Dear All,
We have religiously attended almost all of bay area arangetrams this summer season.
We enjoyed Vishal Ramani's (Shri Krupa dance), Suganda Sreenath's Jayendra Kalakendra, Mythili Kumar (Abhinaya). We also saw some of Jayathi Sridharan, and few others. Some weekends there are 4 or 5 arangetram's and we have to choose where to go. This was just great. My daughter is really interested into dance for past 2 years as a visual spectator and now more and more interested in starting to learn. She is 4.5 years old. Different dance teachers seem to have different age for starting. Some are fine at 5, some 6 and even 7. Based on your experiences, is there any harm in joining early? I dont want her to stress out and drop out. If she rather learns and enjoys at a later age, we should not regret it.
any opinions, welcome.
Question on BayArea Teachers and age for enrolling
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srinandini
- Posts: 60
- Joined: 03 Apr 2007, 05:05
Dear Raj,
I agree that different teachers have different ideas as to when to enroll a child in a dance class. 5-7 is when they mostly start. but as a teacher myself, I would personally say that 5 is also too young to start because :
1)The child has to understand to count the beats and keep rhythm or understand the geometry that usually forms a part of classical dance forms( the lines, curves etc...).Putting her in a class and the child failing to do so maybe stressful for them.
2) the child has not yet developed the strength in her knees or legs to sustain the posture required.
So it would be better if you could just take your child to a class regularly and let her watch other kids perform in a class. this will kindle and maintain her interest and also help her in comprehending the various stages involved in a learning process.
7 yrs and up is a good time to start ,when her the child's comprehensive skills are also well developed.
I agree that different teachers have different ideas as to when to enroll a child in a dance class. 5-7 is when they mostly start. but as a teacher myself, I would personally say that 5 is also too young to start because :
1)The child has to understand to count the beats and keep rhythm or understand the geometry that usually forms a part of classical dance forms( the lines, curves etc...).Putting her in a class and the child failing to do so maybe stressful for them.
2) the child has not yet developed the strength in her knees or legs to sustain the posture required.
So it would be better if you could just take your child to a class regularly and let her watch other kids perform in a class. this will kindle and maintain her interest and also help her in comprehending the various stages involved in a learning process.
7 yrs and up is a good time to start ,when her the child's comprehensive skills are also well developed.
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Umesh
- Posts: 361
- Joined: 04 Jun 2006, 12:59
I think it is a decision to be made on an individual basis. I started at age 5, and would have began even earlier had I been able to tell my right from left!
A child might get uninterested in dance if they start too intensely too early. But I think the older he/she gets, there are more activities competing for their time, so it might be more difficult to get into it at all.
A child might get uninterested in dance if they start too intensely too early. But I think the older he/she gets, there are more activities competing for their time, so it might be more difficult to get into it at all.
Last edited by Umesh on 08 Sep 2007, 08:42, edited 1 time in total.