If you have/had your daughter in dance class

--at what age did you start her? DD is 3 and I am on the fence about signing her up for ballet/tap. She loves music but I am not sure what they do with 3 year olds,, they seem so young. What kinds of things do they teach at that age ?

Re: If you have/had your daughter in dance class

My girls are 2 & 4. My 2 year old is in a class with 2 & 3 year olds. Class is an hour and they keep them busy. There are 11 girls, 1 teacher and 5 assistanants. They do some group activities like sing, freeze dance, stretching and than they dance. They teach them a lot of tap. Ballet is more about slow movements than positions at this time. They are learning their dance recital routine and they all know it. It really surprises me what 2 and 3 years old can learn and than remember but they all have it down. My dd loves it. She is the youngest in her class but she is very mature.

My 4 year old learns dance steps for the entire hour and it's obviously more complicated steps. This is her first year but most girls in her class have been dancing since 2. So she needed to do a lot of catching up in the beginning.

If you have/had your daughter in dance class

My DD is almost 3 and I had signed her up last year for a 2 year old class. (The class started when she was 2 so that was the class she had to go in)There are about 6 kids, the teacher and 2 assistants. They are being taught simple moves. My DD loves going and she asks to go everyday!! The next level is ballet/tap for the 3 year old program that I will sign her up for in September. That age it will be more in depth dancing.

If you have/had your daughter in dance class

My dd is 2 and in a toddler dance class. The class is not teaching specific dance steps or skills, but more teaching them how to listen to directions and how to have fun moving their bodies. They do things like marching with batons, twirling with handkerchiefs, and songs like Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes to get them moving. My daughter loves it and I've noticed how over the few months she been going each week she gets better and better at following the dance teacher's directions.
Every dance school is probably different on what types of classes they offer. The one my dd goes to starts teaching ballet and tap at age 3. If you're unsure if your dd would like it, you could probably ask for a free trial class at a dance school near you to test it out.

If you have/had your daughter in dance class

I started DD at 2, she was too young. We started again at 3 and she loves it.

Re: If you have/had your daughter in dance class

I started dd at 2. Actually a few days before 2. It took her about three classes to get it and begin to love it! It was hard with the two year olds. A lot of them dropped out because they weren't ready. I think 3 is better. Like pp said its about listening and getting them moving. My dd also does stretches.

Re: If you have/had your daughter in dance class

Personally, I felt that 3 was too young for her to get anything out of it so we didn't bother. We signed her up at age 4 for ballet and tap. She liked it but enjoyed it even more the following year at age 5.

Re: If you have/had your daughter in dance class

My daughter started at 3. It was only ballet. They dont start the combo class until 4 where we go. They feel that their too young still. First I did the summer 6 week ballet class to get her used to it. She had fun so we signed her up last fall. By the time the summer came all the girls knew how to get in line and do their recital dance. It was adorable!! Of course not all the girls did every step and some messed up..but it was sooooo cute it didnt matter. They all did great! My daughter wouldnt have done well in tap at the age of 3. Even at almost 5 she has a tough time.

Re: If you have/had your daughter in dance class

I teach dance and mix my 3s and 4s- I don't take 2 year olds. I find that 3 is a good age to start getting them in the routine of a class and following direction. They emulate the 4 year olds and it definitely makes them better behaved, and I believe it helps them dance better too. They can follow the moves, but you can often visibly see the difference between a 3 year old and 4 year old. The 4 year olds, generally, have much more body control. They start to memorize more so then just mimic. I have my preschoolers do a song and dance for recital. Most times my 3 year olds sing on the front line, then they change lines and my 4 year olds dance on the front line. Of course there are exceptions, but that's the general rule.

If you have/had your daughter in dance class

I started my DD last summer and she was almost 3 (turned 3 in Oct) they did some dancing, the tunnel and a lil coloring page at the end- she loved it! She's 3 now and in a class where they do ballet and tap and she really loves it and is learning the names of the dance moves and is learning a routine for a recital in June. She's doing great and she really enjoys going!