Anyone put your 2-3yo in a dance class?

mavs_girl07 · June 2011

DD has a best friend who is 3yo and her mom called me last week to tell me she was going to put Olivia in an intro to ballet class at a local dance studio. It's once a week for 30mins, and only runs for 5wks. She wanted me to put Riley in the same class so they could do it together. Riley LOVES to dance and I thought it was a great idea. We took them both last night and got them registered, and now I'm nervous! The class is only for 2-3 year olds, so I'm assuming the teacher will know how to deal with them and won't expect a whole lot? Hopefully? lol. I can just imagine Riley being moody or not wanting to follow directions or do things the right way. If you've done this with your LO, how did it go?

jenn_darrin1515 · June 2011

I didn't...but I plan to when the girls are closer to 3....back in the day I took dance classes and helped with a tot class at the studio...it was mostly jumping and spinning and very, very laid back with limited instruction - the kids always seemed to love it...I am sure your dd will have a blast!

KathrynMD · June 2011

my friend signed up for a Mommy & Me dance class for her DD who's the same age as my DD. I was planning on doing it too, but we'll miss 2 weeks b/c of our vacation - so I'm going to do it later this summer.

I would assume any class that is geared to toddlers/preschoolers will be appropriately staffed and that its more for exposure and fun than anything else.

leslie13510 · June 2011

Yep, I signed them both up at first, but DS wasn't having it because parents aren't allowed in the room at this particular place, and he's a clingly little monster right now. DD though? LOVES it. It's practically all she talks about. She always asks when she gets to go to dance class again, she lines up her baby dolls and makes them dance one at a time and pretends she's the teacher, she dances "just like at dance class Mama!" anytime she hears music.

Her class is really laid back. They walk on their tippy toes with their arms in the air, they wear tutus and wave streamer wands to the music, they "dance" (aka run LOL) in circles, they sing to the music, sometimes they play with a parachute or ball. I was worried about one teacher being able to control 7-8 toddlers at once, but she does really well with it. Out of the 2 months of classes she's done so far, I've only seen the teacher lose control of the kids one time, and it lasted like 2 minutes.

And my Riley is a moody little girl who likes to do her own thing too, and she does amazingly well with following directions in the class.

JOEBunny · June 2011

My DD took dance at 2. She loved it. The teacher was great with them. It was not a high pressure class, just intro to ballet. She kept them on task without being mean. I have no idea how she does it. DD took from her for 3 years until it got to hard with DS's nap. Now gymnastics at 2 was another story and horrible. It really depends on the teacher, but I think 5 classes is a good way to test the waters.

LauranBilly · June 2011

I took Dance classes for 10 years. So i am hoping to get my DD into a dance class. I just dont think she would do it right now. Maybe in 6 more moths to a year.. she just turned 2. shes very attached to mommy and daddy, i just dont think i could leave her.

ebb7 · June 2011

Yes...DD is in a Princess ballet class at a studio. It is for 3-4 year olds and runs for 45 minutes. She loves it. Prior to this class she did a intro ballet class where she was the only student. She loved that too.

MereB · June 2011

I taught preschool ballet when pregnant with my first child, and the kids have a great time! In a couple classes we had one or two 2year olds, and they did great. One of the 2 year olds had a friend in the class, and she was already really great at following directions- so she had no issues. When I had another 2 year old register for a different class, she was pretty out there. She wouldn't listen to anything, and just did her own thing. After a couple weeks, she learned to listen and follow my lead- and by the recital, she actually did better than the 3 and 4 year olds.

Don't expect a class for 2-3 year olds to be technique focused. Yes, they'll learn to plie, tondue, etc, but a class that short will probably focus on getting your child to acclimate to a class environment, work on following directions, taking turns, etc. Once they're 4 they have the attention span to be learning more and have better focus. But the 2 and 3 year olds are so cute and have a wonderful time dancing around- it's a really good introduction to classes.

laurenFaith · June 2011

DD just finished her first year of tap/ballet combo, she started when she had just turned 2. They taught them basic things but it focused a lot on following directions and movement. She did great as did most of the kids. When they see one kid doing something they want to do it too, positive peer pressure is great! She even had a recital and all the kids did amazing! I say go for it!

mavs_girl07 · June 2011

I think what had me a little nervous was that at her preschool they have someone who comes in and offers an extracurricular dance class. I remember the director telling me that it is offered to kids ages 2 and up, but they rarely allow 2yr olds to do it because the teacher really expects them to be able to stand in line, follow directions, learn the movements correctly, etc. They seemed to have high expectations, but I'm sure this dance studio won't be that way. Especially since it's specifically for the 2 & 3 year olds. Thanks everyone!

Want a personalized experience?

Anyone put your 2-3yo in a dance class?

Re: Anyone put your 2-3yo in a dance class?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards