@apor2017 I took a combined tap and jazz class as a kid... you might not learn to pirouette or pointe but you can honestly still wear a pink leotard and tutu which is the main thing I cared about at that age. Anyways I think I did it for two years?
Main thing is my mom always checked in and asked if I still wanted to do an activity. My teenager self was mad I quit so many things when I could have been a prodigy but now my adult self is proud I tried different experiences and learned not to take on too many things.
@apor2017 Let her explore these things without any pressure and see where it leads. It may become a great passion or it may become nothing but don't deprive her just because of your own worries. She may end up resenting that
@apor2017 My 10-year-old just started ballet last year. She goes to a girls-only studio that is pretty chill. It's not a competitive program, no one (even high school girls in pointe classes) wears makeup except stage makeup by the recital, and I haven't found them to be pushy about taking more classes. We are doing ballet because she refuses to do core PT, so maybe that's why they haven't been pushing us to sign her up more, or maybe I've found a unicorn studio.
There's also Sunday Funday classes in our area - which are basically run by students of above studio who are looking to earn a little on off days. They'll sign up a bunch of kindergarten students for $10-15/lesson and do ballet for an hour and then crafts for another hour in someone's basement on Sunday. My five-year-old went last year and really enjoyed it. She learned the basics (positions and balancing, mostly) and it was very low-pressure. We might send her to the same studio my 10-year-old goes to when she's in first grade.
@apor2017 We went with vanilla gymnastics for this reason, and we'll do a year of that before choosing something else. We're also thinking of martial arts. it doesn't need to be ballet specifically, she can wear a tutu to gymnastics for instance.
@apor2017 My 5 year old does aerials at our local studio because her cousins do gymnastics, and I have similar concerns including body image issues. Aerials/circus arts is great because it's really body accepting, fun, playful, and learning cool skills and strengths for your body in a positive environment
@apor2017 Look for a virtual “class” for kids dance on YouTube or elsewhere online. Then give her a tutu or dance outfit and let her try that and see if she likes it.
@apor2017 There’s a place local to me that’s recreation-only gymnastics and dance. They specifically advertise that it’s not a competitive gym. I’ve taken my toddler there for open play times and can see it being a fun place for future classes.
