Ballet vs Rhythmic Gymnastics for 6 yo dd, opinions?

[Mabelen]

What would you do if your 6 yo dd liked both the same but had to pick only one, which one would you pick and why? Right now I am leaning towards one of them, but I would like to hear the hive's views on the matter before I make up my mind for good. Thank you so much in advance.

[2sweetgirls]

We move a lot (military) so I would lean more towards ballet. My daughter did both for a little while (she was 6 too) until we moved and couldn't find it in our new location. Long term, I think ballet would be more useful if she ever wanted to become a professional dancer or dance teacher. I may be a little biased. I was a professional dancer for years and my ballet training was my biggest asset. There aren't a lot of jobs for rhythmic gymnasts.

 

What are your finances like? Dance can be expensive but I think rhythmic gymnastics would be even more expensive long term due to the fact it is an olympic sport. You have to travel to compete, own expensive leotards, and pay for private lessons. Those things can come up in dance if you opt to dance at a studio with a competitive team, but there are still plenty of good dance studios that don't compete and aren't as expensive.

 

What does your daughter like best? Does she even know? Could she continue to do both a while longer until she really knows which one she prefers? Does she love performing or competing? Both dance and rhythmic gymnastics require so much dedication and time your heart really needs to be in it.

 

I hope some of the advice above helps. Without knowing your family dynamics or your daughter I can only give my personal reasons why I would chose ballet.

[Pippen]

At age 6 if our schedule and finances permitted I'd let the daughter choose between the two. At this age, enjoying dance or a sport is the most important factor.

 

Both types will build skills that will cross over into the other areas. My daughter is in her 8th year of ballet and this past year a girl who got tired of living her life at the gym quit and came to my daughter's dance studio. It's been amazing to see how fast she's catching up with the other girls.

[Lolly]

I would choose the one that 1. best fit my schedule, 2. was easiest to get to, and 3. was cheapest.

[LibraryLover]

Gymnastics. I think ballet can wait until 8 or so...although I realize I'm in the minority on that. At any rate, it's hard to resist cute little bunny and snowflake costumes/routines by the littlest dancers. They are so dang adorable.

[abbeyej]

Ballet. But when it comes to gymnastics, my bias is strongly in favor of artistic gymnastics over rhythmic, so even if I were going to do gymnastics, it wouldn't be rhythmic...

[anotherbrother]

Ballet. But when it comes to gymnastics, my bias is strongly in favor of artistic gymnastics over rhythmic, so even if I were going to do gymnastics, it wouldn't be rhythmic...

 

:iagree:

[Jan in SC]

As she is only six, I would think that each class is only one hour per week. If that is true, I would let her do another year of both to she which she likes best.

[naturegirl7]

Personally I would (and have) let me child pick.

[Ailaena]

If *I* had to choose, I would say go for rhythmic if you had a good training facility. It is so grounded in ballet (2-10 hours/wk) that if she got sick of RG she could switch over, yet keep the awesome flexibility and coordination from the apparatus training.

 

As far as price, even if you don't compete in dancing, there are still the winter and spring recitals that can be SO expensive! OK probably not as much as competitive gymnastics... Rhythmic and their billion $$$ leos...

[Mabelen]

Thank you so much for your input. You are right that it is hard to say without much background information, so here it comes:

 

At this point she has to choose one over the other due to finances. She has taken pre-ballet/tap for the last two years and she has tried out rhythmic gymnastics. I found a gym that does not push competition and it's a great outlet at the recreational level; I honestly don't think my daughter is cut out to become a competitive gymnast nor a professional dancer. She likes them both equally. Both activities in my area compare similarly in terms of cost and travel.

 

I am leaning towards rhythmic gymnastics because I think it will teach her skills that will be easier to learn now when she is still relatively young. I've been reading about ballet and you really have to be at least 8 to start learning ballet propper; everything else you do prior to that is pre-ballet. I do think that she could easily switch over in two years if she so wishes, whereas it wouldn't be easy to do the other way round. I also considered artistic gymnastics but my daughter prefers rhythmic over artistic.

 

I hope this background information helps. I really appreciate your thoughts and ideas.

[Jean in Newcastle]

RE. leos. We buy our leotards at Target. Half the price of the ones sold at the gym and they don't look any different from what the other girls are wearing and wear just as well. Of course we can't do that for the team leos.

[Erica in OR]

My middle dd did gymnastics for two years (part of their recreational gymn. program rather than the competitive program, leading to team), then switched to ballet for a year (age 8). For sheer enjoyment, I'd say she liked gymnastics better, and had more opportunity to use it for just plain fun in the backyard. It helped her to increase body awareness and how to make her body move how she wished. She did enjoy the dance recital aspect of ballet, with the pretty costumes, but classes were less fun on a week to week basis.

 

The cost of leotards (just one or two) was reasonable. We found one at Target and one on the secondhand rack at the gym. If she ends up on a team, all bets are off for cost, with travel, team leotards, additional classes/practices, etc. We used her black leotard for ballet later on, and just bought tights and shoes. The costume for recital was pricey though.

 

Erica in OR

[Terabith]

Dumb question:

 

What is the difference between rhythmic and artistic gymnastics? Just curious.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Dumb question:

 

What is the difference between rhythmic and artistic gymnastics? Just curious.

 

rhythmic is with hoops, small balls, ribbons etc.

 

artistic is with beam, vault, floor exercise, bars, rings etc. (depending on whether you are male or female)

[Ellie]

I am leaning towards rhythmic gymnastics because I think it will teach her skills that will be easier to learn now when she is still relatively young. I've been reading about ballet and you really have to be at least 8 to start learning ballet propper; everything else you do prior to that is pre-ballet. I do think that she could easily switch over in two years if she so wishes, whereas it wouldn't be easy to do the other way round. I also considered artistic gymnastics but my daughter prefers rhythmic over artistic.

Either one is fine. If your dd decides to switch to ballet later (and I'm not convinced that anything prior to 8yo is "pre-ballet") you'll want to look for a ballet school where ballet classes are *only* ballet. It doesn't have to be a school which turns out anorexic young women, but there are *good* ballet schools which don't do that; just do your homework.

[Charles Wallace]

Honestly?

Neither.

 

My concern with gymnastics is that it is a sport in which serious head and spinal injuries are not uncommon, particularly among younger, less-trained gymnasts -- for the obvious reasons that they haven't yet developed the muscles, reflexes, or skill to help avoid injury.

 

My concern with ballet is obviously different, but here my issue would be the pressure to show off, to be all about the performance, the display. I am very leery of any activity which encourages parents to show off their children: I think it teaches or encourages an unhealthy narcissism. Both ballet and gymnastics put a great deal of emphasis on competitiveness, particularly where appearance is concerned. Thinness, lack of normal adolescent development -- the emphasis on attaining these characteristics can and does lead to an uncomfortable number of participants developing eating disorders.

 

Myself, I would prefer a sport which emphasized strong, healthy and diverse body styles, focused less on performance and competition, and was safer. (No sport is perfectly safe, of course, but some are safer than others.)

 

Just my .02.

[Pippen]

My concern with ballet is obviously different, but here my issue would be the pressure to show off, to be all about the performance, the display. I am very leery of any activity which encourages parents to show off their children: I think it teaches or encourages an unhealthy narcissism. Both ballet and gymnastics put a great deal of emphasis on competitiveness, particularly where appearance is concerned. Thinness, lack of normal adolescent development -- the emphasis on attaining these characteristics can and does lead to an uncomfortable number of participants developing eating disorders.

 

 

ANY activity--whether academic, artistic, or sports-related can become physically and/or emotionally toxic. I was a high school teacher and could tell you some stories about the quest to be class valedictorian...

 

My daughter has been in ballet since age 5 and from a young age knew that she didn't have what it takes to be a professional dancer. She loves dance, it gives her an outlet for exercise several times a week, encourages her to be a healthy eater, and has helped her to develop poise and confidence. Lots of postive outcomes when kept in balance.

[Ailaena]

Honestly?

Neither.

 

My concern with gymnastics is that it is a sport in which serious head and spinal injuries are not uncommon, particularly among younger, less-trained gymnasts -- for the obvious reasons that they haven't yet developed the muscles, reflexes, or skill to help avoid injury.

 

 

 

 

 

My concern about this quote is that you cannot back it up at all. A small amount of research will show you that head/spinal injuries are very uncommon in gymnastics, serious ones are even more rare. Most bad injuries are knees and ankles. Of course, it is the catastrophic injuries that get the most media sympathy, so there you go.

 

Rhythmic gymnastics, the sport OP is considering, is essentially dancing with props (sorry RGers). Their injuries are mostly muscles/tendons/joints from lack of proper conditioning and overuse and are really no more common than any other sport.

 

 

What would be a sport that emphaisizes, "strong, healthy and diverse body styles, focused less on performance and competition"? If you chose a competitive sport there will be performance based competition (or at the very least a performance based on, um, how you perform...).

Edited August 8, 2010 by Ailaena

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

My concern with gymnastics is that it is a sport in which serious head and spinal injuries are not uncommon,

 

Not entirely true for rythmic gymnastic. My daughter is currently in artistic gymnastics and we switched her to a new gym that was more deserving of my trust. She's getting to a level that will be 'dangerous' and I wanted professional coaches for her. Now I'm not worried about injuries because she's in a great facility with experienced coaches.

However a couple of years ago, she was interested in rythmic gymnatics, and we investigated that. It's a lot less demanding in acrobatics, although more in flexibility and grace. Since those were/are my daughter's strong points, she would have been a great little rythmic gymnast. The injuries are more related to pulled muscles than spinal injuries.

[plansrme]

My concern with gymnastics is that it is a sport in which serious head and spinal injuries are not uncommon, particularly among younger, less-trained gymnasts -- for the obvious reasons that they haven't yet developed the muscles, reflexes, or skill to help avoid injury.

 

Oh good grief. "Not uncommon"? Really?

 

As for the emphasis on appearance, have you been to a college gymnastics meet lately? As in oh, the last 20 years? Have you see the bodies on those girls? Gymnastics has changed a lot since Nadia and her pre-pubescent colleagues were the ideals. This is wrong and outdated information about gymnastics.

 

Terri

[Belacqua]

I vote for rhythmic gymnastics, but only because I think it's about the niftiest thing ever. I don't know anybody who participates in it, so I certainly can't speak to benefits and drawbacks, but it just looks like so much fun.

 

And while I feel rather silly even mentioning college when the kid is only six, and I really don't think children should choose their activities based on what looks good on a college application, I do wonder if rhythmic gymnastics would stand out slightly more than ballet? Just a consideration if all else is equal.

[Charles Wallace]

My concern about this quote is that you cannot back it up at all. A small amount of research will show you that head/spinal injuries are very uncommon in gymnastics, serious ones are even more rare. Most bad injuries are knees and ankles. Of course, it is the catastrophic injuries that get the most media sympathy, so there you go.

 

Rhythmic gymnastics, the sport OP is considering, is essentially dancing with props (sorry RGers). Their injuries are mostly muscles/tendons/joints from lack of proper conditioning and overuse and are really no more common than any other sport.

 

 

What would be a sport that emphaisizes, "strong, healthy and diverse body styles, focused less on performance and competition"? If you chose a competitive sport there will be performance based competition (or at the very least a performance based on, um, how you perform...).

 

Source 1:

http://www.news-medical.net/news/2008/04/07/37038.aspx

Quote:

Yet gymnastics continues to be overlooked in terms of potential for injury, while having one of the highest injury rates of all girls' sports.

A study, conducted by researchers in the Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and published in the April electronic issue of Pediatrics, examined data on children 6 to 17 years of age who were treated in hospital emergency departments for gymnastics-related injuries between 1990 and 2005. According to the findings, on average nearly 27,000 injuries are reported each year – nearly 426,000 injuries during the 16-year period.

“Many parents do not typically think of gymnastics as a dangerous sport,†said study senior author Lara McKenzie, PhD, MA, principal investigator in CIRP at Nationwide Children's Hospital. “In fact, many parents consider it an activity. Yet gymnastics has the same clinical incidence of catastrophic injuries as ice hockey.â€

The majority of the gymnastics injuries - 40 percent - occurred at school or a place of recreation/sports. Girls were more likely than boys to sustain upper extremity injuries, while head and neck injuries were more common in boys.

 

Source 2:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/121/4/e954

Quote:

 

CONCLUSIONS. Gymnastics has one of the highest injury rates of all girls' sports. Establishment of a national database for gymnastics-related injuries, including exposure data for direct calculation of injury rates, would permit better identification and monitoring of risk factors for gymnastics-related injuries and aid in the development, implementation, and evaluation of injury prevention strategies based on epidemiologic evidence.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Source 1:

http://www.news-medical.net/news/2008/04/07/37038.aspx

Quote:

Yet gymnastics continues to be overlooked in terms of potential for injury, while having one of the highest injury rates of all girls' sports.

A study, conducted by researchers in the Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and published in the April electronic issue of Pediatrics, examined data on children 6 to 17 years of age who were treated in hospital emergency departments for gymnastics-related injuries between 1990 and 2005. According to the findings, on average nearly 27,000 injuries are reported each year – nearly 426,000 injuries during the 16-year period.

“Many parents do not typically think of gymnastics as a dangerous sport,†said study senior author Lara McKenzie, PhD, MA, principal investigator in CIRP at Nationwide Children's Hospital. “In fact, many parents consider it an activity. Yet gymnastics has the same clinical incidence of catastrophic injuries as ice hockey.â€

The majority of the gymnastics injuries - 40 percent - occurred at school or a place of recreation/sports. Girls were more likely than boys to sustain upper extremity injuries, while head and neck injuries were more common in boys.

 

Source 2:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/121/4/e954

Quote:

 

CONCLUSIONS. Gymnastics has one of the highest injury rates of all girls' sports. Establishment of a national database for gymnastics-related injuries, including exposure data for direct calculation of injury rates, would permit better identification and monitoring of risk factors for gymnastics-related injuries and aid in the development, implementation, and evaluation of injury prevention strategies based on epidemiologic evidence.

 

Charles - this would still not really apply to rhythmic gymnastics which does not do the work on the bars, beam, ring etc. where most of these types of injuries occur. And yes, if you look at the data you linked, there are a lot of injuries, but they are of the fracture/dislocation/sprain/strain variety. It did say that head injuries were in the 1% category. My dh is an RN and he has been concerned about the strain that gymnastics puts on our dd's joints and tendons. We've chosen to highlight proper warm-up and conditioning as ways to offset some of the risk. We also have monthly visits to the chiropractor. Dd has a sprained ankle right now - not because of gymnastics but as a result of having a big brother:glare: