Memory

[jphoenix]

My son is 10 and has just returned from spending a month at the grade 5 introductory program at NBS. He did very well and enjoyed his classes very much. Watching his classes on parents day though, I noticed that he really struggles with memorizing the excercises. Does anyone have any tips to help him with this. I am not sure if it is a focus issue, or if he really just can't commit them to memory.

[Tarheeldance]

My son has the same issue. He's 11 and one of my favorite things to say about him is "he has a body of a 14 year old and a brain of an 11 year old". It's difficult for him sometimes, because he looks so much older than 11, but that has its benefits too. I will try to give you some comfort. What I've seen with my own son in the past year is that he still struggles with picking things up as quickly as maybe the girls might, but there has been great improvement. I really think that this is something that will continue to improve with maturity. Let's keep our fingers crossed. I may have helped a little bit, by getting him into a class where he is always challenged to learn a new combination. Practice makes perfect. I think training our brains are sometimes as important or even more important than training our bodies. So, my suggestion might be to look for opportunities to challenge his memory and retention, especially through dance choreography. Good Luck!

[Clara 76]

Boys are typically behind girls at that age, and it can last awhile! That said, if it doesn't improve gradually, and hopefully his teachers at NBS will keep you apprised of the situation and work on it with him, you could take him to a doc just to be sure everything electrically and mechanically are working right.

 

My hunch is it's simply his age and he'll be fine in a few years!!

[cheetah]

I can only add that, yes, at that age, my DS had problems with combinations. He is finally able to pick things up. He doesn't need to mark. He's been able to do this for about a year or two. Oh yeah - he's 16 going on 17. It's very frustrating when they can perform the moves really, really well, so everyone expects that they can pick up the combinations very quickly. That's why, in retrospect, I wich I had not allowed his teachers to move him up in class - things were just too quick, and it's really easy for a 12 and 13 year old to get frustrated when all the girls around them "get it" and he simply can't.

[dancemomCA]

Hmmm, looking back to the early years, DS seemed to be a little bit "at sea" at age 10/11, but then he also simply hated his extra ballet class with older girls, so not sure if this was a factor. Moved studios where at age 12-13 he was much happier, gained more confidence and started picking up exercises and choreography quite quickly. But this could also be better focus and concentration in class, less worrying about the attitude of your classmates, more mind focus on the steps at hand. I too, think it improves with maturity of body, technique and self-confidence in one's abilities.

 

Now, at 18 this has developed into one of his strengths, his teacher jokes that he is the "Mother Hen" of the class, he always knows where they are in class/rehearsal, (also knows who is sick, late for class) told him he would make a good Ballet Master one day.