How Often Should My Child Dance?
Thoughts on passion, play, balance and growing up.
This is another one of those questions I hear all the time.
“How many classes should my child take?”
The short answer? It depends entirely on the child.
Some children are thrilled to come to dance once a week. They love it, they learn, they perform in the recital and they leave with wonderful memories. Other children… simply can’t get enough.
They’re dancing through the grocery store, making up choreo at home and asking if they can come back tomorrow. Those are very different children, and I don’t think they should necessarily have the same weekly routine.
For our youngest dancers, I actually think less is often more.
Our Rainbow dancers begin with one-two classes each week. At that age, the goal isn’t to train professional dancers. It’s to help children fall in love with movement, music and learning in a joyful environment.
That’s also why I teach ballet the way I do. I’m classically trained through American Ballet Theatre, and I believe ballet provides an incredible foundation for every style of dance. But I also believe most four-year-olds don’t need to feel like they’re walking into a professional conservatory.
You’ll find colorful props, imaginative games, storytelling and lots of laughter in our ballet classes. I want children to associate ballet with creativity and happiness. There will be plenty of time for stricter training later if they choose that path.
As children grow into our Rose program, their personalities begin to shine. Some absolutely love ballet. Others light up with a strong hip hop beat. Some discover they’re fearless in acro. Others become little storytellers in musical theater. Some really just want to sing and act.
This is where adding more classes can become really exciting!
Not because children should take more classes, but because many of them genuinely want to.
One thing I wrote about in another article is trusting your child’s passions. Sometimes children tell us very clearly who they are if we’re willing to listen. If your child is asking for another dance class every week, I think that’s worth paying attention to.
Adding more classes doesn’t usually create more stress. For children who love being here, it often creates more joy. They know more teachers. They make friendships across different classes and see their friends for longer periods of time. They change shoes together; share snacks in between classes. They become a recognizable part of a larger community. They gain independence as they navigate the change of styles.
They perform more dances in the recital, which most of our dancers absolutely love.
The studio begins to feel like another home.
As classes are added, our tuition becomes less expensive per class, making it easier for families whose children want to spend more time here.
Of course, every child is different.
Some children will dance recreationally their entire childhood and absolutely love it.
Others may eventually become interested in competition, musical theater or more intensive training.
No one path is better! My goal is not to convince every child to dance six days a week.
My goal is to help every child find the amount of dance, singing and acting that feeds their mind and body, that lights them up.
When children love what they're doing, everything is easier. We are here to help facilitate whatever path your child chooses.