Parents Request from dd's dance teacher - opinions needed.

[Ex member]

My youngest dd does gym once a week for 2 1/2 hours in a development group and she also does Modern dance one a week, my dd has her grade 1 modern exam next Sunday and after letting the dance teacher know that my dd had hurt herself after a fall of the beam (told the dance teacher incase it effects my dd's dancing today) the dance teacher said that maybe dd should not dd gymnastics next week as she has her exam coming up and needs to concentrate on that.

I think that the dance teacher is being a little over the top as dd did a modern exam last year and I easn't told to keep dd away from gym then, as dd only goes once a week and she missed most of the last session after her fall I don't want dd to miss it. I am not going to tell dd what the dance teacher said as I don't want to make her feel like she has to choose as she loves both gymnastics and dancing. I will have a work with dd's coach and ask if she can work on the floor beam just this week and tell the coach that dd's dance teacher was concerned incase she hurt herself again, there is no reason in my eyes why dd cannot do gymnastics a few days before her exam as the class mostly concentrated on conditioning etc.

What do you think? I am mad or is the dance teacher mad? I can see her point of view but in my opinion dd can easily hurt herself by playing and I cannot keep her wrapped up in cotton wool, dd is not the sort of child to sit still for very long, she has lots of energy.

 

[Faith]

Would it be the end of the world if she did hurt herself and to miss, or didn't do so well in her exam?

If the exam isn't something she's worked for for ages and very focussed on then go to gym as normal.

If it's a really big, important thing then don't risk it.

I will say though that in my experience each teacher/coach will think their speciality is more important and should be prioritised.

 

[Seeker]

Just keep your schedule as planned and the test outcome will be what it will be. I'm sure she will do just fine.

 

[emorymom]

My daughter has been doing developmental / lower compulsory gymnastics 4-6 hours / week for four and a half years, and she has never been injured on beam such that I have ever had to tell her dance teacher or her swim coaches. She recently quit dance, but until last August she was also dancing three days a week, and the whole time she has also been in year-round swimming. I did see an old L2 once break her toe tripping on the beam legs. I'd say tell her to walk widely around the beam whenever possible

 

[Aussie_coach]

Dance exams are a big deal, the kids usually work all year to prepare for them. They come around just once a year and are the only assessment most dancers will do. And in many syllabi if your child does not pass the exam or sit the exam they may not be able to move to the next level but will need to repeat the same grade the following year.

Having said that, I would still take her to gymnastics. Dance teachers may have the idea that gymnastics is dangerous, especially if she had a fall before. But the odds of her hurting herself in gym are no higher than her hurting herself in the playground at school.

 

[wnl256]

You can't wrap them in bubble wrap.

I think you have the right idea: tell the gymnastics coach to put her on the floor beam. Your dance teacher is only concerned about dance. It's up to you and your dd to "balance" the two disciplines (if you will pardon the pun).

 

[gracyomalley]

up to you, but if she's really worked hard at the dance and its only one gym practice (and she's not up for college scholarships quite yet, KWIM) then I'd let her miss - after all, she also likes dance, right? Its important to balance kids interests...my kiddos have missed many gym practices (and even meets for the level 5 boys) in order to attend music events, etc...and oldest DS has had to let his rips heal rather than work through on occaisions because of violin performances/contests, etc.
DD tried to balance gym and dance for 18 months before deciding herself it was too much. Yes, its unlikely that your DD would really get hurt at gym - of course. But I guess I'd argue against placing too much importance on ONE gym practice versus her dance exam (which really are big deals for the dancers and instructors...think the ONE gym meet of the year that determined move up). I think just as we should respect the gym coaches wishes its ok to "humor" the dance instructor here.

 

[2G1B]

I agree that the odds of her getting hurt in gymnastics aren't very high, especially at the lower levels. Between my 3 kids (all 3 in gymnastics) there have been a broken finger, a broken ankle, a broken elbow and a broken nose. Of those, only the finger happened in gymnastics. Unless you are going to have DD sit out of PE and recess, then I'd say go ahead with gym.

 

[Muddlethru]

I wouldn't say a word to either gymnastics coach or dance teacher. Remember the coach's primary concern and interest is your daughter's gymnastics and the dance teacher's focus is on her dancing (and n'er the twain shall meet). Neither coach nor teacher will see eye to eye particularly if your daughter shows promise in both. If your daughter is showing preference towards gym or dance, I'd just support that more. But if she does not know which one she likes more then cie la vie.

 

[Amusibus]

I agree with your own first
instinct, OP,I'd let her go.

 

[Kiwi]

I worried about this every year when DD's ballet exam came up. She didn't miss gym practices and passed all the ballet exams okay.

 

[Flossyduck]

I agree with what most of the others have said - you can't stop her from doing anything which might injure her. She's as likely to fall in the playground or at home. At lower levels gyms are actually quite safe environments if you think about it. Most things are padded and they are highly supervised!

I do know where you are coming from though, but I have it the other way round. I'm now at the stage when I'm worried about all the bugs going round school and whether I should be allowing her to play football, incase she gets injured or ill so close to her comp. I have to have a word with myself and allow life to take it's course.

 

[Ex member]

I'm now at the stage when I'm worried about all the bugs going round school and whether I should be allowing her to play football, incase she gets injured or ill so close to her comp. I have to have a word with myself and allow life to take it's course.

I have just gone through that with older dd, she had her Invitational Floor and Vault competition today, I have spent that past 3 days worrying if dd was going to come down with a tummy bug that was starting to do the rounds at school, I wasn't even worried if dd got a medal or not. I am going to sleep soundly tonight now the competition has been and gone.

Thanks for the feedback over my younger dd, I am glad that so many if you see it the same way as I do, I don't feel crazy now. My dd "loves, loves, loves" gymnastics and her group (her words) and she doesn't want to miss gym unless she is sick, she was unhappy about sitting out part of her last session due to her injury and fall.

 

[bookworm]

I agree with what most of the others have said - you can't stop her from doing anything which might injure her. She's as likely to fall in the playground or at home. At lower levels gyms are actually quite safe environments if you think about it. Most things are padded and they are highly supervised!

this is so true...my daughter slipped and fell AT SCHOOL on a wet spot in the hallway and broke her tailbone the Tuesday before States! and we were done because it was her first year at that level...her coach at the time was mad but there was no way I could have foreseen that...