Height for male dancers

[MamagirlSC]

My DS is 11 almost 12 & will be auditioning for summer intensives for the first time--beginning next weekend. I was wondering if programs look for a certain height at this age. My DS is proportionate & very slim, but he's not very tall & I'm not sure at this point if he ever will be 5'10 or above. He is very serious about ballet & I'm worried that height may be an issue for him in the future. Thanks in advance for any insight.

[Victoria Leigh]

I don't think they will be concerned about his height at all at this age, MamagirlSC. They are looking for talent and potential, and they know that boys very often have their growth later than girls at this age.

[MamagirlSC]

Yay! Thank you Victoria--that's good news. I find myself worried to death about these SI auditions--more so than my son. I just feel for him--stepping out of his safe comfort zone.

[Victoria Leigh]

If he wants to do dance, then this is the time for him to go for it. He might not be accepted to every program, but he might even get a scholarship to others, so you never know until you try. It's a good way to find out about his ability and potential, and for him to learn where he stands with his training so far.

[finallykf]

I always worry about the height issue too! My son is only 10 but is a bit tall for his age right now. People have already started asking how tall we think he will be. I always get concerned at SI auditions that they are sizing him up for height based upon my husband's height. My husband is my son's step-dad and he is pretty short, just barely 5'7!!! His bio dad is about 5'11 but he is adopted so we have no idea what kind of height the men on that side of his family have. I'm 5'4 but we have some pretty tall men on my side of the family.

[Clara 76]

There are very few schools who take information about biological parents into consideration, and they are spread out around the world. I wouldn't give it a second thought unless he is trying out for one of the most-prized schools globally.

[MamagirlSC]

My oldest was the tallest boy until about 10th grade & he plateaued at 6'. Now at 20--I think he's grown 2 inches since he was 19. I guess we'll see what happens with my youngest. :-)

[tropicfive]

Enjoy being the parent of a "medium height" dancer. My son, who has been dancing for 12 years is now 17 and 6'4. As he began auditioning for companies this spring, we have found several that require their male dancers to be 6'2 or less!

[chel]

On the other side of the spectrum my 10 year old is the size of an average 6 year old. He gets frustrated that the Nut party boys he shares roles with tend to be 7ish and that despite his technique being solid he does not get to move up to any other roles because of his height. At some studios costumes are a huge part of the process.

[Small Slipper]

My 12... (13 this year) son is tiny. He is only 4'6. I mean this kid is tiny. But he loves to dance and it shows. He is also in his first year of auditions for SI. One down and Two to go. So far he did very well and he is happy.

I think height may become an issue as he gets older-and he has to partner more...he probably will never be much more than 5'4- 5'5 But we will worry about that later--right now he is just having a great time! (PS He is learning some partnering from 2 professionals and doing very well...)

[EMGlad]

At 11, most SIs are just looking for skill, maturity and commitment. Some consider body style to be pretty important at this age and a few take parental height into account. But teachers all know that some 12 year olds have hit an almost adult height and some are still years off, he'll be fine :-) Just remember he's near that jumping off point, just before puberty, so keep an eye on his diet. All that intense dancing really burns calories. Plenty of protein and calcium! Our guys only build bone density until about 18-19, and after puberty when the long bones stop growing, you can't go back and make up for an inadequate diet. Other than that, his genes are what they are, all he has control over is hitting his potential as a dancer :-)

[CeliB]

have you seen daniil simkin? 5 foot 7" of pure beauty....

www.daniilsimkin.com/

[moddydave]

Who knows when the next growth spurt will appear! so let him enjoy his dance life as long as possible.

But be prepared for a harsh reality at 17/18 years onwards.

More and more larger [and smaller] companies and AD's seem to be demanding a homogenous look - if you're not in the range 5'10" to about 6'2" then you may have trouble unless you're the next Baryshnikov [and even he might have problems nowadays!].

DS is 5'9-1/2" at 20, and is considered small, and ineligible for some roles and partnering in his European company.

[dancemaven]

Oops! A post was removed because this is a restricted forum for Parents of male dancers only.

[arabento]

So what is a good height for a male dancer. My son(almost 18) will probably be in the 5'10"-6ft range, he is 5'10" now but both his dad and older brother grew a few inches in their early 20s. I know of a young man who is 16 and has completed his growth and is only 5'2", are there companies that are hiring men of that height? If so where, as he really wants to dance. This is off the male subject, but I didn't know where to put it. What is the height range for women? Does someone who is 4'11" have a chance or do they want over 5ft.? Thanks, as we are starting on this journey of auditions next year I find it helpful to have all the information I can so that we make good decisions about where to spend the limited travel resources.