I guess I'm...a dance mom now?
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I post a picture and just a few words.
Zoe has been quite into dancing (on her own) since she was a toddler, and since her love hasn't seemed to fade over time, we finally decided to get her into a beginning ballet class.
Sonia decided she'd like to give it a shot too.
We signed them up for what will hopefully be a fun, relaxed ballet class and we'll just see how it goes. I don't expect either of them to become world-class ballerinas, but I think they'll have a good time trying something new.
The shoes are so cute.
You sound a little apologetic--or reluctant. Relax and enjoy it. It's exercise, coordination, and fun. It's not modeling or pageantry! My kids tried all kinds of activities, and most were dropped. But they got something out of each one. I remember feeling odd endorsing and signing my son up for karate, as I am rather pacific by nature, but he gained so much confidence ( and never started a fight). My daughter took dance for a time and is not prissy or self-absorbed. t was their idea, not yours, anyway, which I think is key.
I think I'm just surprised! My family never did dance, so this is a completely new world for me. 🙂
In that case it is very special. Kudos to you for honoring their individuality. (Do you know that I feel like I know you better than some people I actually SEE?)
Amen.
If they're interested, it seems like at least a good stretching/exercise class! They'll definitely be ahead of me if they can accomplish the splits at least once in their life. 🙂
I think all kids should be involved in a sport/extracurricular activity, so the dance class is definitely a good thing!
I think it is especially important for kids who are homeschooled because they don't get the everyday socialization that kids who go to school get. It's very important to learn to socialize, work and play with people who you do not live with and see on a daily basis.
Just to dispel a stereotype: I think what you're saying would be true if homeschoolers didn't ever leave their houses or didn't have neighbors or friends. But even without extra-curricular activities, my kids still do spend plenty of time playing with friends and neighbors, and we're also quite involved with our church (we're there at least twice a week).
I'm obviously not against extra curricular activities (my kids have all been in a martial arts class for a number of years), but I don't think that they're a do or die kind of thing either. 🙂
Of course, you are always right.........
Just for the record, although I'm sure you have a different opinion, being part of a class/team is a little different than playing outside in the yard with neighbors.
Heather, it's a common stereotype that homeschool children are lacking in socialization skills. And you've perpetuated that stereotype by adding "Of course, you're always right."
As Kristen has shown through her blog, her kids are happy, active, friendly and seem to prove that the stereotypical view is not necessarily correct. Every child is different, and every homeschool situation is different.
Lighten up. It's only Tuesday 🙂
How nice for the FG & her family, then, that her children do both sorts of things.
Do you actually *know* a homeschool family or two? You've definitely got a stereotype going on there. My kids take classes at a home school co-op, play on a basketball team, have done scouts, and have tried lots of things over the years. My oldest attends a large university, received several leadership and academic scholarships, and is doing great. Younger brother is a different kid but we expect him to get academic scholarships and do fine as well. He is dual enrolled at the local jr college so he'll have a few credits under his belt by the time he graduates from high school.
I was very prejudiced against home schooling before I started. I even talked a friend out of home schooling--told her it would make her kids weird. I started home schooling the next year as the only way out of a bad situation we were facing. I was so impressed with the wonderful families that we met that I never looked back.
Yay! I'm so excited for them! I started ballet when I was 11 and continued until I was 19. I finally quit because dance classes 6 days a week resulted in achilles tendonitis that physical therapy couldn't help, and at 6 feet tall, I was too tall for all the professional ballet companies. I'm 30 now and still don't regret all those years of classes!
I took "relaxed" ballet lessons for years and it was so much fun. I was frankly awful, but I still got a lot out of it. I hope this place has low-key costumes!
I hope so! I hear that recital costumes can be crazy expensive, and hopefully this place is on the less expensive side...
I don't know up from down with prices of costumes, but I did notice that a lot of the dance flats on Amazon were cheaper than everyday kids' shoes, when last I shopped for those (a week ago).
Ooh, thanks for the tip! I'll keep that in mind, especially once I have a better idea of how dance shoe sizes run.
A tip from a former dance girl - those shoes are easier to lose than you may think! Make sure to write their names either on the sole or the inside of the shoes. I hope your daughters enjoy the class!
(p.s. not saying that your girls are irresponsible!! just speaking from experience. dance shoes also tend to get "borrowed" if you know what I mean...)
Recital costumes are very pricey; ask about the cost now rather than later so you can budget accordingly. But, preparing for the recital - dress rehearsal, etc. - is a lot of fun , and if the whole family attends as an activity, you've stretched the value of the experience.
I so wanted to take ballet as a child. I had a pink tutu that I'd dance around in whenever I could. I don't have the body of a ballet dancer. I'm built more like a Tonya Harding than a Nancy Kerrigan, but I sure did enjoy it. You're giving your children a wonderful gift!
My first thought when I saw your post was, "Dance isn't exactly a frugal activity!" But then I remembered what you say about making priorities and saving in some areas so you can spend in others. And there are a lot of "intangible" benefits to dance..the physical aspects, of course, but also the confidence that comes from standing up tall and carrying oneself gracefully. And learning to perform in front of an audience. And all those "socialization" things. 🙂
To keep costs lower, I'd recommend checking Target for leotards and shoes (at least while they're in the beginning stages; eventually they'll want/need the better quality and fit that they'll only get at a dance store). Also, community center classes are generally less costly (note that I didn't say "cheaper", because they aren't "cheap"!) than private studios.
Usually there will be "performance costs," which means that if your girl are in a performance, there will be an extra fee to help cover the cost of costumes, etc. There may also be required volunteer hours during a performance. And performance rehearsals--yikes! I calculated once that my daughter spent an hour of rehearsal for every minute she was on stage.
My daughter started in 1st grade at a community center, then moved up to a great studio that didn't go to competitions but had 2-3 shows/year. They loved and welcomed everybody regardless of talent, and it was a wonderful experience. She danced up until she went to college. It was costly and time-consuming, but I would do it all over again in a minute.
Yes! A friend of mine suggested Target, so that's where I got a leotard and tights. And other friends also said Payless and consignment stores are good for shoes.
All our ballet schools did shoe swaps when I was little - or you can hang out during a class and chat to some parents in the next year up...kids ballet shoes often wear very little before they outgrow them so they're a good hand-me-down choice. In terms of year end costumes, all the schools I studied at asked parents to club together and make costumes (and sets and props) rather than buying them - depending on the school you may be able to suggest it.
In addition to being good exercise and creative, ballet is very good for posture (people always think I'm significantly taller than I really am). Just remember that if Zoe doesn't end up liking ballet, it doesn't mean she has to stop dancing - look out for modern or contemporary classes (bonus- no shoes!), or jazz, folk (African, Ukrainian, Irish...) or even rhythmic gymnastics.
Let's hope they don't, it's a grueling and very restrictive life! But awesome exercise!!
And me with my two boys... and the older one just wants to play soccer. The little one is too young to know, yet, but maybe?
I remember taking dance at around 4. The actual class bored me to tears, but I LOVED my ballet slippers and leotard. I remember feeling so beautiful in them! Good luck to the girls - I hope they love it!
Dance classes are so good for kids even with no professional ambitions! I studied balled for 15 years seriously, and even now as an adult and mom I love to take ballet classes just for fun and exercise. Ballet can help with math skills, poise, posture, concentration, confidence, it can help if they play musical instruments. It's not a "cheap" activity but the benefits long term can be so great! Even though I never went professional, I have no regrets from taking ballet for so long.
My daughter has taken dance since she was 4 years old. She was a very shy child and it did wonders for her. She made great friends and learned a lot about herself. She is 18 now and in a college dance group at her University. I have been following your blog for a long time now and I can tell your kids have thoughtful, intentional parents that love them.
I am excited for your daughter and your adventure. Ignore the negative comments about homeschooling-- if anyone has even followed your blog for a week they would see how well balanced and socialized your kids are! Enjoy. Look forward to update. Watching her watching a video of ballerinas I have a feeling in May be in her heart and you may be in for the long haul. Lol! Enjoy!
Thank you for your encouraging words!
Both my Kids dance (Daughter and Son). Not ballet though. They absolutely love it and what they have learnt, and can do, has exceeded my expectations beyond anything I could have imagined. But what I didn't foresee was the priceless enjoyment I too would get from it. Not just me but my extended family. Dance as an activity can be expensive but for me it's about spending mindfully. I'd rather forgo spending on something else to support them in this.
I'm really looking forward to following Zoe's journey. It sounds to me like she has a passion for it.