Dance Moms?

[binny]

Any dance moms here?

Kaylee is starting Ballet/Tap in a couple of weeks She is SO excited!!


Any tips for a new dance mom?

 

[Nancy]

DON'T LET HER!!!! No...I'm just kidding.

My girls were involved in dance for many years and it was some of the most fun they have had. If she really loves it be prepared to be shelling out some money...dance is expensive. But if she doesn't like it, don't force her to stay in class. I've seen it happen and the kids are just miserable but the Mom makes them stay. It really makes it hard on the entire class, if the little one won't dance that makes it hard to teach the rest of the class.

This will be my first year in 12 years that we will have no danceing to go to...they have all decided to move on to other things. The studio was a big part of our lives for so long it will be very strange without it.

 

[Auggietina]

I agree - make sure it is fun for her. We are on our 5th year of dancing and my daughter loves it, but some of the girls do look like they don't enjoy being there.

So I hope Kaylee has fun! Tap is so fun to watch. Gabrielle is always tapping around the house. She moves on to jazz this year. So no ballet. We'll see which one she likes better.

 

[Debs5angels]

I guess I can call myself a veteran dance mom. I have 5 daughters ages 16, 14, 11, 6, 6 . They all take dance, matter of fact the oldest 3 take 2 dance classes each. We have been doing dance since my oldest was 4 years old. Like everyone said make sure she has fun doing it. There is nothing worse then dragging your daughter kicking and screaming to do something she hates. If you have any questions feel free to ask me. I hope she has fun!!!

 

[Luckymommyx2]

My daughter just started her third year of ballet. She loves it--love isn't even a strong enough word for it!! I'm a little nervous because she's trying out for her first part in a professional ballet company next month!!

I think positive reinforcement and encouragement, no matter how good a child is can make a world of difference. Our studio is very good at treating everyone the same and not making it into very competitive, although they do travel to ballet competitions.

Good luck....most importantly, it should be fun for the kids!!!

 

[Robmom]

My DD 11 has been going for 3 years now. The last 2 have been in Company. The big thing is money. Everything costs a lot. Especially those costumes! But I find a way because she loves dancing and I love watching her and her classmates!

 

[Michelemouse]

This will be DD12's 7th year of dancing. She started with one class per week and now she's up to eight! She's part of the studio's competition team and takes Jazz, Tap, HipHop, Ballet, Lyrical, Acro and conditioning classes. So, yes, I guess you could call me a dance mom.

You know, I never even wanted her to take dance lessons. I always thought she should do something more athletic (I was *always* the last one picked for teams!). One week of summer Dance Camp and she was hooked. She just *is* a dancer. And I now realize exactly how athletic dancing is. DD is in such good shape and it's all because of the conditioning she has received in her dance classes.

Good luck to Kaylee (and all of the other DISkid dancers!) this year.

 

[jennyanydots]

my girls take dance, they started when they were in preschool.

the "problem" with dance -- if you like it and you're good at it, you won't want to take just one class -- you'll want a tap class, a jazz class, maybe ballet or lyrical -- so you wind up taking several hours of dance a week.

not a real problem, but at recital time I wind up paying for A LOT of costumes.

 

[Dcat2u]

I too am one of those dance moms, this is Alexandria's 8th year of dancing, 7yrs of competing. She really enjoys it and this year she started on the acro/dance team also (more $$$). This will also be her 3rd year student teaching 3&4 year olds and she loves it, but it makes me feel so darn old when they call her Miss Alex. Her favorite is clogging (funky style, not mountain), and as of last year I too have started taking clog classes and even went to competition with the adults (we won gold-woohoo). It's a tiring week of running back and forth to the studio but atleast I know where she is everynight and afternoon after school!

Good Luck to all the Dis dancing children this year!

Darlene
Proud Wife of a 4ID Soldier!
WE GOT HIM!!!

 

[slo]

My 6yr old DD is starting her 3rd year of dance. As with any activity you need to be really supportive of your DD because at first they will not be able to do everything as well as others. My DD would get very frustrated at times and I would have to convince her that she is as good as the other girls and with time she will achieve her goals.

The class she takes is a half hour of gymnastics and half hour of ballet and personally, I wish she would just take gymnastics. But, I keep telling myself that this is not about me, and if she wants to do the gymnastics/ballet combo class than that is what she will do.

Have fun being a dance mom - you will have many unforgettable memories!!!

 

[sk!mom]

My DD loves dance. She started at 3 and now 5 years later she will be taking 3 classes per week. Ballet, tap, and jazz. She has, also,played sports and still enjoys basketball every winter and attended b-ball camp this summer but dance is what she loves.

Last Christmas was her first year to audition and win a part in The Nutcracker which was a big thrill for her. She had loved watching it for so long.

It does get quite costly but is worth it if she loves it. I. also, agree that if they love it one class is never enough.

 

[LisaTx]

Chelsea has danced for 10 years and competed for 8. She'll be taking 11 classes a week this year and be a student assistant for several more. I have to drag her home from the studio. Like Darlene said, at least I know where she is and what she's doing. She's in great shape physically and has made some of the best friends at dance.

If your dd likes dance you might as well just set up your paychecks to be direct deposited to the studio.

 

[luvflorida]

My daughter, 13, has taken dance classes off and on, but last year she really got into it. She took a weekly hip hop class and loved it. The instructor urged her to audition for the hip hop competition team this past spring.

Well, she auditioned and is now a member of the hip hop dance competition team. She takes four classes a week, (hip hop, ballet, strengthening/conditioning, and stretch, leap, and turn), in addition to three hour Saturday practices six weeks before every competition.

I was a little leary about her being on the team because it is a huge commitment, and she doesn't have a good track record as far as sticking to one activity for very long. However, she is doing great and absolutely loves dance. She gets a little discouraged at the ballet classes, (the studio requires all comp team members to take ballet), because she has never had any ballet training and she is afraid that she's not as good as others in the class. Hip hop is where her heart is!

I'm glad that she has found an activity that she enjoys so much. She has never liked sports, but she gets a real workout at dance!

My only advice would be to make sure the dance school your daughter goes to is very accepting and supportive of EVERYONE and that the atmosphere is one where your daughter feels comfortable and is never humiliated or embarrassed. A little praise goes a long way.

And like other people have mentioned, it is not cheap! We are paying $150.00 a month, and that DOES NOT include dance clothes, shoes, costumes, make-up, and if your child is on a comp team there are jackets, t-shirts, competition fees, workshop fees, hotel stays, and I'm probably forgetting some of the expenses!

If your child enjoys it, though, it is worth the expense.