Why Does My Child Need Ballet for Hip Hop?

If you ask most dance instructors they will tell you that ballet is the basis and at the core of all other dance forms. Training in ballet technique with concurrent training in the young dancer’s style of choice will make him or her a more proficient performer.

Ballet training focuses on four key areas that help a student succeed in other styles like jazz, tap, and hip hop. They are:

1. Posture and Body Awareness
2. Strength and Flexibility
3. Footwork and Body Control
4. Discipline

POSTURE AND BODY AWARENESS

To execute difficult turns and jumps a dancer needs a strong core to support good posture. Body awareness helps the dancer to adapt their movements to various styles of dance. If they understand how their muscles work to move each part of their body, they can create the lines and shapes of modern and lyrical as easily as they can execute the isolations used in hip hop and jazz.
Ballet has a strictly regimented class structure that begins with a slow and methodical use of individual muscle groups. This concentration on the tiniest movements of the body helps develop extreme control through body awareness and develops strong posture.

STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY

All dance styles spend time developing a student’s strength and flexibility. Ballet, more so than others, works the whole body while stretching the muscles simultaneously. This leads to dancers with balanced strength and flexibility without push-ups, crunches, and extensive stretching.

FOOTWORK AND CONTROL

Ballet includes slow, controlled movements requiring sustained balance and extremely fast footwork. By working the feet for speed in soft shoes, dancers gain more control over the use of their feet. This helps dancers create fast and articulate tap sounds. Dancers will also transition into the fast footwork of hip hop faster than most students with no ballet training.

DISCIPLINE

Discipline is one reason most students dislike ballet, but this is also one of the most important qualities any child can gain from a ballet class. Self-discipline is a skill that they will carry through their life. At ArtWorks Academy we strive to make ballet enjoyable. We know that not all students want to become professional ballet dancers, but they can all gain valuable skills for dance and life from ballet class.

When Can My Daughter Start Pointe?

ArtWorks Academy now has students approaching the age where they start to ask about pointe. For most young ballerinas, this is something they strive for from the time they begin ballet. At ArtWorks Academy we seriously consider the safety of our students as we consider who will begin pointe work.

Twenty years ago it was common for 8 and 10 year olds to begin pointe work, some places still do start kids that young; but in the last 10 years there has been an abundance of research on the impact of starting pointe work too early. In 2009 the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science published a paper that laid out very clear guidelines for starting pointe training. The guidelines are as follows:

1. Not before age 12.
2. If the student is not anatomically sound…do not allow pointe work.
3. If she is not truly pre-professional, discourage pointe training.
4. If she has weak trunk and pelvic (“core”) muscles or weak legs, delay pointe training.
5. If the student is hyper mobile in the feet and ankles, delay pointe training.
6. If ballet classes are only once a week, discourage pointe work.
7. If ballet classes are twice a week, and none of the above applies, begin in the fourth year of training. (Weiss, et. al., 92)

Pointe is an important part of ballet training for a dancer who wishes to pursue ballet in college or professionally, it is a wonderful experience for any dancer. Our faculty will carefully evaluate any student who wishes to start pointe work. Evaluation of pointe dancers includes:

1. A balance test
2. A strength test
3. Terminology tests
4. Posture and placement evaluations

To begin pointe work, students must be enrolled in two ballet classes per week and the appropriate level of pointe or pre-pointe. Students will also be required to have their feet and ankles evaluated by a medical professional to determine the development of the bones and joints.

Dancing “en pointe” is an amazing experience! We want all of our young ballerinas to develop the strength and technique to start pointe training, but the safety of our students is our top priority.

Weiss, David S. MD, et. al. “When Can I Start Pointe Work?: Guidelines for Initiating Pointe Training.” Journal of Dance Medicine and Science 13 (2009): 90-92.

Princess Camp

Every year our princesses come to camp. This year we had a great time with our 3-5 year olds at Enchanted Princess Camp. We danced, made crafts, played games, had snacks and performed. The girls danced to some of their favorite enchanted princess, songs, while learning the basics of ballet, tap and theatre movement. The week ended with a short performance for family and friends. The girls performed four short dances they learned during the week. We can’t wait for Princess Camp next year!

We had three sweet 6th grade girls help with the camp this year. They did a fantastic job! Enjoy the pictures!!!