENT:
Goals for Pre-School Ballet Classes
There is much to be learned in the pre-school ballet class. What is learned is not forgotten. These first lessons lodge deep in the brain's memory and will influence choices and responses to all future classes.
The important lessons to be learned in Pre-School Ballet are:
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What is ballet? |
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What is a ballet class? (Class should include a basic barre, floor, center, cross floor exercises.)
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What are the Ballet basic positions? (Work from 1st, and 2nd as much as possible, use 3rd instead of 5th, and avoid 4th.)
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What are the basic Ballet basic steps? (The ones that repeat with same foot will be learned faster than the ones that alternate the lead foot.)
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What are the basic arm positions? (But stick to 1st & 2nd when child is moving.)
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What are the basic formations? (No need to tell them. Just round'em up and let them chasse in a circle, line, etc.) |
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What is expected while in class? (Pay attention, no talking, gum chewing, etc.)
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How to learn and remember movements.
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How to get teacher's attention. (Actually the lesson to be learned is "What is the correct way to get teacher's attention" for they already know many ways to get attention and most of the ways are disruptive.
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How to improve. |
The pre-school ballet class should follow a standard ballet class format - how else will the child learn what a ballet class is? The class should start with barre, followed by floor and centre work, followed by cross-floor work. Steps and technique must be modified. Little bodies are not yet designed for a perfect turnout - always keep those knees over those toes!!!! Finally the class should never end on a boring note. A shorter class is better than a longer class.
There are "pre-ballet" classes that do not teach the above. There are games, Karaoke singing and pointing of the toes. Such classes have value but are not ballet. I would suggest such classes be re-named to "Voice & Rhythm" class or "Performance Training" class for they offer little content that matches a "ballet" class. When the child graduates from pre-ballet and gets the opportunity to stand at the barre forever then what? I suspect many who have attended the sing-and-pointe-and-be-cute class think "This is not ballet! Give me back my twinkle toe song!"
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WHAT PARENTS CAN DO TO HELP:
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Encourage dance. Play music and let child move to it. |
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Take child to as many performances as possible. |
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Find books and videos about dance, especially ones that inspire and share the stories of the classics, and of how hard work pays off. Watch the many videos of the Ballet Classics such as Swan Lake. Skip the cute books showing little kids poorly positioned, in costumes taking ballet classes. |
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Visit good dance schools and observe advance dance classes. Many company schools have windows into studios. With advance permission, you can stand in the hall and watch and learn. |
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Parents, if you really want to help, take a ballet class or two. Take class with your child. Then you practice at home in front of child and guess what? Child will ask to practice with you. |
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Volunteer your time to the studio, or recital. You will learn a lot working side by side with other more experienced dance parents. |
WHAT PARENTS CAN DO TO HURT:
Some of the following may seem ridiculous, but I have had them happen in my studio more than once.
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Come to class but instead of watching, talk loudly to the parent sitting next to you. |
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Give directions to your child while child is in class. “Pay Attention” and other comments should only be given before and after class. |
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Tell the teacher and your friends how awkward and uncoordinated your child is, while your child is standing near, listening. |
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Arrive late for class. |
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Ask for details about class content, how your child compares to others, at the beginning or during class. (Many instructors are on a tight schedule. The minutes prior to class are mental preparation time for teaching the class.) You should chat with your instructor and get answers to any question you have. Just tell your instructor you have questions and ask for a good time to chat. |
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Since the preschool ballet class is an introduction to ballet classes, students should wear the same gear as regular ballet classes. That means ballet shoes, footed tights, a leotard. Consult your instructor for exact style and colors. If the instructor has no preference than go with the traditional ballet pink tights and black leotard. Department stores may seem to offer the same things for less to the untrained eye. If you are unable to tell the difference between real ballet stuff and junk, go to a dance shop, or ask your instructor before you purchase.
WHAT NOT TO WEAR:
The fewer accessories, the fewer things to play with, to distract other students, and to lose. PLEASE no jewelry in class. A necklace can break from the force of jumping and turning, go flying into the eye of another student or fall on floor where it is tripped over.
No costumes, or tutus, unless requested by the instructor. Costumes are for rehearsals and performances not class. I prefer no little skirts, but if a child insists, I will permit a sheer short skirt, as I need to see as much body alignment as possible, even at this young age.
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AND NEVER CHEW GUM IN CLASS
(It can be inhaled during rapid activity.) |
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