Finding out the best age to enrol your child onto ballet lessons can be tricky, as different dance schools often have varying age recommendations for their classes. To help you to decide which age is best for your child, we’ve created a guide to answer the frequently asked question ‘What age should my child be when they start ballet lessons?’. In this guide, we discuss the variety of options available for toddlers and children, and also provide you with some important considerations you may wish to bear in mind before signing your child up for their first ballet class.
Can A Baby or Toddler Have Ballet Lessons?
Many dance schools offer a variety of lesson types for toddlers and younger children, such as babyballet and pre-ballet classes. These introductions to ballet tend to be aimed at children who are over the age of 2. The lessons focus on the development of your child’s communication skills, ability to move in time with music and capacity to learn some simple ballet steps. These lessons can be extremely useful in preparing your child for formal ballet lessons, as they help children to develop the necessary skills they need for ballet training. Until they are around 8 years old, children do not tend to receive formal ballet training. This is because performing advanced ballet techniques at such a young age can result in injury or permanent damage to the bodies of young dancers. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that the dance instructor who will be teaching your child is fully qualified and therefore more aware of your child’s anatomy and physiology.
Is My Child Ready For Ballet Lessons?
‘Dancers are made, not born’. This quote is from the world famous ballet dancer and choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov, who didn’t start ballet lessons until he was 11 years old. All children are unique, and develop in different ways at different rates. As a result, there is no ‘perfect age’ for a child to start ballet lessons. Instead, it’s often best to use your own judgement to decide whether or not your child is ready to start ballet lessons. If you’re unsure, many dance schools offer taster sessions and trial periods that can be really useful in giving children the opportunity to go along and see whether or not they feel ready to start lessons.We hope this guide has been useful in helping you to discover the best age for your child to start ballet lessons.
Finding out the best age to enrol your child onto ballet lessons can be tricky, as different dance schools often have varying age recommendations for their classes. To help you to decide which age is best for your child, we’ve created a guide to answer the frequently asked question ‘What age should my child be when they start ballet lessons?’.
In this guide, we discuss the variety of options available for toddlers and children, and also provide you with some important considerations you may wish to bear in mind before signing your child up for their first ballet class.