From what age is which course suitable?
By Olga Leibrandt Last updated: March 27, 2023 Ballet Guide 4 min read, the contribution was first published in German on the website of the Ballettstudio Ost.
I keep getting inquiries from mothers who want to enroll their children in ballet classes. For children from the age of two it is often a big dream to dance in a pink tutu. The mothers tell me that my little one can already do the splits, dear Lilifee, or dances "ballet" all day and is now more than ready for the first trial lesson. But the reality often looks different.
When the children come to the trial lesson, they stick to their mother (who is not allowed to take part in regular lessons), they don't take part in the joint exercises, are overwhelmed or drop out of the exercises during the ballet lesson. This raises the question of when children should actually start ballet.
Every child develops at their own pace . Therefore, there is no exact age limit for entering the respective course level. I've had children who were able to take part in the pre-ballet course program by the age of 3 and those who (unfortunately) weren't by the age of five.
When registering for a trial lesson, there are two things to keep in mind:
- The child should be able to go 45 minutes without a mother in class. The child's concentration span should last for the duration of the class (usually 45 minutes).
- The course should be tailored to the age of the child. The smaller the child, the more fun and therefore less teaching content is in the foreground.
What is the best age to start ballet?
You can basically start ballet at any age. There is no wrong starting age upwards (in the hobby area). But here we want to deal with the question of when. In my experience, you should only start before the age of four in exceptional cases. Five years is also a great starting age! It simply requires a certain ability to concentrate and maturity for ballet.
Some ballet schools lure with a lower starting age. But this is not due to an adapted or better ballet concept. It's marketing. The small students and therefore also their mothers/fathers are impatient and a ballet school that accepts very small children has secured students for the future (if the fun in ballet has not been completely lost). But that is exactly the danger here!
More on this on the website of the Ballettstudio Ost.
