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How to Ready Your Five Year Old Daughter for Ballet Class
Edited by Eve Pearlman, Jack Herrick, Tom Viren, Lily A and 17 others
As with many of the tasks of daily life, the devils in the details when preparing a young child for ballet class. Not only is there a need to ensure that you have the right gear but you also need to instill the right attitude, interest level and give your child the appropriate support. With careful attention, your child will be ready to take her place at the barre with all the other little girls.
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EditSteps
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1Find the ballet bag the morning before. Is it still in the back of the car from last week? Did it get tossed into the laundry basket? Make sure you have a clean leotard, tights, and ballet sweater. If you don't, be sure to wash whatever you need the night before.Ad -
2Feed your child a snack an hour before class. Yogurt or fruit is good. Some young children will get sick from dancing after eating a large meal, so make sure you feed her enough, but not too much! You want to make sure she's energized for an hour's worth of late-in-the-day precision dance exercises. -
3A half hour before: Have her go to the bathroom, then get her dressed in everything but ballet slippers. -
4Make the hair into a bun twenty minutes before leaving. The simplest way to do this is to make a regular ponytail, then twist the hair until it coils up against her head. Then wrap all the remaining hair up with a second hair tie. Apply clips to the side to keep wisps tidy. If your daughter has short hair, usually the best thing to do is put her hair up in a half pony-tail. -
5Leave on time. Do not forget the ballet bag with all essential items! -
6Get her to class ten minutes before. -
7Help her put on her slippers five minutes before class. Make sure she remembers to put the ballet bag away on the shelf or in the storage zone. Remember to tuck the elastic ties on the slipper inside the shoe, so that they don't fall off! -
8Kiss her and tell her to have fun as she goes to line up with peers. Stay and watch if appropriate, or leave if she is easily embarrassed and wants to be by herself.Ad
EditTips
- If needed, add a hairnet to your daughters bun. To use, just twist the hairnet around the bun and, if needed, secure with a pin.
- Don't let her wear her ballet slippers outside. They are not street shoes. They will get dirty and worn out quickly, and will make the studio dance floors dirty and slippery.
- Make sure she goes to the bathroom before she puts on her tights and leotard. Taking everything off once she's already dressed is no fun at all.
- Ballet clothes can be expensive. As everyone wears the same outfits, make sure you label any clothing that can be removed - e.g ballet cardigans and shoes so you know which items belong to your child and they don't get lost.
- Make sure that she wears a cover-up over her leotard and tights when she goes outside. For small children a skirt is good.
- If it's the last week of the month, bring your check book so you can pay your tuition for the coming month. Or, just make sure to pay as required - whether it be in advance, weekly, monthly or quarterly etc.
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