EW...question

[DammitJanet]

Didnt your dtr start dance really young?

How old was she and what did she start first? Was it real expensive when she was little?

 

[everywoman]

Janet, she started at 2. She was ready though. It was not expensive at first, just monthly fees, shoes, tights, and leotards, and recital costumes in the spring. When she turned 6 and started competing, then it got expensive, but she offset the cost from ages 11-16 by assisting in classes. She started with just tap, ballet, and gymnastics. She later moved on to other types of dance.

However, despite the cost, it gave her much more than we spent. She has been able to travel, she is not afraid of getting in front of hundreds of people, she learned self-discipline, and it kept her out of a lot of trouble during her early teens.

 

[DammitJanet]

I think Keyana is ready to start dance. Probably gymnastics too. I dont know if I can afford both though and she has her pageants with her mom. I have been given the go ahead by her mom to enter her in dance classes if I want to do it. I think they have tap, ballet and jazz. Keyana saw the girls doing tap in the Christmas parade and was quite taken by them...lol. She also did a dance number in one of her pageants and was really good for the youngest member there.

Do you think I should put her in ballet first or tap first?

 

[SRL]

Janet, try the Y or parks and recs department. They often have good classes for those first few years and they're a lot cheaper than a regular dance studio. The prices in small town studios are also often cheaper than in cities or larger towns. The advantage to going this route is you don't feel like you have so much invested so if it's not her thing you can move on to gymnastics or whatever and it's no big loss.

Oftentimes classes for the little ones are combo classes so the girls get to try out some different dance types or are just a broad "creative" class for little ones.

You can also keep costs down for the younger girls by buying their dancewear at Walmart or Target. Loads cheaper than the $46 I just spent on a leotard because it was the only one I could find that fit my daughter.

My daughter started ballet at 4 and is in her 8th year. It was pretty reasonable the first few years ($8-10) per lesson but the ballet girls are expected to add a second performance class each week. She dances year around (primarily ballet, some jazz, non-competitive) and it runs about $1700 per year.

I'd let her choose which class to take. My daughter wanted ballet REALLY badly when she started but at the time they only offered it for girls two years her senior and up. They made an exception and let her dance with the older girls because the desire was so strong, and she wound up being one of the only girls to stick it out from that group.

 

[DammitJanet]

Im in a small town so I hope I can do something. This kid lives to dance! You cant keep her still when music is on or a band is playing. When we go to concerts with her she is down in the front dancing her little butt off lipsyincing the words to the music...lol. I swear she will be on Idol someday! We are so small town that the bands that come to the county fairs fawn all over her. She gets out there and shakes that bootie...lol. After being in the pageants, she isnt afraid of being on stage either.

She would really love it I think. Im gonna give it a shot. I also want to do sports if she wants to do it. I dont mind being an "on the go" grandma...lol.

 

[everywoman]

SRL is correct, most dance studios combine tap and ballet for the first couple of years. In my small town we didn't have access to any lessons through parks and rec. Of course, that's because our park and rec department doesn't do much at all. Keyana is still a bit too young for real jazz---but she might like a theater type jazz class if it's available. Jana ended up specializing in modern---she is short and that best fit her body type---she would never have been able to do company ballet because of her height.

 

[DammitJanet]

I dont know if our parks and rec does dance. I know they do sports...lol. I never heard of dance when the boys where in it. I knew they did cheer. I know of one dance studio.