Anon Anyone with experience transitioning to dance?

[Anonymous (db8f)]

My daughter, training level 8, has decided to step away from gym and wants to try both dive and dance. I was a competitive dancer growing up, it was crazzzzy competitive, but it was in a different state and I have no idea how things might have changed.

Anyone have any experience to share? She's taken ballet as part of her optionals training (1x a week) and floor was her best event this season because she loved the dance component so much. But she's had very little real dance training. Do I start her in the beginner levels? Try lyrical that has a dance and Acro-ish moves? Help! She doesn't want to "be with 8 year olds" - she's 12.

 

[Anonymous (927c)]

She will probably be fine. Gymnastics transitions into everything. Even if she goes into a very competitive dance program, she will probably be stronger than most of the girls there, her flexibility is probably pretty good too, and to be a level 8 gymnast she has great work ethic.

My level 9 is trying track after a shoulder injury kept her away from regionals (she qualified but decided not to go because she can’t do bars right now so had no shot at easterns.). As a seventh grader she’s already posted varsity district qualifying times in the 100, 200, 300 hurdles, pole vault (probably not a great idea with the shoulder but she said it didn’t hurt!) and triple jump. Every meet she tries a new event and mostly wins. Her gym typically goes to only nastia qualifiers where it’s difficult to even podium in the younger level 9 group, so it’s been great for her to see how athletic she is versus the non gymnasts population, although as of now she plans to go back to the gym.

Gymnastics is start her go anywhere, your child will be fine

 

[Coach Kate]

I did gymnastics through level 10, track and cross country in college and then came to dance in my early 20s. I took their 8 week basic ballet course and then the instructor pushed me into the intermediate and open classes - open had professional dancers in it and often a live piano!

It was so hard at first and I struggled with some of the quicker Barre combinations, as well as the adage section but when we got into pirouettes and grande allegro, I really came into my own. A classmate who had watched me struggle my way through adage turned to me and said ,"oh, so you're a jumper!" It was such a fun challenge for me, especially doing things on both sides, and it was honestly good for me to be a little bad at something for awhile.

I would look at different studios and see what they offer. Open lyrical or contemporary might actually work for her because they tend to just teach combinations. If she becomes interested in taking it more seriously, you can always talk to the studio about what they recommend.