How many dance classes does your child take?

[lynn]

I was surprised how many girls at our dance studio take more than 3 or even 5+classes. The shoes, clothes, and the costumes.:001_huh: Next year dd gets to choose which classes she wants and I have a 2 class limit maybe more when she is older and really has a passion for dance.

[chepyl]

My 6 year old takes an hour long tap/jazz combo, 30 minutes of hip hop, a 30 minutes advanced tech class for competitive kids 5-8 and two 30 minute rehearsal classes. He does compete. He also takes gymnastics/tumbling for an hour a week for competition dance, and 45 minutes of musical theatre.

 

He LOVES it! He would not do so much if I did not own the studio...that makes a huge difference in the finances. But he handles the time well.

[bettyandbob]

When my dd was 12 she was up to 5 + classes a week.

 

It was not uncommon for 8-10 year olds to take 3 classes a week.

 

This was all ballet. If you wanted to take jazz, tap or modern that was extra.

[Gentlemommy]

I grew up dancing, and by middle school age I was taking about 20 classes weekly, plus rehearsals. :001_huh: I would get picked up from school by the studio van and then we had an hour from 3-4 to finish homework and eat a snack. Class started at four and we went until 6:30. Another half hour break to eat dinner, then class again at 7-9:30. Saturday we were there from 9-12 for class and 1-5 for rehearsal. :tongue_smilie:

While I loved it, I am not sure I'd want my dd's going that same route. I missed (my choice) a lot of other activities and opportunities. I didn't even know at the time, kwim? I did dance professionally, but because dancing kind of has to happen while you are younger, I didn't want to "waste any time" going to college after high school. I went right into working. I had many really neat travel opportunities while working so I'm am grateful for that.

[Mary in VA]

When my dd was your dd's age she took one 45 minute class a week, ballet. She is now 17 and is at the studio five days a week for about 3 hours a day, more for rehearsals. It's all ballet though, with one modern class. There really isn't a need for more at your dd's age. If she sticks with it you'll eventually be at the studio A LOT! Enjoy the free time while you can. I sometimes say if I had known what was coming when she was 4 I would have run screaming from the studio :001_smile: That's not true, but I really had no idea of the commitment to dance required to do well. It's like any athletic endeavor - doing it well takes time and training! But they don't need that at 4.

 

Mary

[nono]

Both are in the same tap class 1x/week. But they do other things. If they only liked to dance, I'd let them do 2 or 3, depending on finances. :)

[edelweiss]

DD1 only takes 2 classes a week (horseback riding is her main activity).

 

DD2 takes 6 dance classes a week.

[Parrothead]

Dd takes 3. She was supposed to start a 4th class this year but the class got canceled due to lack of teacher availability.

[catz]

My 7 year old takes 2 hours of ballet, 1 of tap, 1 of jazz, and one of floor acro. I never thought she would do this much, but she I'ds much better off with this as a social and physical outlet.

 

The studio is less than 2 miles from our house and we do not buy costumes. Our studio is performance based and not competitive. It is a wonderful,supportive, and nuturing environment for casual and more serious dancers. I never thought I'd have a dancer, but this studio is the perfect fit for her. She is also young for her placement. Most kids she dances with are 8 to 10.

 

My daughter only did one class at 4 and 5. You can't ramp up until level one, which is 2 hours starting at age 6. Many kids spend more than one year at level one. And acrobatics is an optional add on with mostly older kids.

Edited April 19, 2012 by kck

[Wheres Toto]

My dd started at 3 with a 45 minute class once a week at the YMCA. When she was 4, she switched mid-year to a 1 hour mixed tap/jazz class at a studio.

When the new year started, she started the year in 2 Saturday classes and finished the year with those 2 classes, a "baby" team and 4 other rec classes (all one price because she was on a team).

The following year (when she was 5) she started the year with 3 teams (hour practice each) and 3 duet/trios (1/2 hour practice each) and a one hour ballet class required for teams.

We had some years with more, some with less but dance has always been her big passion. Usually she had 3 to 4 teams and 2 to 4 solos/duets/trios.

She always had an hour practice for each team, an additional hour of ballet, an additional hour of leaps/turns and/or stretching and a half hour for each solo/duet/trio she did. She never had any trouble getting homework done since she knew if her grades suffered, she would have to cut down drastically.

 

A few years ago we had to move to a new studio (her old one closed) that handles things differently. They do all technique classes during the week for all genres they compete in plus 2 1/2 hours of ballet, and all choreography is done on Saturdays. This is her last year competing and she's at the studio 6 days a week, usually from 4 or 5 to 9pm and 9am to 3pm on Saturday, although she does work there as well.

[PeterPan]

Uh zero. But you know, I think it's really easy to get imbalanced and give to your kids, kids, kids and not take care of yourself. After years of doing that, I've been taking some classes *for myself* this semester, and it's been really lovely! So you can do whatever you want and have money and time for, but cut yourself in on the action and don't feel like everything has to go to your kids. :)

[Dmmetler]

My dd takes a tap/ballet combo, jazz, tumbling and cheer/pom. She currently takes 5 hours a week of class in either the studio or the gym. She has five costumes for this upcoming performance season, but one is only a t-shirt and white shorts, and the cheer uniform is worn for multiple seasons until it either is outgrown or until she's ready to move to a different team.

 

 

I suspect that next year will be the decision point-she's getting to the level where most of the girls who continue in dance move into the pre-company classes, and if she does that, she'll be adding more ballet and jazz technique classes and possibly more (I think there's some sort of stretching/flexibility training class that the girls do as well, similar to DD's tumbling class, but without the tumble track and spring floor)-and if she does that, she'll have to drop her gym time.

[kroe1]

Most 4 and 5 year olds at our studio just take a 1 hour a week combo class. A few add acro which is another 1 hour.

 

If the children add in theater training, acting and singing, at about age 8, then the time really starts to explode. My dd11 takes about 16 hours of performing arts classes a week and does about 3 main stage shows a year. During main stage rehearsals and shows she is gone from home about 35 to 40 hours a week.

 

She would not have it any other way. Performing is her passion.

[catz]

Uh zero. But you know, I think it's really easy to get imbalanced and give to your kids, kids, kids and not take care of yourself. After years of doing that, I've been taking some classes *for myself* this semester, and it's been really lovely! So you can do whatever you want and have money and time for, but cut yourself in on the action and don't feel like everything has to go to your kids. :)

 

For us, because we go to a reasonably priced studio very close to home, it's almost like child care. Her classes are in 2 hour blocks, so I often go run errands alone or go for a jog. This particular child has been described aptly by her violin teacher as highly spirited. It's a good thing for all of us. :D. I doubt we'd be doing it where we were paying fees for competitions and costumes.

[chiguirre]

This year at 8 Trinqueta had one 1:15 ballet class. Next year at 9, it will be 2 1:15 classes. If you choose to dance in a company production, it's another 1:30 of rehearsal on the weekend for 3 months, there are two staged ballets a year. If you do jazz or tap or hip hop, it's another hour at least.

[Tasia]

I don't even want to count how many hours my oldest dances, but my 9 year old is doing 6 hours of class and 4 hours of rehearsal per week, plus tumbling and cheerleading (at different gyms). Both boys took one class (ballet/tap combo) when they were 4, two classes (separate ballet class and a jazz/tap combo) when they were 5 and it's gone up from there.

 

My 4 year old took a "boys dance" class this year (lots of running around, not so much dancing) and will add a ballet/tap combo class next year.

[SueinNC]

Dd, 11, does classical ballet (including point), Irish Step (two companies), and hip hop (all different studios) for a total of 7 classes or 8-12 hours a week depending on performances.

 

She was in a second classical ballet school too but that turned into a negative experience. She is also on the swim team, takes tennis lessons, involved in 4H, theatre, and takes music lessons (fiddle, guitar, mandolin, piano, and just started harp).

Edited April 19, 2012 by Caledonia Academy

[Lady Marmalade]

My 11 year old takes 9 hours of class this year, 3 hours of it is ballet, plus modern, lyrical, tap, jazz and a couple of others. Next year we are probably adding 2 1/2 hours of class by adding a tumbling, musical theatre and a modern improv class. She'll also move up to pointe sometime in the next year so that will change things a bit, I think.

 

My 8 year old takes about 6 hours of classes this year, 1 hour ballet, 2 hours hip-hop, plus jazz, lyrical and tumbling class. Next year he will probably take the exact same thing.

 

But, my kids LIVE to dance. When they are not at the studio, they're dancing, reading about dance, watching dance, etc. When we're not schooling, we're immersed in dance or church activities, and for this season of life, if they're both happy, that's how we roll.

 

I'll admit, when the costume bill comes, that's a bit of a shocker. But the shoes I spread out so it's not one big bill at any one time. Fortunately, there is a lot of carryover of the same shoes. DS wears jazz shoes for both lyrical and jazz class. DD wears foot undeez for both lyrical and modern, etc. So it's not one pair of shoes for each class. Thus far, DD has always had a pair of black ballet shoes, so when she outgrows those, they get passed to DS to wear them out.

 

At 4 years old, 2 classes for your DD is probably plenty. There are kids at our studio that age who maybe take 3, and some even compete at that age as a super-mini, but there's not many. Mostly it's just one class at that age, which would be a combination class of B/T/J.

[Ellie]

One.

 

She did Highland dance for many years--one class a week, plus several competitions a year.

 

When she was 12ish, I allowed her to start ballet, which sucked her out of Highland. Once class a week. Her ballet schools were classical ballet only, no competitions or anything.

[SKL]

Wow, you guys, you're making my head spin!

 

My kids are 5 and they do have a coached physical activity 6 days per week, but it's a different one every day. Dance, gymnastics, karate, soccer, stretch'n'grow, swimming. Each class is a half hour. This has been their schedule since they were about 3. I have no interest in competition etc., though one of my dds really loves this stuff and may ask to do more someday. Making it work logistically is another matter.

 

For next year we're probably going to join The Little Gym which currently offers only one dance class locally, plus karate and gymnastics. Each class is an hour long. If we were joining a studio, we might do ballet and acrobatics plus some martial art. I just can't do much more between my job and my kids' music lessons etc.

[chepyl]

Wow, you guys, you're making my head spin!

 

My kids are 5 and they do have a coached physical activity 6 days per week, but it's a different one every day. Dance, gymnastics, karate, soccer, stretch'n'grow, swimming. Each class is a half hour. This has been their schedule since they were about 3. I have no interest in competition etc., though one of my dds really loves this stuff and may ask to do more someday. Making it work logistically is another matter.

 

For next year we're probably going to join The Little Gym which currently offers only one dance class locally, plus karate and gymnastics. Each class is an hour long. If we were joining a studio, we might do ballet and acrobatics plus some martial art. I just can't do much more between my job and my kids' music lessons etc.

 

We only do things available at the studio or the gym next door, and I trade ballet for the gymnastics team for tumbling for my dancers and kids. It os three days a.week for my six year old and 2 for my 4 year old. We don't play sports yet. He is.not old enough for the city league. He won't be until next summer. If he.likes baseball and wants to do that, we will be dropping some dance or.gym time. If they were not going to work with me, they would also not do as much. ;)

[LMA]

My 6 yo takes 2 ballet classes each week, one at each studio. She only does classical ballet. She was in Coppelia in December with one of the companies. Ballet is her talent and passion.

 

Both studios told me that she will add more time each week as she gets older but not to have her do too much as you can wear out joints and muscles.

 

We also do other things each week, but those will tone done as my kids get older and figure out which activity they want to do.

[mom2scouts]

My dd is 5 and she takes 3 classes a week. She asked to dance last year and we signed her up for an hour preschool combo class. She loved it, was invited to do competition, and wanted to try it. She takes a competition class, a jazz technique class and a tap/ballet combo class. Next year she will do 4 classes because tap and ballet will be separate. If she stays in competition, the required hours will increase. I'm new to the dance world and I couldn't believe how quickly we got sucked into it! My dd loves to dance and most people serious about it spend many hours at the studio. DH just drops a 0 when I tell him what things cost and pretends we're not spending so much because he knows how much she loves it.:lol:

[jujsky]

DD is in 4 classes: company, ballet, tap/jazz, and musical theater. She doesn't want to do company next year, which at her level requires ballet, and tap/jazz. She'll probably still take musical theater, tap/jazz, and ballet next year.

[DianeW88]

Well, let's see. My dd is a professional ballerina and a university student majoring in ballet, so she spends 8+ hours per day dancing. :D

 

When she was little, her dance classes started to ramp up at about age 11. She was enrolled in a full day pre-professional ballet school, and classes began at 11:30 AM and went until 6:30 PM with a break for lunch and schoolwork. She also had classes in nutrition, Pilates, dancing as a career (how to write a dance resume, how to ace an audition, stuff like that), dance conditioning, music for dancers and other aspects of ballet (character dance, variations, partnering, etc.). So, it was pretty intense. Well worth it, however, as she is living her dream and we are DONE paying for it. :lol:

[Dustybug]

My DD is 6 and she is nearing the end of her second year of dance. So far, she has only taken 1 class per week that is a combination of tap and ballet. She'll probably still only take 1 class per week next year, but eventually she will probably branch out into more. We buy one costume per year for the end of the year recital.

 

We will probably not allow her to dance competitively for a variety of reasons, so I don't foresee that being an issue financially, however, we do plan to let her branch out into the ballet (non combo) classes, technical classes, and liturgical classes. I stress about the cost, but we'll do what we can and if finances won't allow it, then we will work within the budget we have.

[SueinNC]

Well, let's see. My dd is a professional ballerina and a university student majoring in ballet, so she spends 8+ hours per day dancing. :D

 

When she was little, her dance classes started to ramp up at about age 11. She was enrolled in a full day pre-professional ballet school, and classes began at 11:30 AM and went until 6:30 PM with a break for lunch and schoolwork. She also had classes in nutrition, Pilates, dancing as a career (how to write a dance resume, how to ace an audition, stuff like that), dance conditioning, music for dancers and other aspects of ballet (character dance, variations, partnering, etc.). So, it was pretty intense. Well worth it, however, as she is living her dream and we are DONE paying for it. :lol:

 

This is great to here. My dd has thoughts (as well as lots of her friends) about being a professional ballerina but I didn't know if it could be a wise choice. Does your dd have a back up plan in case of injury? Any advice for my dd about pursuing such a career?

[I talk to the trees]

I was surprised how many girls at our dance studio take more than 3 or even 5+classes. The shoes, clothes, and the costumes.:001_huh: Next year dd gets to choose which classes she wants and I have a 2 class limit maybe more when she is older and really has a passion for dance.

 

Dd is 11, and has 4 classes weekly. I'm actively lobbying for a switch to something like yoga....cheaper outfits, less mom-drama...;)

[DianeW88]

This is great to here. My dd has thoughts (as well as lots of her friends) about being a professional ballerina but I didn't know if it could be a wise choice. Does your dd have a back up plan in case of injury? Any advice for my dd about pursuing such a career?

 

Well, my dd ultimately wants to get her Master's degree in Dance Education, and open a classical ballet school at some point in time, so I guess that's her long-term plan.

 

She's been injured multiple times through the course of dance....it is what it is. Nothing career ending though. Right now she has me scrambling to get her a massage appointment this Sat AM before her rehearsal at 1 PM. Her calf muscle (or hip or hamstring) is so tight, it's causing sharp pain in her foot when she goes on pointe. Nothing new....those girls always have something wrong. :lol: They just deal with it. Her company is leaving to perform in Montreal in a couple of weeks, so her goal is to be injury-free by then.

 

If your dd wants to be a serious ballet dancer, make sure she's in a serious school. Her teacher's should have danced professionally at some point in time for a classical company and have had a reputable career. My dd's teachers have danced with the Boshoi Ballet, ABT, PNB, Colorado Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Ballet West and the National Ballet Company in Chile.

 

As for the school, some things to look for:

 

A sprung floor (an absolute necessity to prevent injury)

 

Marley covering on the floor (see above)

 

A live accompanist

 

Strict dress code

 

Teachers who pay attention and physically correct your child's body by manipulating it. Telling your dd to "turn her hip" or "stretch her knee" from across the room won't cut it.

 

A course syllabus that the teacher actually teaches from (you don't need to see physical evidence of this in class...just that the school has a curriculum they're working on)

 

The teacher/director should be able to tell you what style of ballet they are teaching. Is it a Vaganova school? Cecchetti? If they don't know or worse, say "What is that?"....run.

 

Annual or semi-annual evaluations of your dd's skill level...and a conference with the director to let you both know how she's progressing and what she needs to work on.

 

A history of graduating dancers who go on to have professional careers.

 

That's just off the top of my head. LOL If I think of more, I'll jump in and add them.

 

Also, be sure your dd participates in summer intensives. She will need to go away for these, but the experience is invaluable. The ballet world is very small and the people who notice your dd at a summer intensive can greatly help to further her career later on down the road. My dd started with intensives at 12 and by age 14 was going to two per summer. You can get scholarships (she did) which greatly mitigates the cost. But honestly, she made so many contacts and even has teachers she met who still love to give her lessons whenever they can (Tiit Helimets from SF ballet and his wife Molly Smolen). She also got a lovely letter of reference from Kevin McKenzie of ABT after a summer intensive where he was one of her teachers (Kaatsbaan in NY...GREAT SI).

 

As far as competitions go....stay far, far away. The only one that is acceptable in the ballet world is YAGP http://www.yagp.org/eng/index.php

It is intense, but a lot of fun!! My dd received many offers and scholarships after participating. And it was a really good experience. The judges comments were amazing and so helpful to her. I would recommend your dd do this at least once. It gets dancers noticed and gets them jobs!

 

Edited to add the video of the winners from the YAGP 2011 competition. This is NOT the type of "dancing competition" you see on "Dance Moms" :ack2:.

BTW, "junior division" is 12 and under.

 

Feel free to ask any more questions if you have them.

Edited April 19, 2012 by DianeW88

[Chelli]

My dd8 only takes 1 hour long classical ballet class each week. She is very naturally gifted in ballet. She is just 8, but is in the ballet level 3 class with 10-11 year olds. She has skipped two levels of ballet because she already had the abilities those classes taught naturally. She wants to be a professional ballerina one day and become a ballet teacher at some point.

 

Her ballet teacher and studio owner used to dance professionally, has degrees in dance, and is acredited with the Royal Academy of Dance (one of only 7 dance studios in the entire state of Texas to have this honor). She knows her stuff! She has told me many times that my dd has a gift and could possibly go as far in ballet as she wanted.

 

The problem is that we don't have the money for extra classes or private lessons with the ballet teacher. I feel like our finanaces are holding back dd8's dreams. :crying:

 

Sorry for the slight hijack. This has just been bothering me for a long time with no possible solutions in sight.

[amsunshine]

My dds 8 and 10 take classical ballet classes only. They both take 3 classes per week. In addition, dd8 has rehearsal 1X per week and dd10 has rehearsal 2X per week -- for their spring production.

 

It's a crazy schedule, and it only gets worse as they get older and advance to higher levels.

 

ETA: Our studio does not do competitions, except for select advanced students who participate in YAGP, and do very well. We have several students going to New York in a couple of weeks for the finals.

Edited April 19, 2012 by amsunshine

[LMA]

My dd8 only takes 1 hour long classical ballet class each week. She is very naturally gifted in ballet. She is just 8, but is in the ballet level 3 class with 10-11 year olds. She has skipped two levels of ballet because she already had the abilities those classes taught naturally. She wants to be a professional ballerina one day and become a ballet teacher at some point.

 

Her ballet teacher and studio owner used to dance professionally, has degrees in dance, and is acredited with the Royal Academy of Dance (one of only 7 dance studios in the entire state of Texas to have this honor). She knows her stuff! She has told me many times that my dd has a gift and could possibly go as far in ballet as she wanted.

 

The problem is that we don't have the money for extra classes or private lessons with the ballet teacher. I feel like our finanaces are holding back dd8's dreams. :crying:

 

Sorry for the slight hijack. This has just been bothering me for a long time with no possible solutions in sight.

 

Look for scholarships. One of my daughter's ballet studios gives tuition scholarships to needy students under age 10. After age 10, the scholarships given by audition only.

[LibraryLover]

Classical ballet. Technique, modern, pointe. 4 performances a year (one per season, including Nutcracker), no competitions. (Although YGAP is possible for those girls with SI experience) 15 hours+ week, more during performance rehearsals. SI will be 45 hours for 3 weeks. We buy one costume a year for the Sping performance; the school supplies costumes for the other productions. We do pay a $100 performance fee per show. It's a non -profit studio.

Edited April 20, 2012 by LibraryLover

[delaney]

My 8 year old takes:

Regular classes-tap, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, tumbling, pre pointe

Company- she has a ballet, lyrical, and a jazz duo

[SueinNC]

Well, my dd ultimately wants to get her Master's degree in Dance Education, and open a classical ballet school at some point in time, so I guess that's her long-term plan.

 

She's been injured multiple times through the course of dance....it is what it is. Nothing career ending though. Right now she has me scrambling to get her a massage appointment this Sat AM before her rehearsal at 1 PM. Her calf muscle (or hip or hamstring) is so tight, it's causing sharp pain in her foot when she goes on pointe. Nothing new....those girls always have something wrong. :lol: They just deal with it. Her company is leaving to perform in Montreal in a couple of weeks, so her goal is to be injury-free by then.

 

If your dd wants to be a serious ballet dancer, make sure she's in a serious school. Her teacher's should have danced professionally at some point in time for a classical company and have had a reputable career. My dd's teachers have danced with the Boshoi Ballet, ABT, PNB, Colorado Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Ballet West and the National Ballet Company in Chile.

 

As for the school, some things to look for:

 

A sprung floor (an absolute necessity to prevent injury)

 

Marley covering on the floor (see above)

 

A live accompanist

 

Strict dress code

 

Teachers who pay attention and physically correct your child's body by manipulating it. Telling your dd to "turn her hip" or "stretch her knee" from across the room won't cut it.

 

A course syllabus that the teacher actually teaches from (you don't need to see physical evidence of this in class...just that the school has a curriculum they're working on)

 

The teacher/director should be able to tell you what style of ballet they are teaching. Is it a Vaganova school? Cecchetti? If they don't know or worse, say "What is that?"....run.

 

Annual or semi-annual evaluations of your dd's skill level...and a conference with the director to let you both know how she's progressing and what she needs to work on.

 

A history of graduating dancers who go on to have professional careers.

 

That's just off the top of my head. LOL If I think of more, I'll jump in and add them.

 

Also, be sure your dd participates in summer intensives. She will need to go away for these, but the experience is invaluable. The ballet world is very small and the people who notice your dd at a summer intensive can greatly help to further her career later on down the road. My dd started with intensives at 12 and by age 14 was going to two per summer. You can get scholarships (she did) which greatly mitigates the cost. But honestly, she made so many contacts and even has teachers she met who still love to give her lessons whenever they can (Tiit Helimets from SF ballet and his wife Molly Smolen). She also got a lovely letter of reference from Kevin McKenzie of ABT after a summer intensive where he was one of her teachers (Kaatsbaan in NY...GREAT SI).

 

As far as competitions go....stay far, far away. The only one that is acceptable in the ballet world is YAGP http://www.yagp.org/eng/index.php

It is intense, but a lot of fun!! My dd received many offers and scholarships after participating. And it was a really good experience. The judges comments were amazing and so helpful to her. I would recommend your dd do this at least once. It gets dancers noticed and gets them jobs!

 

Edited to add the video of the winners from the YAGP 2011 competition. This is NOT the type of "dancing competition" you see on "Dance Moms" :ack2:.

BTW, "junior division" is 12 and under.

 

Feel free to ask any more questions if you have them.

 

Thank you for all this information. Now to research...

[LibraryLover]

tmi lol

Edited April 19, 2012 by LibraryLover

[AngelaNYC]

At this stage of the game, the classes are calculated better as hours per week. DD(15) regularly takes about 6 hours/week at her studio and 15 hours/week at her high school. During competition season, studio rehearsals can run up to 10-15 hrs/week.

 

Dd takes: ballet, modern, pointe, musical theater, hip-hop, jazz, tap, & lyrical (which is really only a competition style). She is in 9 competition numbers this year: a solo (which she choreographed herself), a trio, 3 small groups, 2 large groups, and 2 production numbers. At this year's recital, she'll be in a total of 11 numbers. And yes that's 11 different costumes, hairstyles, shoes, and sets of accessories. Competitions have been a wonderfully positive experience for dd - she has made tons of connections in the dance world, taking master classes and workshops from the best.

 

She is also a Teacher in Training (one of 3 "T*i*T*s" as we call them, lol) at her studio, teaching 3 classes a week, which qualifies her for free tuition.

 

She plans on making dance her career.

Edited April 19, 2012 by Abkjw01

[mamakimberly]

My daughter is in 3 hours of classes a week right now- she's 7.

 

This summer she will be in 5 (ballet, tumbling, jazz, hip hop, tap).

 

This fall, she wants to take 12 classes, but I might limit her to a few less than that ;).

 

After 5 classes a week, you hit a max tuition rate, so I don't mind the $ part, just the driving part! :)

[Tina]

My dd, 11, takes one hour or so of classical ballet a week, and started with pointe shoes this year. They do one performance a year. She also plays soccer and basketball, and next year we'll add volleyball. It's perfect for her, but I don't think she's crazy enough about ballet to do tons more.