Ballet vs gymnastics for beginner

[Rachel]

My 6 year old has expressed interest in ballet or gymnastics. How do I decide?

 

She is built like me and probably more suited for gymnastics. I did gymnastics through middle school and really enjoyed it. There are only two gyms nearby and they are comparable in quality and cost. One is significantly more convenient.

 

There are at least 6 ballet studios/ schools within 20 minutes plus a few dance studios that offer a ballet class. She is more enthusiastic about the idea of ballet but is not particularly graceful, even for a 6 year old. Although, I do think ballet instruction could help her with that. I have no idea what to look for in a ballet studio as I know absolutely nothing about dance.

 

The cost of tuition for ballet or gymnastics is similar. I don't know about the hidden costs of leotards etc. though. Due to schedule, I would only let her try one sport at a time but I'm not opposed to trying one and then switching if she doesn't love it. The gymnastics gym is 5 minutes away, there is a dance studio also 5 minutes away, but the dedicated ballet studios are at least 15-20 minutes from us. We are used to driving to activities so it isn't a huge deal but something to consider as she gets older and practices more frequently.

[KungFuPanda]

My daughter did both at that age. Tuition was similar, but ballet ended up costing more with costumes, shoes, and recital fees. Id let her try one this coming semester and one in the summer, then choose.

 

ETA: At 6, the 'ballet' classes are often ballet/tap combos and don't divide into separate glasses until they're 8. They're really just fun music and movement classes.

Edited December 19, 2015 by KungFuPanda

[ErinE]

I've taught dance, particularly to young children, for a number of years so my thoughts stem from that.

 

I think, for a six year old, gymnastics and tumbling would be a better fit. In my experience, children don't really have the body awareness required for ballet until they are around eight. There's little difference between a child who's danced since three and a child who started at eight once they reach the usual age for pointe, 11 or 12 years old. If I remember correctly, there was a documentary on the Bolshoi Ballet that claimed the company only accepted children ages 8+ (they didn't accept on talent, just body type and jumping mechanics).

 

If she loves gymnastics, the gym will likely recommend ballet classes in time.

[catz]

For a high energy homeschooled 6 year old, I don't think it would be too much to do an hour or 2 of creative movement/dance and an hour of tumbling a week if you were willing. Another good way to try the opposite is to do a summer camp. Nice way to get a quick flavor for the other.

 

 

My 11 year old dances, but has done some acro/tumbling throughout. She is going on pointe in January so she is ballet oriented. And she is not a natural at either. I would agree that some late starters (not all) catch up quickly in dance. I think that's harder in gymnastics.

[gardenmom5]

if she is more partial to ballet - do ballet.  ballet will teach grace, so I wouldn't let that stop you.  at the very least, it will help her develop physically and maybe even develop a life long love of the art.  there are women who do ballet just for exercise - not because they have any dreams of being a professional ballerina.

[Rachel]

For a high energy homeschooled 6 year old, I don't think it would be too much to do an hour or 2 of creative movement/dance and an hour of tumbling a week if you were willing. Another good way to try the opposite is to do a summer camp. Nice way to get a quick flavor for the other.

 

 

My 11 year old dances, but has done some acro/tumbling throughout. She is going on pointe in January so she is ballet oriented. And she is not a natural at either. I would agree that some late starters (not all) catch up quickly in dance. I think that's harder in gymnastics.

Camp is a great idea to try out both. Classes tend to be in the evenings and we already have things a couple nights, I'd like to sit down to eat as a family as often as possible. I think she would be fine with multiple activities but I have two other children to consider as well.

[SKL]

Unless she has a preference for ballet, I would choose gymnastics.  Or try both, if that is an option.

[luuknam]

Get a free sample class from a couple of ballet places and a couple of gymnastics places. Ask her which she liked best and why. Go from there.

 

If cost is a concern, I would make sure to ask about performances/competitions etc. Also, talk to parents while your kid takes a sample class. Parents can tell you the good and the bad, and possibly any hidden costs or whether things like competitions are something only some kids do or practically all kids do etc.

 

ETA: I started ballet when I was 7, because I wanted to. My mom first took me to a sample jazz ballet class because she thought I'd like that. Turned out that I meant regular ballet and was not interested in jazz ballet at all. Luckily, it was only one sample class, and I liked the sample class at a regular ballet place and did ballet for iirc 6 years. Anyway, your daughter may or may not have something specific in mind.

Edited December 19, 2015 by luuknam

[Rachel]

Get a free sample class from a couple of ballet places and a couple of gymnastics places. Ask her which she liked best and why. Go from there.

 

If cost is a concern, I would make sure to ask about performances/competitions etc. Also, talk to parents while your kid takes a sample class. Parents can tell you the good and the bad, and possibly any hidden costs or whether things like competitions are something only some kids do or practically all kids do etc.

 

ETA: I started ballet when I was 7, because I wanted to. My mom first took me to a sample jazz ballet class because she thought I'd like that. Turned out that I meant regular ballet and was not interested in jazz ballet at all. Luckily, it was only one sample class, and I liked the sample class at a regular ballet place and did ballet for iirc 6 years. Anyway, your daughter may or may not have something specific in mind.

It didn't occur to me check into sample classes, that is a great idea!

[kroe1]

Gymnastics is better to learn at a younger age before fear sets in. Competition dance also requires lots of acrobatics.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

I'd suggest gymnastics over Ballet at this age.

[Ali in OR]

My kiddos did gymnastics young--preschool through ages 9 and 7--then switched to ballet. I thought gymnastics was awesome for learning how your body moves in space and that those skills transfer well to any future physical endeavor. The ballet studio we go to has classes for little ones but the regular ballet curriculum begins at about age 8. And most kids don't really seem to have a lot of natural grace so don't worry about that! My kiddos weren't really naturals at either but older dd is still doing ballet at 15 because she enjoys it. Youngest has moved on to soccer and running.

Edited December 19, 2015 by Ali in OR

[bettyandbob]

Check to see if any facility has a homeschool class during daytime hours, if attending during traditional school hours is convenient. Usually such classes are offered for a cheaper rate. 

 

Ballet has been a great activity for my dd18, but she didn't express a strong interest until she was 9. Prior to that she had tried gymnastics, a variety of other sports and various kinds of dance through different programs in our community. She didn't do everything at once (although there was one year where she did a lot of extras). We changed up every season or so until she said she wanted to focus completely on ballet. 

[redsquirrel]

as the mom of two dedicated ballet dancers, I say gymnastics first. First of all, they are really different skills and I think gymnastics foundational skills are better learned at around 5-8.  Ballet at 6 is really move movement and awareness of rhythm.  As someone mentioned upthread, around 8 years old is really a better time to start 'real' ballet. My son's attend a pre-professional level school and they don't start the kids with actual ballet until 8 or third grade.

 

And, since you are more familiar with gymnastics you can more easy discern which school is better for her needs. You can take your time and ask around and find out about the different ballet schools in your area. The other parents at the gymnastic schools might be good sources of information for something like that because there is often some cross-over.

 

I wish I had sent my boys to a couple years of tumbling before ballet became so dominant in their lives. There are things they can't do, like a cartwheel, and the ballet teachers aren't really able to teach them, but they come up in dances. So, a couple times my sons have done some REALLY BAD cartwheels onstage, lol. I have considered signing them up for a short class, even a couple private lessons to get that stuff covered, but I have heard from other parents that while the gymnastics school is very good with girls, they have no idea what to do with boys and their training of boys is very lackluster. So, I haven't bothered.

 

 

And most kids don't have grace at age 6!  I have been watching the dancers grow up at the ballet school and what I see in a dancer at age 12 is NOT what I saw when he or she was 7.  OMG, really, really not! It is an amazing thing to watch over time.

 

[kitten18]

as the mom of two dedicated ballet dancers, I say gymnastics first. First of all, they are really different skills and I think gymnastics foundational skills are better learned at around 5-8. Ballet at 6 is really move movement and awareness of rhythm. As someone mentioned upthread, around 8 years old is really a better time to start 'real' ballet. My son's attend a pre-professional level school and they don't start the kids with actual ballet until 8 or third grade.

 

And, since you are more familiar with gymnastics you can more easy discern which school is better for her needs. You can take your time and ask around and find out about the different ballet schools in your area. The other parents at the gymnastic schools might be good sources of information for something like that because there is often some cross-over.

 

I wish I had sent my boys to a couple years of tumbling before ballet became so dominant in their lives. There are things they can't do, like a cartwheel, and the ballet teachers aren't really able to teach them, but they come up in dances. So, a couple times my sons have done some REALLY BAD cartwheels onstage, lol. I have considered signing them up for a short class, even a couple private lessons to get that stuff covered, but I have heard from other parents that while the gymnastics school is very good with girls, they have no idea what to do with boys and their training of boys is very lackluster. So, I haven't bothered.

 

 

And most kids don't have grace at age 6! I have been watching the dancers grow up at the ballet school and what I see in a dancer at age 12 is NOT what I saw when he or she was 7. OMG, really, really not! It is an amazing thing to watch over time.

I completely agree.

[skimomma]

My dd did both at that age and ultimately decided on gymnastics.  Had I known what I know now, I may have been more cautious about setting boundaries.  She took one recreational session at age six and was immediately invited to join the team.  I did not really understand what this meant until it was far too late.  The cost and time commitment only increased a little at first but quickly ramped up to a point that was difficult for our family.  Dd loved it so we made it work.  I don't think there is anything wrong with team gymnastics but I also think parents need to think about it before it becomes an option and know what their time and financial limits are.

 

Dd spend five years on the team before she decided to quit.  She grew a whole bunch, lost some skills, had fear issues, etc..... and decided to move on to another sport.  In the end everyone is happy but I spent the last two years terrified that she would get seriously injured as she moved up in levels.  I think dd would have been happy to just do a weekly recreational class for that entire time but in our area the non-team options are non-existent past a certain skill level.

 

I know dance can have similar consequences but from what I can tell there are far more options for recreational dance at any age than there are for gymnastics.  So ask lots of questions and grill any parent you can get to talk to you!

[*****]

I think the experience of ballet first really helped my DD2 with her gymnastics experience later. You could tell the girls who had been in ballet first as  they were more graceful in all of their movements and had better posture in holding their heads up high, etc. 

 

I know you may not be sure if your daughter will ever compete in gymnastics. My first daughter did not seem to be a dancer type and I started her in gymnastics rather than ballet. I wish I had, just to give her that grace in body posture for being a 'lady'.  She didn't want to compete, so she didn't. She is more of a horse person, and ballet could have helped with her grace in riding I feel. 

 

But I feel gymnastics is good for anyone, especially boys. I am amazed at what young boys can do in gymnastics. It builds strength, awareness of body and discipline, to name a few. This helps them later on no matter what sport they are in. Boys would benefit so much from basic gymnastic exposure. When I taught swimming, the kids who had gymnastics seemed to be naturals in their learning of swimming. They were good listeners, had a good sense of body in space, could produce better of what I asked of them. (I am not comparing this to those who had ballet or gymnastics, I am just giving 2 cents in the advantage of having gymnastics overall.)

[lea_lpz]

At her age I would not worry to much about what you think would be a better fit and just let her try ballet if it's her preference. For me, in the early elementary years I am looking for exposure, confidence to try something new and an outlet to met new people. Maybe she'll want to try gymnastics next year?

[Amy in NH]

The local gymnastics place nickel and dimed us all year; no sibling discount; all the older girl were injured in some way. The local dance school has a fabulous break for each additional family hour of dance; amazing instructors and opportunities for growth. Guess where we chose to spend our time and money? 😀

[Storygirl]

My children have done both gymnastics and ballet. DD13 is training with the hope of becoming a professional dancer, and DS11 is a competitive gymnast, so we are highly involved in both. I think you can't go wrong with either as a place to start. Most dance studios follow the school year schedule, though, and began their classes last September, so if you start now, it will be in the middle. Gymnastics, though, often runs on a 6 or 8 week class schedule (until they join a team), so it is easier to start mid-year. So perhaps do gymnastics for the rest of this school year, then decide if she wants to continue or try ballet instead.

 

If you want to keep the costs down in dance, by the way, ask ahead of time about recital and costume fees. There can be a huge difference in these kind of costs from studio to studio. Also, you might want to give some thought to whether you would prefer a competition studio, where they learn many different kinds of dance and often compete as a dance team, or a ballet-centered studio. You can find some studio schedules online, and it is worthwhile spending a little time exploring the websites of the dance studios near you to get a feel for their culture.

Edited December 20, 2015 by Storygirl

[fdrinca]

I'm reminded of a study from earlier in the year: 

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-dance-class-exercise-20150518-story.html

 

DD7 really, really wanted to like ballet. We tried a few studios and different teachers within studios. In the end, she found it boring. Gymnastics worked better for her personality.

[Ausmumof3]

I don't know which is better for you but I've found doing short burst school holiday clinics is a good way of figuring out which sports the kids really love.

[PeterPan]

The "grace" issue will probably improve with the strength-building and proprioception (sense of self in space) that comes with gymnastics.  Get her a tutu and a video from the library for the ballet.  It could just be a girly thing, like she likes the OUTFITS, the music, whatever, not so much an informed sense of what will feel good for her body.

[Dmmetler]

Some dance studios have a floor acro class for littles. This is kind of a best of both worlds-it lets them have the recital and cute costume, but in class they're mostly working on bridge ups, rolls, cartwheels, and eventually backbends and splits.

 

In 20/20 hindsight, I wish I'd put DD in acro instead of the "preschool dance", because she could have benefitted greatly from that flexibility and strength development, and honestly, as long as she could get a cute little tutu, she would have been happy. At 3-4, she didn't care what it was-she just wanted to do something (we did a season of cheer because I missed dance sign ups, then a year of dance, and then a few years of both.

[Dmmetler]

Some dance studios have a floor acro class for littles. This is kind of a best of both worlds-it lets them have the recital and cute costume, but in class they're mostly working on bridge ups, rolls, cartwheels, and eventually backbends and splits.

 

In 20/20 hindsight, I wish I'd put DD in acro instead of the "preschool dance", because she could have benefitted greatly from that flexibility and strength development, and honestly, as long as she could get a cute little tutu, she would have been happy. At 3-4, she didn't care what it was-she just wanted to do something (we did a season of cheer because I missed dance sign ups, then a year of dance, and then a few years of both.

[sassenach]

Dd did ballet from 3-8, jazz from 8-9, gymnastics from 9-10 (a year and a half), and back to ballet and contemporary at 11. I would say gymnastics at 6. Dd gained some serious strength, flexibility and gross body awareness over her foray in gymnastics. Early ballet helped with posture, fine motor skills, and musical awareness. Also, dd has the best hands and arms in her dance studio because she started out at a pre-professional ballet school and they trained those hand positions so early, she has never lost them. It's a small thing, but noticeable. So if you go ballet, go to a pre-professional school.

Edited December 20, 2015 by Sassenach

[Farrar]

I think gymnastics is usually a lot more fun for younger kids unless they're really driven to do ballet. For the kid who is into the idea of ballet, I'd just get them a tutu and a ballet music CD for play time but put them into gymnastics. If she really has the ballet bug, it'll be there in a year. And ballet when they're little is rarely actually ballet. It's "pre" ballet. 

[Ellie]

My 6 year old has expressed interest in ballet or gymnastics. How do I decide?

 

She is built like me and probably more suited for gymnastics. I did gymnastics through middle school and really enjoyed it. There are only two gyms nearby and they are comparable in quality and cost. One is significantly more convenient.

 

There are at least 6 ballet studios/ schools within 20 minutes plus a few dance studios that offer a ballet class. She is more enthusiastic about the idea of ballet but is not particularly graceful, even for a 6 year old. Although, I do think ballet instruction could help her with that. I have no idea what to look for in a ballet studio as I know absolutely nothing about dance.

 

The cost of tuition for ballet or gymnastics is similar. I don't know about the hidden costs of leotards etc. though. Due to schedule, I would only let her try one sport at a time but I'm not opposed to trying one and then switching if she doesn't love it. The gymnastics gym is 5 minutes away, there is a dance studio also 5 minutes away, but the dedicated ballet studios are at least 15-20 minutes from us. We are used to driving to activities so it isn't a huge deal but something to consider as she gets older and practices more frequently.

 

I know that many people let their dc do both, but for us, the time commitment alone would have been impossible. And there's the cost factor. o_0

 

We went with ballet (and then a side track for a number of years to Highland dance, then back to ballet). I chose a ballet school that did only ballet. The first school my dds went to required all students to do ballet first before they could do tap or whatever, so I thought that would be ok (I didn't do any formal dance when I was growing up). At the recital, I loved all the cute little kidlets doing their little dances :-) but what caused me to not send my dc back were the older dancers, the ones who had been there for five or six or more years, including my dds' teacher, who did a solo. Even to my untrained eye, those dancers were for the most part just...poor. I felt that if my dds wanted to dance, they should get the best dance instruction possible, and this school was not it.

 

So then I visited the school that a friend's dd attended, and I could see just from the classes alone that it was superior to the other school, and I planned to enroll my dds the next year. However, we were sucked in by Highland dance, so there you go. :-)

 

If I were looking for a ballet school today, I'd want to watch a class, and look at pictures of any shows, and if the dancers were skankily dressed, I'd be out of there. I'd also want to be sure that the teachers don't encourage dancers to be anorexic. I'd like an RAD (Royal Academy of the Dance), but if the teachers emphasize weight, then that would be an automatic NOT.

[mathmarm]

My niece and son are in toddler gymnastics/tumbling and really enjoy it. I think that for a child under 8, I would stick with a gymnastics CLASS, but indulge the Ballet interest at home with DVDs, tutus, etc...

 

I started this thread a while back for help gathering resources for indoor, physical fitness stuff and it has a lot of suggestions for possible DVDS.

 

Here are the DVDs that pertain to dance/ballet.

 

 

Dance Medium Pace

Dance n' Beats a free Preschool Kids Dance curriculum--they also sell DVDs through Mother Goose Time but the site is down, but there are several videos on YouTube that can be used.

Dancersice Kids

Fit Kids Club Workout DVD -- well reviewed program on Amazon that looks interesting.

DanceX Fun Dance and Exercise for Kids --

Petite Feet (Ballet Adventures with Liz) vol 1 and vol 2 Ballet DVDs

TinkerBell Learns Ballet Step by Step

Dancing for Kids 3-in-1(Junior Jazz, Toddler Tap, Baby Ballet)

Nursery Tap Hip to Toe vol 1 and 2

123 Tap with Miss Anita

 

[Rachel]

The "grace" issue will probably improve with the strength-building and proprioception (sense of self in space) that comes with gymnastics. Get her a tutu and a video from the library for the ballet. It could just be a girly thing, like she likes the OUTFITS, the music, whatever, not so much an informed sense of what will feel good for her body.

This is what I have been doing for the past couple of years. She also did a 6 week ballet class through parks and rec, but that was a one time deal. She is asking for a regular activity and is not currently in anything that meets more than once a month except for church.

[Ausmumof3]

If she's already done a six week class and loves it I would go for it. I think the fact that she enjoys it is more important than her body type etc