Looking for alternatives to the children's dance industrial complex

[sadie17]

@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.

 

[robin459]

@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

 

[marke2]

@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.

 

[strange1]

@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.

 

[godisgood22]

@apor2017 My kids do gymnastics because I’m right there with you on dance. My daughter does box lacrosse in season and my son does soccer, as well.

 

[luketheduke01]

@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

 

[christianloyalty]

@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.

 

[rahmcd]

@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.

 

[javier_is_life]

@apor2017 Look for a more laid-back dance studio. They exist! I went to one and did ballet until college, even though I wasn't interested in competitions or doing it professionally. There are lots of neighborhood dance studios that are going to be pretty chill and not involve the things you're talking about except once a year at recital time, and I don't think once a year at recital time is going to be harmful.

 

[johnbaptist]

@apor2017 Retired ballet dancer here. The Dance Moms environment is found primarily in competition studios, where you'll see a lot of the pageantry and overworking of child performers. Do research into the studios in your area--do they have competition teams, or are they more recreational, or are they more conservatory style ballet studios?

If she is interested in ballet, I'd look for a ballet studio specifically--they tend to be more conservative, and will have recitals for the youngins once or twice a year (as opposed to competitive performances several times per season). Most pre-ballet level classes (think pre-K and kindergarten age) focus on creative movement and introducing discipline--you won't usually see much actual ballet technique introduced until they're around 8 years old or so, depending on the studio.

Have a meeting with the teacher beforehand and explain your daughter's medical condition. Most teachers would be happy to accommodate (and if not, find a different teacher!) and have her take breaks or adjust the exercises if she's feeling overwhelmed.

At the end of the day, it largely depends on the studio and the teachers. Many studios offer scholarships, or at least trial classes. Ballet can be a great outlet for kids, even if they don't stick with it, and it's definitely not all dance moms like you see on TV! I went to both competition studios and conservatory ballet programs and went on to have a professional career, so feel free to DM me with any questions!