Ballet

[Shortie]

Hhhmmm you know when you know you have a question you can't quite 'form'? Well I'm a bit like that at the moment and I'm hoping you guys can second guess my waffle (... no.. I've not had a drink tonight, just very tired )

I'm watching Save the Last Dance 2 and it got my thinking about Master Shortie. He's always loved watching dance, and when the Danicing on Ice has been on, he's wafted around the living room and declared he wants to be a skater.... the female skater . When we went to the 'circus show' Afrika! Afrika! earlier this year he wanted to be the man in the sparkly tights who dances high in the air with the ribbon twisted round his ankles etc (yes, I clearly know the name of this act ). He often asks me to take him to ballet classes too.

Can you see a theme here?

I guess I was after opinions from other grapes who maybe know children who do ballet. It seems to be a very discipled art and I wondered if it was 'suitable' for a 5 year old? You never know, watch this space we might have the next Wayne Sleep snoring upstairs right now

[lynda66]

did you never watch billy elliot??

my son had a lot of problems with co-ordination and balance when he was little, so his physio recommended ballet, he was only two ...... disciplined balanced and co-ordinated ...... perfect ..... he loved it went twice a week and it really did make a difference till he was about 8 and discovered football ....... i say , if a child wants to do some excercise instead of sitting in front of the telly then go for it ..... oh and you get to do the proud mummy bit at xmas pantomimes and stuff.

[terrier]

.. and all that ballet practice probably helped him to play better football. I seem to remember not so long ago, Wayne sleep coaching the British Lions team and they've not done too badly in recent years.

[Shortie]

Yes, I did see Billy Elliot, I'd forgotten that film! Know what you mean about the exercise. To be fair he's always down the lottie with me or messing around in the garden etc but I hadn't thought about the discipline helpingwhen he's older, and the balance/co-ordination helping him too...

I was a bit more worried about people chuckling at him ,that'd break my heart

Thanks for the encouragement

[lynda66]

when he was 2 his physio said, he'll never be good at sport, cos he can't co-ordinate to run properly, he is now 6'1" runs like the wind and is very good at dodging .......his pe teacher at school begged him to be in the rugby team cos of his dodging abilities ..... but he's a wimp and didn't want cauliflower ears lol.

maybe he has a friend at school, who you could offer to take along, then theres 2 of them if any other kids say anything ....... but to be honest rob never had a problem, with anyone laughing, and one of his friends did it with him, cos i used to look after him after school, made sense to send them both ..... he loved it too.

just let him try it most classes will let him go along and give it a go, otherwise you'll always be wondering

[zazen999]

National Ice Centre | Ice Sports | Figure Skating

The chap on the above picture, is Tom who is in my photography class. Well, he was last year but spends so much time competing abroad that he hasn't been to class this year. He will hopefully return soon with lots of pictures from his travels.

Is there an ice skating club near you at all? I was taught to skate [as we lived in Canada, everyone was] and was in two productions before we left, which was when I was 6! So, I'm a bit biased - If we had stayed this was one hobby I would have loved to have kept up but we had no ice rinks near us at the time.

[Nicos]

My daughter did ballet and ice-skating and her little brother was dragged along ...as they are!!

He was given a chance to join in both from the age of 5. He refused to do ballet but loved ice-skating, esp as there was a lad one yr older he hung around with. My son went through all his badges and when he got his bronze award packed it in ( quite a high standard).He was taught by Joan Slater MBE- for those who might know of her.
The lad he hung around with went on to take his silver and Xmas performances , and then went to drama school.
He's been on TV and London theatre playing some fairly major roles working along side peeps like Felicity Kendal.

Forget what other folk think/say...or more to the point what you wonder what they might be thinking!

Give him a chance Shortie. He'll soon let you know if he gets fed up with it!!!

[Two_Sheds]

The kids here do some kind of dancing in a club (boys and girls) - it doesn't bear much resemblance to dance all the time, but they enjoy themselves, which is what matters, and it's all good exercise.

At school it's always the boys who want a disco at the end of term. Lots of little boys enjoy sparkly pink things, high heels etc - until it is conditioned out of them by parents and peers.

We've got an 8 year old lad at school who plays rough with the boys, but can also sing, dance & skip with the girls .. he's not effeminate, just unique, and v.popular with everyone. Don't worry about it, and let him try ... he'll probably get fed up anyway after a while, kids do tend to change hobbies fairly rapidly.

[Polly Fouracre]

My younger son, now thirty and six foot four, at the age of three was always falling over and I took him to ballet lessons. He absolutely loved it, it helped with his co-ordination and strengthened him, physically and mentally.
At the age of seven his friends got wind of it and that was it!! No more ballet.
Let Master Shortie have a try. Male dancers are much stronger than footballers!

[Rhona]

I was a ballet student from a very early age - about four. I never wanted to go to the sort of school that just did cutesy parents shows twice a year - I wanted the discipline of a syllabus, and trying to do well in all my exams. I've been bonkers about ballet all my life and have it to thank for sooo many things that never leave you; an appreciation of music; good posture; muscle memory; general bendiness(!).

We all used to LOVE the boys in our classes - there were usually only a couple, which meant they got good roles in performances; and the general adoration of all the girls!

It sounds like he's totally got the bug so you should deffo let him try. Ballet can be lots of fun, but he might relish the hard work too. Kids might chuckle, but they might not, and it's his choice so he'd probably be able to defend it and might not be too troubled by the odd comment. A friend's little (toughnut) boy goes to ballet every week and loves it. He's five too and gets no hassle that I'm aware of. And this is in Sheffield!

By the way, when I first read your post I thought you said MISTER Shortie... which would perhaps have necessitated a slightly different response...

[jackie j]

Two of my sons did performing arts at college neither have been able to take it further and I so wish they had had some sort of dance lessons when they were younger as it might have helped them now. Let him try there is tap, ballet and jazz to try so if he wants to let him, at my daughters school of dance they can try for two weeks to see if they like it if not they can try another class for two weeks until they find one they do enjoy its not cheap as they want the fees up front and then there's the cost of shoes and uniforms etc but my daughter loves it. She did ballet when she was little and there were boys in the class, she gave up and so wishes she had continued, she has just started tap and again boys are in her class. If he doesnt enjoy it he wont do it.

[shirlthegirl43]

I did ballet from a very young age and it really does help posture etc.

Aranthos (elder son) was very interested in doing ballet for a few years but sadly we never managed to find the place I was told the classes were. There are better advertised classes locally now but I don't think my now approaching 18 year old would be so keen!

I would say encourage your son but if he decides it is not for him don't push too hard. Ballet makes you strong in a totally different way to bodybuilding. It promotes balance and good posture. I wish there was an adult class here as I would love to go back to dancing to improve my strength and stamina.

[janeyo]

Hi I did ballet and tap when from aged 3 to 9 and it def helpd with posture and suppleness and following instructions and discipline etc. It's a very good thing to do!
I would love it if my sons wanted to do ballet. In my class when I did it it was rather 'boy light' and there was only one. he did get teased a lot at school about it too.

janeyo

[FionaH]

[QUOTE=Two_Sheds;296168]At Lots of little boys enjoy sparkly pink things, high heels etc - until it is conditioned out of them by parents and peers./QUOTE]

My youngest used to love dressing up as a girl! Tws a bit disconcerting at first I admit The neighbours kids and his girl cousins used to love dressing him up and he had a great time. I think he just loved all the attention. This carried on till he was about 8 or 9. Hes nearly 16 now, about 6ft and very "blokey"
But if he hadnt have been? Well hey ho really.
As for others sniggering, stuff em as long as hes healthy and happy. As other have said he will let you know if he wants to quit

[lainey lou]

My daughter has been doing ballet since she was three, she loves it and extreemly graceful. There are some boys in her ballet school but not in her class.

When my little lad was at playschool he always used to dress up in the pretty things, never worried about it although my OH used to get a bit upset.