 |
| Photo By Balletclassroom.blogspot.com |
I want to wish everyone, young and old, male and female, the
fit and unfit this celebrated time of national ballet day. As I sit here,
I needed a little inspiration to get me something to write about, when I looked
in my phone and opened a little-known app called Checkiday. It tells you
what national day it is.
I believe there are two types of little girls....the ones
that want to be all girly and the ones that are not. Neither type is
a bad thing, because it fits whatever personality that little girl wants to
be. I wrote something similar back in
2012, I believe, and it still holds true today.
Everyone is an individual, but that does not mean that you cannot be
part of a group. In fact, team building is a very important skill. I will tackle that another day.
So what is National Ballet Day? It is a day of celebrating all things
ballet. Now folks, I am not suggesting
that you all run to the nearest dance store, grab a leotard, some tights, a tutu,
or 2, some pointe shoes, and strut your stuff.
Not everyone is a graceful ballet dancer. (Guys, you may want to skip the tutu part, or
not, I am not stopping you). It take
years of discipline to do this. Trust
me, I should know. 10 years is all a girl can take, and now my feet cry when I
see a pointe shoe.
(This is a pointe shoe, up close and personal)
You start from ages 3-7, learning the basis or technics of
all things ballet. If some of you who
watch Dance Moms think Abby Lee Miller is bad, think again. She is mild compared to a straight-faced,
technique-driven, no-fat on the body ballet teacher. These teachers are not a needs-to-win-every-competition
like Abby does. They are performance
driven and you have to eat, drink, and breathe ballet. They do not want you to take up any other
form of dance either.
Once you get your basis down to a science, guys still do demi-pointe
(or tip-toe) work, while the girls rise to the occasion (get it), to begin
preparing for pointe work. There are
pointe tests to make sure you are ready for the challenge. They are technique and the strong feet test
(you do know your feet and ankles have to be very strong, right?). I do not know the actual name of these tests,
I just know they are there. I am going
to stop here, because it will take at least over a thousand words or more to
explain, and frankly, time is money. I
do have a few tips:
- You do not have to start at age 3. I personally do not recommend it. Why? Dance needs to be something fun for your child to enjoy, not loathe by age 13. Some children start at age 7 and in pointe shoes by age 12, but you have to know your child. A good dance mom (or dad) listens to her (his) child. If your child is crying while they do their first recital, pull them out of dance for the next year and let them sit it out during that time. This will give the child a chance to “miss it.” If they mention dance while absent, put them back in, but have a discussion first. Do not keep pulling them in and out of dance class.
- The best way to start a child out is use the recreation center. If you are going to an actual dance studio do your homework. Ask about all the fees up front, dance schedule, how elite classes are run, and about contracts.
- Most studios do have fees for costumes, concerts, and other outings. Do not join if you do not have the time nor the commitment to do so.
Otherwise, have fun, dance the night away. If you love to dance, but do not want the
discipline, there is always the rec center, and they are not that big on
technic at all. Happy Ballet Day
everyone!!!!
Ballet is something that I never tried, although I used to love country & western dancing ;-)
ReplyDeleteI had a friend in school that loved Ballet.
I was the girl that wasn't into things girly. :) Guess that happens when you have an older brother that is your role model! Glad that there are girly girls out there though!
ReplyDeleteI was a girly girl all the way, but my parents opted for piano lesson for me and my sisters. Probably a good thing too as I went on for music we found out I have very weak ankles, not good for marching band either. :)
ReplyDeleteI was one of those girls who never wanted to wear dresses and I used to play with boys in the sandbox. All I wanted was playing with lorries and cars! :-) But somehow I went to ballet classes for one year when I was 8. Wonder how I ever got that idea being not girlie? I think it's because my best friend wanted to do it, so I followed. We surely had fun! :-) Thanks for reminding me of those days with this blog post!
ReplyDeleteI'm a tomboy, and I always have been. But, I wanted to do ballet so bad when I was little. My folks couldn't afford it or didn't want me around other kids, go figure. Anyway, it is still something I'd love to learn. Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt is expensive. today, you need a mortgage just to buy the shoes.
DeleteI took several dance classes as a child/teenager from ages 5-13. I never did it competitively, but have a huge respect for those that do. I have two sons, and secretly wish I had a little girl to put tutu's on! My oldest son really likes hip-hop dance and surprisingly, most studios in my area are exclusively for girls. I did find one that would take a young boy so maybe I'll have to look in to that again. Thanks for sparking the idea to followup!
ReplyDeleteI took ballet classes as a child but lost interest early on. My girls are the
ReplyDelete"not girly girls" and would never take up an interest. I do secretly wish they'd like to try something new and girly!
Mending the Piggy Bank. Yes, it is hard to find any type of dancing for boys. I started to dance competitively, but by that time, I was old enough to work as well, so my dad insisted that I go to work than continue on with dance.
DeleteI never knew there was a ballet day, that is so fun. My 2 year old loves to play 'tutu' and spin around, it's very cute and I can't wait until she is old enough for ballet classes.
ReplyDeleteI use to work in a dance apparel store. I forgot about this day until I saw your post! My kids are not old enough for dance classes yet but in time they will be! thank you for the advice and I agree that dance should not be forced otherwise kids do grow to loath it!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter, who is now 8, started dancing lessons when she was 3 and she loved it. She always said that when she will grow up she will be a ballet teacher. This year we decided to change things and introduced her to horse riding. Now after only 4 month of riding she is really into it - so we will see....
ReplyDeleteIt makes me laugh all the "national" days that we have out there. I had no idea we had a Ballet Day! That's awesome. I did ballet for a little bit when I was a kid, but found I really had no talent in it. I was much better at barreling through the soccer fields. You can only imagine what I looked like in ballet class...a bull in a china shop. Thanks for the memory and laugh!
ReplyDeleteI never tried ballet because I was all about basketball back in the day. I never knew there was a Ballet Day!
ReplyDeleteDivachyk @Relaxed Thairapy
Thanks for the great tips! I keep thinking I need to get my boys in some dance (I did ballroom for a number of years and loved it). My boys are 5, 4 and 2 so I've still got some time. Hopefully we can find a fun activity for them to do that will encourage them to be healthy and active dance or otherwise.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great post! I totally agree with not starting them early. my mom started me when I was 4 years old in ballet, and I was 10 when I quit. I loathed it by that age. I thought alot about when to start my 15 month old as well!
ReplyDeletealso love the app you used for national days to celebrate! might have to try that!!
Hi Patricia, I agree with you, parents should not push their children to do things they don't enjoy. I was more of tomboy growing up, though I do have an appreciation for the arts. I did play the flute for several years and gave it up when I was a teen. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI took ballet and a few other forms of dance as a child. I loved it. I got to a point where I chose to stop, but I believe that it is a great thing for children to try! :)
ReplyDeleteI was never a "girly girl" growing up. But two youngest totally are. My 5 year old is taking ballet class and has a recital in May. I don't dance except when in the club or when there's a DJ around. Free dance is basically all I know. But I'm glad my daughter enjoys dancing in her tu tu and ballet shoes.
ReplyDeleteMy little girl is 3 and has just started taking ballet, tap and freestyle. She has been begging to go to dance classes since she was 2 so I finally caved in. So far we have paid £30 a month for the classes, £30 for shoes, £60 for costumes for dance show and then tickets for dance show it's started as a very expensive hobby. But she loves it and the dance school only does one show every two years, to try and make it more affordable for parents.
ReplyDeleteCool! I didn't even know there was such an app. I've never done ballet. Apparently I wanted to when I was like 6 but my mom didn't let me cuz the ballet teacher was really mean, nothing mattered except ballet and she would tell the 6 year olds how they had to diet all the time. I don't remember any of this but I'm glad I didn't start dancing for her. If my son wants to start dancing when he's older I hope we can find a ballet instructor who's a little nicer.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to hear other parents say not to start kids so early. We love using our local rec center for exposure to new things. Using non-competitive leagues and summer programs, our boys have tried basketball, soccer, wrestling, hip hop dance, and a few other activities. This has kept our expenses down while they get a taste of different things until they find the one they love.
ReplyDeleteAngi from Tim and Angi's Blog
I loved dancing and actually danced competitively in high school, I didn't take my first class until I was 11 years old!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun topic! Our oldest tip-toed around the house when she learned to walk and so we enrolled her in ballet. She lasted only a short while till we realized she has my grace and dancing was not in our DNA. :) We LOVE to watch the beauty of the dance and our favorite performance is by far The Nutcracker.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Dawn
I did ballet because my ice skating coach told my Mom it would make me more graceful. But I didn't stick with it for very long because doing one thing was hard enough but two! My mom worked full time so it became too much.
ReplyDeleteI keep joking with John that I am going to make our dogs wear tutu's because I think it would be silly to have our Rottweiler and Pit Mix dress up. They are so ferocious, not!
Both my girls took a cheap, simple dance class at the YMCA last year. The older one really wasn't paying attention or trying very hard. So we stopped for a few months - while I had our 4th baby. Then, this past fall - my oldest (5) started BEGGING to take dance again - promising she would practice and do her best! So we enrolled her in an actual studio. She LOVES it! Yes, there are costume fees, etc. But it's worth it to me if she really enjoys it and does her best. I totally agree with making sure your child has a passion for it - before investing all the time, money, and resources into it.
ReplyDeleteballet day sounds fun. I took ballet for a few years when I was younger but then all my friends started into sports so I followed suit. Sometimes wish I would have stuck with ballet. Thanks for sharing your post!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of national ballet day! What a fun day for our ballerinas! My 2 year old just started a tutu and tots class and considers herself a full fledged ballerina. I think her last "ballet" class was actually on national ballet day! I love how this beautiful art is honored.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter has shown interest in going to ballets, but not participating... interesting now that I think about it. I am open to her learning if it's something she wants to do! :)
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of National Ballet Day. And I always wanted to be a ballerina--but not professionally. Just for my own enjoyment.
ReplyDeleteRachel recently wrote Using the Oreo Cookie to Get Clients
I didn't know there was a National Ballet Day! To bad because I have 2 ballerina's in my home. One is two and the other is six. I will be writing it down for next year though as I'm sure the both will still be dancing. They love it! :)
ReplyDeleteI took tap classes when I was little, but always wanted to try ballet. When I was thirty I signed up and took a year of ballet. It was harder than it looked, but I really enjoyed it and my ballet shoes.
ReplyDeleteI love it! I used to take ballet lessons when I was little (in addition to tap, modern and jazz). I was never a girly girl but I did enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is 5 and wants to get into ballet. I told her when she is 6. That way she will know much more. She is in gymnastics, that I feel is a good first step. I didn't that there was a Ballet Day. How cool is that?
ReplyDeleteI had no idea there was a National Ballet Day. Very Cool! I took ballet as a little child I remember having a ball. What I remember most are the gold and silver stars they used to give us. They were so shiny and I was happy as a clam to receive one!
ReplyDeleteI used to be in ballet as a little girl. I'm sure I enjoyed it at the time. Fortunately, my parents let me try out different things to see what I liked. I didn't realize there was a National day for it. I'll have to check out the app you found that on. Thanks for mentioning it. It's always fun to see what National day it is!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to get my daughter into ballet! She is only 18 months now. I used to be in ballet when I was young as well and can't for her to do the same thing:)
ReplyDelete