Itty Bitty Baby

[TemptressToo]

I'm one of the adult ballet dancers on this board. I take three hours of class a week...AND...I'm the Mom to a 2.5 year old little girl.

 

Baby T2 is fascinated with ballet. She asks me every day, "Mommy going to ballet?" She begs to go with me (I was forced to take her once or miss a class...needless to say, I should have missed the class). She always asks for ballet hair and was a ballerina for Halloween which thrilled her.

 

Anyway, I'd like to foster her love of my hobby (at least until she is old enough to make up her own mind). She's too young for Mommy & Me classes, but I was wondering if there are some decent ballet DVD's geared for wee ones just starting out.

 

Any insight or recommendations would be appreciated.

[Victoria Leigh]

Temptress, it's lovely that your 2.5 year old is fascinated, but I strongly suggest that you keep her that way by showing her DVD's of ballet. Please no classes or stretches or exercises of any kind for a child that age! The sooner she starts, the longer she will have to deal with stuff like Mommy and Me and creative movement and then pre-ballet, and by that time, it is highly likely that she will hate it. A year of Creative and a year of Pre are max before they start "real ballet", IMO. Let her watch your classes once in a while, if you like, and watch ballet with her. Get her some childrens books on ballet. There are even coloring books. But please, don't let her think she is doing it yet! They have to wait until certain ages for everything, and this is one of those things.

[Hillary1]

Oh Yes! Don't laugh. Barbie in the Nutcracker. Barbie in Swan Lake, and my favorite Barbie & the 12 Dancing Princesses. The actual ballet dancing in these Barbie films was choreographed by Peter Martins of NYCB. Maria Kowroski & Charles Askegard were used as models using computer animation. Your DD 2.5 will LOVE them. Enjoy!

 

I make no suggestion she would learn any ballet from these films, but at her tiny age, she should would have fun watching them!

[Serendipity]

I used to do "drama" with three year olds. There are loads of little CDs out there that can be used with little ones that are "teaching" but mostly fun using some of the little moves. The one I'm thinking of actually has tracks that have talking on them, teaching the little ones to just sit in butterfly, rock back and forth, etc. mostly creative movement. I can't find the name though!! The small school I go to uses it and it's just adorable the way the little ones respond.

[TemptressToo]

No worries, I won't be a stage Mom. I just know whenever she watches something, anything with dancing...it becomes her favorite movie and I get to watch it over and over. For example, Shirley Temple and The Little Princess. She screams "ballet" every time the dream sequence comes on. LOL!