Well, okay I'm not really a dance mom but Brianna started Ballet class this weekend or shall I say Creative Movement/Pre-Ballet. I love keeping her busy, engaging her mind and allowing her to explore everything. I am giving her the same opportunities that I had as a child. I took tap classes, piano lessons, saxophone lessons, played the drums, sang in the choir, performed in the band and was on a drill (step) team! Yep, I did and tried it all. The only thing that my grandmother made me stick with was Piano and singing lessons. Everything else was up to me. So I wanted to get Brianna started with dance which will allow her to explore movement through music, burn some of that energy off, learn direction and instruction, build relationships, develop physical skills and encourage the use of imagination.
How did her first class go? Well she was the youngest at 20 months old, most of the girls in the class were 3.5 and the class was more structured than I thought it would be. I've researched creative movement, ballet and toddler development and while most classes are more play structured while casually introducing the arts to the tots, this class was very formal with classical music playing and the parents were behind the glass. Brianna was fine for about the first 10 minutes with me behind the glass, but then I became a distraction and about 15 minutes later she was over by the door screaming my name. Ms. Bailey asked me to come in to the class to see if it would help keep her focused. I went in and it did help for her to see me in the room as opposed to the window. She payed attention for as long as her little attention span would allow her (10 min) and then she would run off and do her own thing and eventually get drawn back to the group. At the end of the class the girls formed a circle and sat down. 1 by 1 they got up and did their own dance or what they learned in class that day. I wish I could of recorded Brianna's dance, she was walking on her toes while moving her shoulders and then spinning in circles. She then started kicking her legs out so she did absorb some of the moves from class.
|
|
Love her afro puffs!! Products used: Sacred Fire Creations. Details to come
|
After class I spoke to the teacher and asked her thoughts and if we jumped the gun with this formal structured class. Her thoughts were that Brianna had fun, she's just younger than the other girls and the other girls are already 5 classes in which means she is starting late. She said that Brianna just needed to get used to the class structure and it would take time. The other girls started at the same point. I received an email from the teacher asking how did I like the class, what were my thoughts and will Brianna return to class on Saturday because they would love to have her. I'm still on the fence about it and will decide by Wednesday if I plan to find a more tot/mommy and me structured class or stick with the more formal structured class. What are your thoughts? Does anyone have a tot ballerina?
|
|
On the way home from class! Score!! She really did have a good time
|
.JPG)
