OT: DD3 Starts Dance Next Week! Karate too.....

[SharpMomOfTwo]

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Anyone else start their child in dance this early, and what were your experiences?​

DD will be going once a week for an hour - half will be balet, half tap. Its the summer class, so its only like 8 weeks or so, so if she doesn't like it, or if shes not ready, not to much lost.
DH also has a friend that owns a dojo (sp?), so shes going to take karate when the dance is over - anyone have any experience with a 3 yo in karate?

TIA!
Sarah

 

[1hero2princesses]

My daughter actually started dance at a little over 2. She does 45 minutes of ballet (mostly fun dancing with a little ballet thrown in) and 15 minutes of tap. She loves it. She just turned 3. I was talked into the company show by the other moms (it is this weekend) and I am regretting it. Even though she loves this class I think the show may be too much for her. I am afraid she may not even go out on stage or she will cry through it. I hope she surprises me and loves it. She also has taken gymnastics since 2. She asks all the time when her classes are. My 4 year old son does this too (he does gymnastics, soccer - not dance). I didn't grow up doing much but they just seem to love it. The classes are so fun for them. I think a lot may depend on each childs personality and the class but it can be really fun for the very young.

 

[holly7347]

My oldest started dance lessons around 4. It was at the YMCA and actually called a creative movement class but in the description it said for future ballerinas. At first she did not want to take the class but I told her she had to try it two times and if she still didn't like it I wouldn't make her go back. She instantly loved it and we have signed her up for every session since. I am thinking of enrolling her at a regular dance studio next fall. I just didn't want to spend the money on clothes, costumes, and classes until I was sure she would enjoy it.

I took Karate as a kid and would love to get my girls involved in it when they are a bit older. With my oldest it is all aout keeping her active. She would sit on the couch all day watching TV if I let her. So by enrolling her in dance and swimming I am getting her involved in some form of exercise since she isn't showing any interest in playing sports.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

DD started ballet and tap at 2. She LOVES it. She does the same thing 1/2 hour of each. I think the summer program is a good idea. Hers runs Sept-May and by the end of the year she does get a bit antsy that every Sat she has to get up early to go

 

[SharpMomOfTwo]

I just called the dance studio, and they have informed me that there are only something like 4 kids in the class (which I think is ok) and that they are NOT doing the tap. I think she would have enjoyed that, so I'm kinda bummed, but I guess its ok. I just can't wait for it to start, but I'm upset that DH wont be able to take her at all since it starts at 4.30 and he doesn't get home till 6 usually. Oh well, at least he will be able to see her in her cute little outfit when he gets home!!!

 

[mlraabe]

DD started dance class the month she turned three. We just finished our 7th spring recital and our 3rd competition year. She has loved it from the first day. Most of the time - I love it too!

 

[ptcruisermom]

DD 13 started when she was 3 and loved it. it was a 45 minute combination class of ballet and tap. ballet is the basis of all dance. She just finished her 11th year of dance and 7th year of comp. Summer dance intensive starts tomorrow night for an hour, mostly ballet and lyrical, comp teams are chosen from this class. Summer class will run for 8 weeks, she has had two weeks off, then will have a month off before regular classes begin. She takes tap, jazz, ballet, clogging and a barre technique class which all comp dancers must take. She spends about 4 hours a week at the studio. We have in the past taken hip hop and modern. The dance really helped her when it came to junior high cheerleading try outs, all the girls that had been involved in dance made it where some of the others did not. This will be her second year as a cheerleader for her school. It has helped with her confidence and the ability to be able to get up in front of people whether it is for dance, cheer or just giving a speech in school. Yes it can get expensive, but our studio owner trys to keep things reasonable, and also realizes that the kids need to be invovled in other things at school. Some studios are very strict about dance being the only thing. So as long as my daughter enjoys it and thinks it is fun ( it is alot of work the older you get) she will keep on dancing. And to be quit honest, our studio holds it's own very well at comps against some of the other studios that practice many hours more than we do, and who use the same dance over and over. All our choreography is done by the owner, and is our songs and dances are very age appropriate. Some of the things you see at the comps would shock one very much, I know it did me and I am by no way a prude. JMHO

 

[LIBLULA]

My DD8 started dance when she was 3. For the first year she would complain on the way to class, but once she got into the room she was fine. I'm glad we stuck with it, now she loves it. This was her first year doing competition. Between competition and classes--she will have 7 dances next year!!!

 

[mom2my2gr8kids]

My dd starting dancing at 2 1/2 and my ds at almost 3. They both have loved it from day 1!! My dd will be 9 soon and my ds will be 6 soon. They both also figure skate (ds started with hockey skates and was mad when he found out he wouldn't be able to jump LOL). My dd has just been asked to join the synchro team, so between dance and skating we will be BUSY!!!

I am sure your dd will LOVE it, my niece turned 3 in March and has been dancing since Sept. She did her first recital in May and just LOVED it, cried when she had to go home LMAO

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

My DD started dancing 1 month shy of her 2nd birthday. Last Tuesday she was in her 3rd dance recital and she's 4 years old.

She started with a mommy and me, then progressed to a pre-school class which is an hour combination class of tap, ballet and gymnastics. She's done pretty well and could already do a cartwheel.

In September, she'll be in with a group of 5-8 year olds. She wants to soley do gymnastics, plus she is going to do a duet with her 17 yo cousin, who's been dancing since she was 2.

My DD loves to dance. Some take to it some don't. Good luck!

 

[lpandorf]

My daughter took dance starting when she was barely 3. At first she did not like it. The first couple weeks she just stood there and cried for part of the class. I was going to take her out of the class, figured she was just not ready for it. But her teacher said to leave her in another few weeks, she thought she was coming around. So I listened to the teacher and she was right. In a few weeks DD stopped crying and loved to go. Loved the recital. She did dancing until this year when she joined a competition cheer team and we told her somthing had to go as she also plays soccer and is in Girl Scouts and we also have a DS4 who started soccer and this was all just too much running for our family. She decided to do the cheer and soccer this year.

 

[carj]

My daughter was very excited to take dance classes, actually she was the one who decided that she wanted to do it. I took her for a trial class and she went and enjoyed it somewhat. When it was over I asked her if she wanted to come back next week. She looked at me with a completely serious frown and said "I already know how to dance". She didn't really want to attend the class, she just wanted the nifty shoes and outfits! I took dance from the time I was 5 until about 14 and my thought was if she doesn't care at 3, then neither do I, at some point she may change her mind. We have enough going on as it is.

I think that a short term commitment is good. At 3 years old, I think that you want it to be a fun activity and if it is not fun then I would drop it. If she loves it, then you can continue! I hope yours loves it!

 

[eeyoremum]

My DS started the day he turned 3. He trained until he was 7 when we moved away from were we trained. We just started again about 3 weeks ago . During his 4 years of training he became a green belt which is half way to black. It took us 2 years to find a new Dojo that would let us keep our belt level and that I liked since I train too.

Depending on the Dojo karate can be really tough for the parent. Alot of discipline (push ups, yelling, ect.) Some are tougher than others. The Dojo we left was very tough. The kids were good because the punishments were stiff. Some are more less stricked. I personally did not mind the way it was run. I was paying big bucks per month and did not want the class started and stopped for one or two kids that didn't listen. Usually the parents that could not deal with the discipline code pulled their kids out after about a month.

Personally I think karate is the best thing anyone could do for their kids. I love the discipline and the practical application. DS was bullied in school for 3 years by the same kid. Finally when it became very apparent the school would do nothing we told him in front of the principle "you know how to defend yourself....do it" . Let's just say the kid will not be bugging my son EVER again.

I would encourage you or your DH to join with your DD. Some Dojos allow you to train with your kids. Some don't, one of the reasons it took 2 years to find a new one. I don't always train with my son. I am almost a black belt so I do train with other adults. I can practice kata with him though. It is the best thing I have ever done for myself. It is a good work out and fun too.

 

[Tammysue5]

DD6 started dance when she was 2 and LOVES it! She just performed in her 4th recital... She goes from Sept to May. One poster wrote about worrying if the little ones will do ok for the recital.... All the moms in the classes tend to worry about this... including me. They ALL did wonderful.. It is amazing how they come through and do great. I look at it like who cares if they mess up... or are not the best.. if they smile and have fun... it is hard to NOT be cute when you are that age.

Some of the fondest memories are of the 'mistakes' the girls made during the recitals. DD9 was in a recital 2 yrs ago and help her "Gone Fishing" sign backwards.. of course the camera was right on her in the video they sold so it wasn't like anyone would have missed it. We still laugh about it... she will often use this as a joke,, by saying "well, I could hold my sign backwards." Kids will either enjoy the class or not... let them decide. I have found that dance has allowed both of my DDs to grow socially and have many friends in dance class... and it has made them very outgoing. DD6 was just asked to perform in an upcoming event... I was going to decline until she spoke up and said Yes,,, she wanted to do it. She will be doing a ballet in front of a huge crowd all by herself and she is ok with that!

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

I don't have any experience with little ones in karate, but my little girl is in dance (my sister is the teacher) and she loves it. There was one little girl in her class who was almost 3 and at the recital she didn't dance at all! She just stood onstage witht he HUGEST smile anyone had ever seen. She was just so darn cute! At that age, just going on stage is a big deal and a good experience for them!

 

[Traveliz]

My daughter started when she was 2 and a half with tap and acrobats and continued through the years at the same studio working there in high school and her first two years of college. This was the first year she wasn't a part of the recital (she was doing the Disney College Program). She is back home this summer and taking the adult tap with me -- she said the only thing she missed during her year in FL was taking dance. She is going back next year and she is looking for an adult class to take.

That said I have also seen kids who just never enjoyed it - or didn't like it at 3 and 4 but tried at the beginning of every year and ended up in grade school loving it.

Liz

 

[sk!mom]

My DD12 started dance at 3. She loved it then and her love continues to grow. She started with once a week for several years. It was a combo class.

At 7, she wanted to try Classical ballet and she was off. She now dances 3 days a week for 2 hours each time and takes pilates to build her core strength. She started pointe work last February. The day she got her pointe shoes. She joyfully proclaimed, "I've worked my whole life for this."

DD continued with tap and jazz classes until this past year and then gradually cut them out due to the time required for ballet and ballet is her great love. She played several sports over the years and tried gymnastics but only dance has held her interest. For her dance and theater are her loves now and take up much of her free time.

Have fun with it.

 

[WDWorBUST]

I was terrified that DD (4) would have major stage fright. The child would not show us anything she was learning at all. So recital time comes around and she is a HAM - absolutely loved being on stage. When I asked her if she wanted to keep taking dance - her answer was "I just want to do recitals". So don't worry about the recital. Dance has been a new experience for me since I never took it - the biggest surprise for me (although it makes perfect sense) is that practice is closed. Parents can either leave or wait in the waiting room. Our studio had one open practice in the fall for parents to watch and one in the spring. I was absolutely amazed at how far the kids had come from February to May when it was recital time. That worked out well for me because my mom could take her to class every week and I just went to work late the two open practices.

 

[james'mommy]

My DS5 started Taekwondo when he was 3. Don't expect too much from a 3 year old. The main thing they will try to teach is disipline and control. It will seem like they are going over the same skills each week for years but it's just to drill the basics into them. It took DS 2 years to earn his yellow belt but now he is on target to be for a high green belt by the end of summer. My best advice is to just stick with it.

 

[AKBAFB]

Both my girls started tap and ballet at 2 and love it! It's been really rewarding to see them learn the physical movements, the musical/rythym/timing skills that go along with dance, as well as how to behave in the class setting. The littlest ones always get a lot of applause at recital, even if they just stand there, because they are so darn cute!