Ballet dilemma

[tigercametotea]

DD1 is 8 and has been in Primary ballet for about a year, and in Grade 1 Modern for 3 months. She loves the Grade 1 Modern, but has been telling me for the last few months on and off that she's sick of ballet - not because she hates ballet per se, but that she finds it too easy. Also, I have to say that she seems a bit older than the other girls in her class. One of them was from the same school as her and was in the year below her's. I've spoken to her dance school's receptionist/class coordinator about this, and was told that there is no way they will move her up to Grade 1 Ballet until after the ballet exams around May next year. Also, DD's ballet teacher has told us DD is ready for her Primary ballet exam next May too. But my DD has been going to ballet the last few months with that resigned expression on her face, there is no enthusiasm. She wants to go to Grade 1, but they won't let her do so until May. I've told her that and she groaned. She then said she'd rather just quit, its so boring, etc. Not really sure what to do at the moment. Should I let her quit, as she says? Even though I know she doesn't hate ballet just sick of what she's doing... She said she's sick of that same old stuff and its too easy. Should I try to push the dance teacher to let her progress despite probably just being told once again that it can't be done( plus risk annoying them at the same time)? Besides, I'm not sure if ballet schools normally have the policy of only letting students progress up a grade at a certain time of the year (i.e. during May/June after the exams). Does anyone know anything about that?

I do like the school and the teachers in general, and my DD2 has been attending baby ballet and baby tap and loves it.

I've thought about changing ballet schools for DD1 and that maybe another school down the road would be willing to let her start at Grade 1 Ballet on joining them... but am not sure if its really worth all the hassle.

What do you think??

[santadefiesgravity]

Which exam board is it? Some boards have more emphasis on technque so the exercises may seem easy but have to be done with extreme precision.

Dd never did primary ballet she went straight into a Grade 1 class. Some school do hold them back until they are practically perfect though. There is quite a difference between primary & Grade 1 though, at least it is in RAD. Primary is more creative movement wheras in Grade 1 they do character and more proper ballet.

At dd's ballet school they don;t have to take the exams if they don;t want to and can just be in a class according to their standard. However it may be that the current Grade 1 class are almost ready to take their exams in which case a new child joining them st this stage would be detrimental to them and not beneficial to your dd if they are perfecting excercises/studies.

[tigercametotea]

She's doing RAD ballet and ISTD Modern. I appreciate the points you've just mentioned. Right now I don't know if it would be okay for her to quit ballet and then rejoin after the exams are over - or whenever she wants to in future - don't know if the dance school would be happy with that. Or would she have to try another school then? If she rejoins in the future, would they place her again in Primary no matter what her age was? I could "push" her to continue with the ballet until the exams are over and she's in Grade 1 (they have told me that she will go on to Grade 1 class in May/June regardless of whether she took the exams or not. However I also feel that it doesn't feel right to do this, and that if she wants to stop this, I should let her.

[santadefiesgravity]

Same as dd then RAD ballet and ISTD modern.

The ballet will help with the modern a lot. In RAD the absolute minimum agre for Grade 1 is 7.

I do have to say that I would advise your dd to stick it out even if she thinks it is easy it isn;t really. Dd was in a Grade 2 ballet class when she had the opportunity to do an extra class with a teacher who was preparing for her teaching erxams for free. She taught the primary syllabus and dd still found it beneficial even though it was 2 Grades below her current level.


Some people equate easy with repetition. If your dd can't stick it out then maybe the disclipne of ballet isn't for her as it will only get harder as she goes on and perhaps she should look at something more creative or jazzy.

[tigercametotea]

santadefiesgravity : I've been wondering along the same lines as what you've said, and I also think its quite possible ballet isn't really suited for her.