Dance / movement classes for 5 year old?

[binny]

What should I be looking for in a class siutation for Kaylee? She wants to start dance this year. I think she would enjoy it.
I know at this point its just the basics and following directions and such but I want to look into it.

What do I need to know before I do this?

 

[jlaspoq]

Find a teacher who's great with little ones - ours was fabulous with them. They should be doing creative movement, having fun, and learning some very basics of ballet, like arm movements and a couple of steps. Ours also emphasized respect. Both of my girls started at age 4 with her and loved her.

 

[MerryPoppins]

Look at the cost of the classes and when the classes are held. Also the location of the studio. What type of dance do they offer? Some offer only ballet. Others offer jazz, tap, modern, etc. It won't matter now, but in a few years she may be interested in other areas of dance. All of that is basic stuff you've already thought of, I bet.

Of the studios you are still interested in, I'd go visit. See if the teachers are good with the kids. Some are sort of high-strung and unbending. Ask how many recitals they have each year and how many dances the kids will each be in. You usually have to buy the costumes, so it can be really expensive. And how many rehearsals do they have before the recital? Some have several and others only have one dress rehearsal.

You might want to talk to some other parents. What studio do they use? Do their daughters like it? Things like that can be really helpful.

Good luck making a choice. My daughter has been dancing for 10 years and she loves it.

 

[Jenn]

Our daughter just finished her 1st year of dance. She was 5 when she started. A local studio came highly recommended - every neighbor's daughter seems to go there.

For kids just starting out, they offered a combo ballet, tap and tumbling class which was great. Enough to get her feet wet in each and decide which one she likes best.

This year she wants to try hip-hop, which is basically more modern style dancing to cooler music, like the Lizzie Maguire music you hear on the Disney Channel.

The recital stuff can get a bit out of hand, so ask around before you commit to a studio.

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

All the other advice you have gotten is great, but I am going to add one thing. Here in the south, a lot of the studios start training for competition at a very young age. I specifically didn't want that for my DD (she started at 3.5 at her request), and I was able to find one that was not a competitive studio. The studio I found also doesn't care about body type; the teachers just want the students to love dancing regardless of size or shape. Our studio is just like the one jlaspoq found for her girls teaching the same things.