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17
Mar
Mar
General
Are you worried about your child losing interest in ballet ?
First of all, take a deep breath, it’s normal for a child to lose interest in something they once loved and it can happen for a variety of reasons. We will discuss some helpful tips for you to help reignite your child’s love for ballet.
- Talk to your child : This should be the first step in addressing your child’s waning interest in ballet. Talk to them. Ask them why they are losing interest and listen to their concerns. Perhaps they are bored with their current class, or struggling with a particular part of the class to do with technique. Maybe they are feeling the pressure to perform or compete. Perhaps they are worried they are not meeting your expectations in terms of their progress in ballet. It could also be that sometimes their friends have moved up but they are yet to . It’s important to understand what’s going on with them before looking for a solution.
- Attend a performance : Seeing professional dancers perform on stage can be very inspiring and may reignite your child’s love for ballet. After the performance, talk to your child about what they liked and what they didn’t like about the performance. Ask them questions about the choreography, costumes, favourite parts and music to get them thinking.
- Set realistic expectations: Ensure that your child is dancing for the love of it, not just to please you or meet your expectations. Help your child set realistic goals that they can work towards at their own pace.
4. Make it fun : Make ballet fun for your child. Encourage them to dance around the house, play music and let them experiment with their own choreography. Ballet doesn’t have to be serious and rigid all the time – it can also be playful and creative. Younger grades’ ballet classes often use games and rhymes , story based themes that weave ballet technique through them. As the students progress to higher grades, and focus on technique and technical demands increase, they might miss that in lower grades.
5. Take part in events and competitions : Lookout for events at your ballet academy such as recitals, open house, ballet with mum’s/dad’s classes , drawing competitions, where you could engage with your child and at the same time develop appreciation for ballet.
6. Try a new class : If your child is feeling bored with their current class, consider trying a new one. We would not recommend it immediately at the first sign of boredom , as it’s important that the child learns to consistently work hard towards certain objectives, a skill that will help them in any area of life as they grow up. However, if the writing on the wall is clear and your child has just moved on from ballet, encourage them to try a new dance style or anything else they might be interested in .
7. Talk to the teacher : Any good ballet academy or ballet teacher will always welcome conversations about the students with their parents. A good ballet teacher will always keep the student at the centre of the conversation and would suggest any of the options listed above, including trying a different genre, taking a break or perhaps being involved in other non-ballet activities. Approach the teacher or ballet school and have a discussion.
By trying one or many of the tips above, you can help your child rediscover their passion for ballet. Remember, the most important thing is to support your child and encourage them to dance for the love of it.
