Parents who pirouette

[Guest pink tights]

We have several roll call's on these boards--Dancing Doctors here and age-sex-pointe status over on the Under 13 and age-sex on 13+ parent boards. I've often wondered how many adult students are parents of dancing kids (or non-dancing kids). Did you dance before children or did you become interested in ballet because of your children? Are your children supportive or do they cringe with embarrassment when they see grab you dance bag and head off to class?

 

I'll go first:

 

I have a dd who shares my passion for ballet. Both started dancing at 3 years old....

[dancemomCA]

I take ballet class once a week (I know, it's not enough) and am adding a contemporary class in the fall. We have a great teacher, who teaches only adults plus we enjoy a pianist. The live music is wonderful, I think it's what also keeps me coming back to class - it's certainly not my great extensions!!! LOL. My DS will sometimes take her advanced class when he's home. He's pretty good at not commenting on my lack of turnout, etc! My kids are fine with my ballet class, we also have a dance subscription in Ottawa at NAC, looking forward to the Kirov in the fall.

[Poppy]

I am a dancing parent thanks to my son! I danced from the age of 5 till I was about 15 . We moved 400 miles away from my studio, which was fantastic, to an area where there were two choices of schools. One was absolutely a dolly dinkle, the other was Cechetti based (my previous techers had been with ABT). It wasn't a bad school, but it wasn't as good as where I had been. I took a few classes there but my mom got very upset when the teacher /owner told her that they would have to do some serious work on my arms as they were all wrong! My mom wasn't a dancer herself but, she had always been told by my teachers that my arms were my best asset (still are apparently). That was the end of that studio. Shortly after that, while doing a one off performance on a very slick stage, I injured my ankle very badly - 6 weeks in an ankle brace. The ortho told me I would neer dance again (physio was not really used by normal people back then)

 

Fast forward about 7 or 8 years. We had moved to the UK and my son was 3. We didn't know many people, lived in a town 10 miles from the military base and had only one car! There was a dance studio one street over so I decided to check out what they offered for little ones. My son started a 30 minute class once a week. I started getting itchy feet to dance again so I asked if I could be accomodated. I was put in a class with 12-15 year olds. It didn't bother me! I was dancing. My ankle got stronger, I took exams, including eventually, a teaching exam.

 

We moved back to the states when my son was 7 1/2. He stopped dancing because boys didn't do that where we were. They played baseball!! I am still teaching. I teach at a military base (my son does th te sound and lights when we have to have the annual recital - which I hate doing!!!!!. I take classes in the nearby town and hope to start my RAD Certicicate in Ballet Teachin very soon. All thanks to my son.

[Treefrog]

I take class once a week. After three years of this, I still can't say I'm a ballet dancer, but my flexibility, strength, and balance have all improved greatly.

 

My kids -- teenagers -- mostly cringe. But I hold with me the time in my first year when I came back from class and said something like, "I had this really cool moment when I was totally focused on what my body was doing. It was so neat to have both my mind and body totally engaged," and my older DD smiled and said, "Now you know why I dance."

[dianec]

My son is 8 and in his 2nd year of ballet. I think he might have been embarrassed out of it already (only boy in class of course) if he didn't see me prancing around the kitchen etc. We dance together at home, and also watch Strictly Come Dancing etc. and vote in that.

[Redbookish]

*knock knock * No kids, but the daughter of a dancer mother - she trained at Tring, but went from ballet to acting very quickly. At my Inter RAD exam (now Advanced 1?) she said I'd got past her training! But she still has great legs and feet and extensions! And my nephews are - as yet - non-dancing sons of a pro dancer mother (my sister). We keep on trying to get them dancing and they know lots of working dancers but apparently it's not cool. We're working on that one!

 

Great stories! Thanks for offering them and a great idea for a thread, pink tights

[Blanche]

Another one here! I'm glad for this Board because around here I'm somewhat of an anomaly. Until a fellow adult student enrolled her two daughters this summer, I was the only dancing parent at our school. I started ballet at age six, then continued off and on through a stint as a competitive gymnast (we were required to take ballet once a week). My ballet teacher finally convinced me at 14 to make the switch permanently, and I've never looked back. I continued through the first two years of college (dancing in a regional company and college program), but then transferred to another university where I continued on a recreational basis until I took what I thought would be a hiatus of a month or two...that turned into a five and a half year break instead. I've been back now for eleven years and two children, both of whom now dance, but only after begging for at least six months to go (I guess I'm overly afraid of being perceived as pushing them into my interest).

 

My older daughter proclaimed, at two and a half after seeing the Nutcracker for the first time, that she would be dancing in it at age seven (the cut-off age for auditions). Now we're on our second Nut, and she even had this idea that we could both audition together for the Mother Ginger (Gypsy in our case) and one of the "under-skirt" kids together. She finally changed her mind and decided that she wanted a different part this year (she was a gypsy kid last year). I probably would have done it for her, but I also want her to have her own experience. The younger is now enrolled in a creative movement and beginner tap class and absolutely loves it. For now, neither of my dd's are old enough to be embarassed, and I'll enjoy that for as long as I can!

[sunflower]

I've got two children - a DD who is 6, and a DS who is 3. I did ballet for a year or two as a child but nothing significant, though I had often regretted giving it up. Eighteen months ago I signed my daughter up for a ballet class (on her suggestion), and realised that I felt ever so slightly jealous. So one evening I googled "ballet classes for adults" and was amazed to discover a whole new world out there - the rest is history! So basically it was my daughter who inspired me She's still dancing (just took her RAD primary exam) but DS is adamant (in a very three year old way) that he doesn't want to start!

 

Again, they're both too young to really get embarrassed by me - DD seems to like it that we both do ballet and often tries to get me to dance with her. DS does occasionally say "stop doing ballet mummy!" when I'm trying to practice pirouettes in the kitchen. And neither of them complain (much!) when I disappear off to a class in the evening or miss their bedtimes because I'm late home. I definitely feel like I've been a better parent since starting ballet, between the kids and my PhD it's bliss to have a few hours a week when I can just let go of everything else.

[Redbookish]

Young children AND a PhD, sunflower! I'm in awe. Please post this on the 'Dancing doctors" thread - I think you would be an inspiration to others.

 

The 4 year old daughter of a colleague thinks I must be a little girl, because I do ballet like her!

[jimpickles]

I had always thought that my two sons (25 and 26 years old) were embarrassed by me. But little hints suggest that they are secretly quite proud of me! i.e. of what I get up to at my old age!

 

Jim.

[robinmc]

I was dancing up until about 4 years ago, when my job became too intense, but I love dancing. I try to take a few classes here and there when time permits. I take ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop. Ballet being my favorite but I am more suited to jazz (body time) and style.

 

My suggestion is nobody is too old to dance, and being in healthcare, it keeps you young, active and healthy.

[primasylph]

I don't know if I really count cause my son is 3, but I'm a dance major!