Welcome to Ballet! How to help your child settle in: 6-8 years
Term 4 is off to a GREAT start and I've had a wonderful time meeting some new ballerinas friends.
Here are some tips for parents on how you can help your little dancer settle into her new ballet class, age 6-8 years.
* Talk to them about coming to class. Children do better when they know what to expect. Speak to her about what she is going to learn in class, count down the sleeps to her first lesson, show them some pictures from our group, let them know how much fun they are going to have!
* Get a special dancing outfit for her that is just for dancing. This helps build the excitement and helps her to feel like a real ballerina. At this age, children can be very self-conscious of being different from their peers and they want to 'fit in'. You don't need to spend much money- have a look at our FAQ page on places to find dance outfits.
* Be on time, or better yet come 5 minutes early, to the first class. This gives them time to warm up to the room in a quiet, calm way before the rest of the children arrive. It can be very unsettling to rush into the room late when everyone else has already started.
* Encourage them to use their manners. We are polite in friendly in ballet class. When the teacher comes to welcome her, encourage your child to say hello, tell her their name, and say how old they are. Make sure that she says "Thank you" and "Goodbye" before she leaves class too!
* Bring a water bottle to class, and have afternoon tea before you come in. Our Senior and Advanced classes are great exercise and use up lots of energy. Your child will get fatigued if she is hungry or thirsty, and it won't be as much fun.
* Let your child know where you will be. Whether you are staying to watch in class, or are popping away for a bit, your child will feel better if she knows where you are.
* If you are staying to watch, please be courteous. Speak quietly so that our girls can hear what the teacher is saying, and enjoy the beautiful dancing!
* Communicate with the teacher. Please let us know anything you'd like to share about your child. How does she get on at school? Is she confident in a group? Does she need time to warm up? Does she have any special needs or learning difficulties you'd like us to know about?
* Friendships! Ballet is even more fun when you have a friend to share it with. A lot of our dancers make strong friendships and have favourite friends they want to be paired with. Most of the time I encourage this, and other times they will be encouraged to pair up with other children. This helps build their confidence in class as well as positive relationships.
* Encourage leadership skills. Get your 'Big Ballerina' to teach her skills to her younger siblings- it's a great way to build her confidence, self-esteem, and leadership skills.
* Help them practice at home. Find some of the same songs we use in class, encourage your dancer to show you her moves and see if she remembers the proper French terms.
* Keep it body positive! Children at this age (girls in particular) are saturated with all sorts of messages about their bodies and most images you see of ballerinas are of underweight, waif- like figures. This is NOT the message we want to give out in Amelia's Ballerinas. We teach our dancers to love their amazing bodies, no matter what shape or size, and we learn about taking care of them. Speak to me immediately if you hear any negative body-focused comments or behaviours in your child.
* Praise her leaps in confidence. At this age, we are encouraging our dancers to stretch their limits and grow their confidence. Being the leader, standing up in class to demonstrate a move, even solos in the recital dances are all exciting parts of learning in this age group. Some children relish there parts and would happily be the star of the show for the entire lesson! Other children find it more scary, so make sure you praise your child for giving it a go.
This age group is so wonderful to teach as we really see the passion and dedication come out in our dancers. I hope this has helped you with some tips on how you can help your child in the first weeks of her lessons, as well as what you can do at home. Please get in touch if you have any questions you have.
I look forward to seeing you soon!
