Ballet is fun. It’s important we start out by making that known. It’s also one of the more technical dance genres, but we at Performing Dance Arts make our ballet dance lessons simple for kids to learn. We work with kids of all skill levels to help them enjoy ballet and get comfortable with the dance steps in our ballet dance studio.
Part of the beauty of ballet is that it does take a certain level of discipline. There’s not as much freelancing as there is in other types of dance, like hip hop or jazz. But, that discipline transcends into other parts of children’s lives as well. It makes them better understand the focus that comes with learning something worthwhile.
Ballet Dance Moves
We start our ballet dance classes for kids with some simple moves.
In French, “plier” means “bend.” So, plies are really as simple as bending at the knees. There are two types of plies we want our dancers to know: Simple and grand plie. For a simple plie, the dancer’s heels need to stay planted on the floor. The bend is slight and not as deep as the grand plie. Meanwhile, the grand plie is quite the opposite. For a grand plie, the dancer must bend nearly to the ground, lifting their heels as they do so.
We turn to the French language again for this one. “Tendus” means “stretch” and is done by the dancer extending one leg across the floor to the front or side of their body. Knees must be kept straight to execute a perfect tendus. There are also advanced tendus for more experienced dancers.
This is what many people think of when they see ballet dancers. It’s the name of the move in which the dancers lift themselves up onto their toes. For beginners, this is done on demi pointe as opposed to pointe shoes. It can be done from the straight leg position or from the plies position.
This is a good starter position. “Coupe” means “to cut” in French and basically involves the dancer lifting one leg to transfer his or her weight. Mastering this before learning any more difficult aerial moves is a good idea.
The most important tip before beginning ballet is to stretch. Ballet involves a lot of challenging movements, and your child’s body needs to be prepared to handle those moves. Arrive at a ballet class a bit early so your children can start stretching before diving into any routines. Also, just relax. Your children will have the time of their lives.
We at Performing Dance Arts encourage you let your children try our ballet dance classes for kids. As we mentioned, we welcome dancers of all levels, and more importantly, we keep things fun. Your children will learn a lot and won’t be intimidated by the technical aspect at all. Contact us today if you are interested in having your child enrol or even if you just have some questions for us.