Irish Dance or Ballet or Both?

[momacacia]

Talk to me...for 10 and 6yo, though 6yo would probably tag along with 10 yo to some degree.

 

They need more exercise, 10yo has always been "built" for ballet and is graceful, but one of the better studios in town is about a 15min drive. OTOH, the irish dance studio is walking distance from us and very budget friendly for the classes and recital costumes. Idk cost of ballet yet.

 

I'm looking for them to get good exercise, mind-body connection experience and I see ballet as potentially contributing to good posture (which my mom as a former modern dance teacher says doesn't always translate to daily life from dance).

 

Anyway, looking for experience in one or both of these dance styles. I lean toward ballet because of my tendency toward "the classics" and fundamentals, but can't deny that irish dance looks fun and would be easy for me to get her to classes. TIA!

 

ETA: I'm not thinking both at same time. Give one a few months/year, then try out the other.

[bettyandbob]

What does 10 yo want?

 

Can they try sample classes at either place?

 

Do either place have weeklong intro camps for kids to immerse themselves in?

 

Even if professional dance careers is not a consideration, you should try to find a way to evaluate instruction. Poor instruction can result in injuries and it can ruin the enjoyment of the art overall.

 

Cost and location were serious considerations for me. Pretty much the only consideration, actually. I got lucky though-- dd's ballet dtudio has excellent intruction (alumni in major companies around the world, including Mariinski).

 

 

Along with the quality, find out if there's a lopsided focus in the best performers or people doing competitions.

 

Find out about hidden costs. Class uniform, recital fees, recital costumes, competition fees, requirements to attend extra classes camps to be in performances, ect.

 

Find out what age can be drop off because your 6 yo may not want to continue and you may want to be able to get her to another activity.

[redsquirrel]

My sons are ballet dancers and some of the girls do Irish dance for fun on the side.

 

I would personally go with ballet, only because it will give them a foundation for lots of other kinds of dance. No matter what kind of dance they chose to do, a strong foundation in ballet will never be wasted.

 

And I have to admit right up front that I don't like competition based Irish dance, so take my bias into account. Well, I think the dancing is sort of cute, if repetitive, but I really don't like the whole culture around it. I have a friend whose daughter is very, very good at irish dance and has competed internationally. Her daughter wears a wig and they spend hundred of dollars on costumes that they buy second hand. If they bought them new it could cost thousands.  They are out of town several weekends a month. For all that I pay for ballet (and it ain't cheap) she spends more. I am so glad her daughter is so happy, and she is a joy to see, but I couldn't do all of that.

 

So, if it is expected that your kids will dance in competitions, be aware of all of that. It gets intense and expensive very quickly.

 

Ballet can get expensive as well, so check that out. Some schools are truly about teaching classical ballet. Others are about putting on a show at the end of the year and charge you for expensive costumes. If you can, find a school attached to a ballet company. They are usually more serious about dance education.

[justasque]

Summer is the perfect time to sample dance classes.  Many studios have week-long dance camps/intensives, where for a short term commitment you and your child can get a feel for the type of dance and the studio.  

[KungFuPanda]

Ballet will help ANY dance form later on. It's always good to keep a ballet class on the side no matter which type of dance you prefer. Posture benefits alone make it worth it :-)

[Ausmumof3]

I don't know how Irish dance works where you are but here the money is in the competitions.

 

The dance classes themselves are very cheap, but the competition fees and dresses are expensive.

 

I do have friends who started ballet as adults because they wanted exercise and found it wasn't really overly energetic so they moved to Irish dance. Irish dance definitely burns a lot of calories.

[Stacia]

My dd does Irish dance & loves it. Her studio does not require competing (some do), so she doesn't compete much. They also do quite a bit of fun stuff during the year (esp around St. Pat's Day) -- things like dancing at "international" night at local elementary schools, senior homes, churches, parades, etc.

 

If you get into competing, it can be pricey. But, if the studio doesn't require being competitive & has other fun options for dancing, I'd highly recommend Irish dance. (Ask how much is required for costuming, if any.)

[Storygirl]

We have never tried Irish dancing, but my children have been involved in ballet for years, and my oldest wants to be a pro. So we're really into it.

 

If you really think that you'd like to consider trying both, starting with one for a while, and then possibly switching to the other, I really think you should try ballet first. Age eight is a traditional age for beginning true ballet technique classes, so if you wait a few years to try it, your oldest may find that she is the oldest by far in the beginning class, which would potentially be discouraging.

 

But I don't know the age ranges for Irish dance classes. It is something you should ask each of the studios.

[poppy]

I don't think a 6 year old gets a lot of exercise in a ballet class. She can learn foundational form, but, she could also wait until she's 8 and get the same thing (for a recreational dancer / non pro).

 

I don't know anything about Irish step dancing.

[catz]

I would say it might depend on the studio. Some ballet based studios might be full of 10 year olds who have been dancing for years and may not have a great fit for a brand new to dance child that age. Some studios do older beginners better than others. A motivated and naturally graceful kid can catch potentially up pretty fast if they can tolerate the first year or so.

 

 

As the parent of a 10 year old girl, she would need to be heavily involved in the decision!

[Daria]

At 10, I'd leave the decision almost entirely up to my child.

[LizzyBee]

My dd is an Irish dancer and five years in, I am really happy that we chose ID. DD loves ID and hopes to dance professionally some day. She has learned poise and confidence in addition to becoming physically fit. I know ballet is thought of as the foundation for all other dance, but ID also is a good foundation and ID dancers who move to ballet tend to get moved up very quickly because they have that foundation already. Conversely, ballet dancers who move to ID also tend to move up the levels very quickly.

 

We've found that ID offers many more opportunties to perform than ballet. My dd loves the stage and lights, so this is a good thing for her. Our studio does performances in local pubs, parades, nursing homes, weddings, banquets and other events. DD also loves competing, so we do that, but our studio offers recreational options too. It has gotten expensive because of dd's focus on performance and competition, but for those who just want to learn to dance, the costs are much less. One of the ballet moms here has mentioned spending $13k in a year, but we've never spent anywhere near that much. There are ways to keep travel costs down, such as taking food, sharing a room with another mom and daughter, carpooling, etc. 

 

If you choose ID, even if your dd is not interested in competing, I would choose a studio that has at least one TCRG (certified teacher) and offers competitive options. The studios that don't offer the option to compete tend not to teach good technique and mechanics. As someone else mentioned, poor technique will lead to injuries. Our studio has worked with a local PT who specializes in biomechanics to work on better (safer) technique to minimize injuries. He is the PT that the Carolina Ballet uses, as well as many Irish and Scottish dancers. 

 

 

[kroe1]

No one learns to dance in 1 hour a week, but it is a good start to see if one may want to pursue it further. My vote is to let your kiddos choose.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

My older dd did both from age 9 to about 13.  They were her PE, and part of her social time.  She got to perform with both, but never competed.  She liked both, for different reasons, but wasn't passionate about either.  When she got to high school she dropped both, for different reasons, but she's glad she did them.