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Enrichment

Teach Your Children to Practice Grace

In a Ballet Class!

By Stacy DeBroff

European country peasants were the first to perform the classical art form that is today known as ballet. During the Renaissance, ballet made its way into the more elite sections of society, and was used as an accompaniment to classical music, poetry, and song in the royal courts of France and Italy. When professional ballet dancers began to appear in the 17th century, their skirts became shorter and the stages higher so as to accentuate the fancy footwork. Originally, ballet dancers were men while women had to earn their right to dance publicly. Today, ballet is often seen as the best foundation for all other types of dance.

BENEFITS

1. Provides children with an otherwise rare exposure to classical music and other classical art forms

2. Enhances the development of posture and general muscle control abdominal muscles, flexibility, and stamina.

3. Teaches children how to show respect for an instructor and an art.

4. Requires enormous concentration and internal effort

5. Provides lessons in tenacity and determination.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN CLASS

Ballet is an art form built on hundreds of years of tradition. A good ballet class commands respect for the instructor and the art. This means not slouching at the barre, not speaking out of turn, and beginning and ending an exercise with poise and full attention. Bowing or curtsying to your teacher after class is also a sign of gratitude and respect. These small touches can add clarity and precision to your child’s skills as a ballet dancer.

Your child’s first ballet class will most likely include an introduction to the basics: the barre, jumps, and travelling steps. She will work at the barre with two hands and learn simple combinations of dance steps on the floor.

If she is older, she will probably do barre work with one hand and learn how to move her legs in multiple directions. She will practice standing with her feet flat and then on demi-pointe. She will be instructed to move her legs both quickly and slowly at various degrees of height depending on her physical maturity. Ideally, the working leg should extend 90° without excess stress and her posture should be naturally controlled. More advanced classes will do these same exercises and finish with pointe work for the girls and jump practice for the boys. Advanced classes separate movements slowly, focusing on technique and performance. As children are able to remember more counts and combinations, training will progress to complicated movements and more careful footwork. By learning how to correctly use their bodies early on, children avoid injuring themselves later.

WHEN TO START EN POINTE WORK

First worn in the early 1800s, point shoes are made by hand using satin, heavy cardboard, light nails, cord, canvas and special stiffening glue. They have a thin leather sole and a box that surrounds the ballerina’s toes. At the end of the toe is a flat, hard tip about the size of a silver dollar.

Pointe work is the essence of classical ballet. In the ballet world, “en pointe,” or dancing on your toes while wearing special satin slippers, is an important and prestigious rite of passage. It may appear that ballerinas waltz effortlessly across the stage, but pointe actually demands an incredible amount of physical strength.

Your child should not begin dancing on pointe until she has developed enough muscular strength in her lower legs, feet and back, strong body coordination, and proper skeletal alignment.

Usually, this is not before age 10 or 11. If she dances on pointe too soon, she could damage ligaments and tendons and harm the development of her ankles and feet. You may be overjoyed watching your child in his or her dance recital, but all that practice can take its toll on a young child’s body. Here are a few things to look for in your child to prevent injury.

SAFETY CONCERNS & INJURIES

• Injuries can occur in dance, but usually from misalignments, and muscle strains are common.

• Even with the best training, accidents can happen and overuse can injure fragile joints like the knee or ankle.

• When your child goes en pointe in ballet, she may develop curled toes, ingrown toenails, and corns called “hammer toes.” Use padding to relieve pressure. If problems persist, contact your doctor to see if the corns need to be removed.

• Similar to other physical activities where body size and slimness is an issue, body image can be a concern in dance particularly for girls.

Stacy DeBroff is the author of four books, including “Sign Me Up! The Parent’s Complete Guide to Sports, Activities, and Extracurriculars,” and she runs the Web site momcentral.com.