What is ballroom dancing for kids. Sports ballroom dancing for children: how old and what are the benefits

Every parent wants their child to grow up healthy and strong. But not everyone knows that the health of the baby needs to be monitored from a very early age. And especially for his physical development. Most The best way to strengthen the health of your child is to send him to a dance school. After all, dancing perfectly develops a child, and for girls it is best view sports.

The best option for children is sports ballroom dancing. Unlike other types of dance, ballroom dancing can be practiced by children from a very young age.

ballroom dancing useful to many:

• develop motor skills
• movement coordination,
• sense of rhythm,
• ear for music,
• the ability to control your body.

In addition, children who are engaged in dancing are less shy and get used to the stage from an early age. It does not matter where the child will work in the future, but he will overcome the fear of the audience.

Each age has its own characteristics of teaching dance.

As a rule, classes with children from 2 to 6 years old are held in a playful way, based on numerous jumps, stretching, and gymnastics. Such techniques help strengthen the muscles of children, develop their general physical training. Dance technique begins to be demanded from about 6 years old, when children are already physically ready for this.

On the basis of ballroom dancing, various competitions and competitions are held. By participating in such events, a child from an early age will strive to win or try to take a prize.

Thus, an incentive is developed for the child to work on himself.

Ballroom dancing contributes not only to the physical development of the child, but also social. After all, visiting dance groups The child will make many new friends.

It is important to note the influence of parents on the child's desire to dance. Parents often send their child to dance school and forget to be interested in the success of their baby. But the child wants to be praised, supported. Therefore, parents need to attend their child's training and performances as much as possible. This will encourage the child to study as best as possible in order to please mom and dad with their successes.

When choosing a dance and sports club great attention should be given to the dance coach. It is important that this is a person who loves his job, has teaching experience, preferably at least 10 years. Then the child's education will be successful.

The advantages of sports ballroom dancing in childhood over other sports

Taking care of their children, parents always attach great importance to the health of their child. In order for the child to grow up healthy, develop harmoniously, it is necessary to lead healthy lifestyle life.

What does the concept of "healthy lifestyle" include? First, correct balanced diet containing a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals. Secondly, active image life. It is necessary to move a lot and play outdoor games. Go in for sports, dance is better.

Today, the choice of sports sections is very large, where you could give your child.

But in most sports there is a local load on certain muscles of the body, and not evenly on the entire body. This leads to the fact that the muscles of the body develop unevenly.

Home and right aim- balanced development of the body, increasing endurance, improving the appearance and health of the child.

It is necessary to choose one sport that would meet all these requirements. This is a sports ballroom dance.

IN Lately the first place in the list of parental preferences is confidently occupied by dance studios. As a rule, a child is not taken to such studios with the aim of receiving a return in the form of medals and other awards in a few years. Mostly older generation takes care of health promotion and the formation of the aesthetic taste of its offspring, and in this sport ballroom dancing is out of competition.

At what age should children be given to ballroom dancing

Parents are faced with the question immediately after the birth of their child, what ability they can open and when is the best time to do it.

Some of them believe that the sooner the better. But let's solve this issue regarding dances, since it is them that parents choose for extra classes their beloved children. Let's see what the dances themselves are, which in the lightest manifestation determine the load. Professionals determine the age for dancing at six years. By this time, the child has already formed a skeleton. By this time, the child is able to perform all the exercises and control their implementation. The best place for the child will be a dance school. But parents should remember that it is impossible to demand good results from a child right away. You need to understand the purpose of dancing. This will happen for general development or for further dance lessons.

In the first option - for general development - it is recommended to start classes at a more late age. It all depends on the dance school and the teacher to whom the parents entrusted the child. Do not forget that for a three-year-old kid, these activities will be interesting entertainment and nothing more. Such dances can be taught in kindergarten.

The second option - serious classes with a "perspective in dancing" - should be started at preschool age. What will the child lose if he starts going to dance classes later?

With age, he will find less time for these activities. In the question of what age is ideal for starting ballroom dancing, one should follow the advice of experts who can help sort out this problem. Coaches recommend starting with preparatory phase. It is good if a child from three to four years old will be engaged in rhythmoplasty. This will teach him the simplest movements and skillfully prepare the body for the load. At five years old, you can determine what the child is capable of, and if he has an interest, then five years is the most wonderful age to start serious ballroom dancing.

Ballroom dancing lessons for kids

Getting started with dancing is exciting for both children and their parents. In fact, ballroom dancing is a wonderful activity for kids as it has the ability to encourage positive self-esteem in both girls and boys. Dance lessons can teach a child self-confidence, self-discipline and poise. The child who started dancing in early age most likely to develop a love of art, as well as a passion for rhythm and movement. And most importantly, dancing is just a lot of fun.

Starting ballroom dancing at an early age

Some people believe that a child should be enrolled in a dance school as soon as possible, and sometimes they do this when they are only 2 years old. Toddlers and preschoolers usually start with prep groups rather than structured dance classes. If the child is 4 or 5 years old, it is worth considering his emotional maturity and the degree of personality formation. If your toddler is very shy, forcing him to dance can completely discourage him from dancing. However, if the child is ready to do something new in the team strangers, That early start classes will have an extremely beneficial effect on his abilities.

Search for a coach and dance school

There are several things to consider when deciding where a child will learn to dance. Sports ballroom dancing has become very popular in last years, and for sure, each city will have several studios to choose from. Worth making a list options, and then go to each studio to look and decide. All dance studios are different and, of course, you need to take into account the level and professionalism of the trainers, and choose a dance school where the child can get the best dance training.

Clothes for sports ballroom dancing

Probably one of the most important things when starting to dance is buying special clothes and shoes. If someone is not sure what kind of clothes a child should wear to ballroom dancing classes, it is worth asking the coach. In our dance school in the section Sports ballroom dancing there is a description of Clothes and shoes for sports dances, you can familiarize yourself with it and be aware of it in advance.

Beautiful posture, flexibility, coordination, balance, the habit of respectful attitude to opposite sex- this is not all the advantages of practicing ballroom dancing. And if you are planning to enroll your child in this beautiful sport, or are already a parent of a dancer, you have absolutely right choice and we wish you success and victories.

In our article we will talk about the pros and cons of ballroom dancing for children, about psychological aspect, about the cost of classes and medical contraindications.

In the past, ballroom dancing was considered noble entertainment and an indicator of refined taste. Today, dancing is no less popular. Parents send their children to dance studios different reasons. Some want to see their child on the podium of international competitions, while others take care of the health of their child in this way.

Pediatricians around the world claim that moderate dancing is good for physical development: correct posture is formed, coordination develops and fine motor skills. In addition, dancing is less traumatic than some sports. And research in the field of psychology shows that children involved in dancing are much more active and cheerful than their “non-dancing” peers.

From what age?

Some dance studios recruit children in groups from 3 to 4 years old. Part of this early start is due to pursuing goals.

If the task is to perform at competitions and receive trophies, then the following factors are taken into account: children from 5 years old are allowed to participate, and in order to perform with dignity, at least a year of preparation is needed. Moreover, it is considered that earlier child starts dancing, the more opportunities he will have to reach his potential. It must be remembered that before demonstration performances training will be more intense and classes will be held more often, so you need to calculate the child's physical readiness, his performance and overall endurance.

If parents send their children to dances not to receive awards, but take care of strengthening their health and developing aesthetic taste, you can send them to dances at any age if the child has a desire.

Some experts believe that starting classes earlier can harm the child, besides, at 3-4 years old, not all children easily grasp dance moves. It is better if classes for the youngest take place in the form of a game. To endure maximum benefit from training, you need a sufficiently developed endurance, so the optimal age for practicing sports dancing is 6-7 years old.

Medical contraindications

Almost all children who do not have injuries, exacerbations of chronic and catarrhal diseases, as well as disorders of the cardiovascular, respiratory systems and musculoskeletal system can practice ballroom dancing. This is important, because during training, the load falls on these areas of the body.

Learn more about .

Boys and girls

It is believed that dancing, despite sometimes not a small physical activity, is not quite a male sport. However, it is dancing that will help raise a gentleman who, thanks to pair dancing, will be able to easily communicate with the opposite sex in the future.

For dreamy girls, ballroom dancing is the perfect setting. Whirling couples, rhythmic music, beautiful outfits - all this will help develop discriminating taste and feel like a young lady.

pros

Ballroom dancing is a combination of art and sport. The child learns to work for the sake of the result and acquires a good physical form for many years.

Thanks to ballroom dancing, a child’s posture is formed correctly, the work of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems is improved, muscles are strengthened, immunity is increased. The child learns to perceive music, he develops hearing, coordination of movements and plasticity. Dancing is less traumatic than some sports. The child improves performance and endurance to physical activity.

Young dancers grow up to be self-confident people. Dancing helps to get rid of complexes and liberate. Children involved in choreography from childhood develop willpower, perseverance, learn to perform tasks, and also become active and self-organized. Dancing is a discipline. Achieving a visible result makes you rejoice at success and be proud of yourself.

The child learns to competently organize his time - go to school and train productively. Participation in competitions makes children stress-resistant, teaches them how to cope with failures and set new goals. And pair dances develop a culture of interpersonal communication.

Minuses

• In sports dancing, there is a risk of injury from an unsuccessful fall or movement. During the competition, when dancing on the court a large number of couples, collisions may occur. This happens with less experienced dancers who have not yet learned to control the situation well enough.
• Another minus - psychological nature. IN dance groups, as in any sports team often creates an atmosphere of competition and envy for more successful dancers. For a fragile child's psyche, this is a test. Not all children are inherently fighters. Soft, not striving for victory at any cost, it is difficult for children to be in such an environment.
• If you practice sports dancing professionally, sometimes difficulties may arise in. Intensive classes, especially before competitions, take a lot of time and effort.
• Not everyone is sympathetic if a boy is dancing. Some are of the opinion that dancing is an activity exclusively for girls. You need to be ready for this.
• Ballroom dancing is expensive. You need to regularly pay for training, participation in competitions, buy or sew custom-made clothes and shoes for classes and performances.
• Over time, a dance couple may break up, a partner may stop classes and it will be difficult to replace him. In addition, it happens that there are not enough partner boys, and the girl has to dance alone.

How much do lessons cost?

Sports ballroom dancing is not a cheap pleasure. You have to pay for tuition. This is approximately 2000 - 5000 rubles per month, depending on the region and the coach. Sometimes you may need individual sessions. You also need to pay a fee to participate in competitions.

At the beginning, a child can practice in a swimsuit and Czech shoes, which are not expensive - from 500 rubles, then you need to purchase a dance dress for girls, dance pants for boys, special shoes for ballroom dancing. Such equipment can cost an average of 5000 - 7000 rubles.

Sometimes you may need to take a photo or video. These services are charged separately.

How to choose a section?

Every city now has children's ballroom dancing groups. Go to a trial lesson in different studios and ask to attend the training. First of all, pay attention to the coaches, their attitude towards the students: do they pay enough attention to each child, do they correct, do they give advice. It is also good if the studio has a choreography or stretching section so that the child can develop skills that will be useful to him in ballroom dancing.

1. Find good coach and get in touch with him. Check in regularly on your child's progress, keep up to date with news and upcoming events.
2. Take part in the development of the child, practice complex elements at home.
3. Be ready to work, don't expect instant results. Develop the willpower not only of the child, but also of your own.
4. Support the child, calmly react to failures, create a friendly atmosphere.
5. Take an interest in dancing with him.

Summing up

Whatever the goals, remember that your kid should go to training with enthusiasm. It will be great if a sense of rhythm, ear for music and artistry are immediately revealed. But even if this is not there, but there is one desire to dance, it is worth a try. Good teachers will “pull out” everything that is possible from the most incapable child at first glance. Sports ballroom dancing is an excellent educational measure that teaches you to overcome difficulties, go towards your goals and improve your abilities.

And still dancing. I decided to write what I comprehended for a long time and slowly myself - the basics of sports ballroom dancing. I write for parents like myself. For parents who can't figure out what's going on. For parents whose head is spinning from the amount of information that needs to be learned.

Do I advise anyone to send their child to ballroom dancing? Of course no.
1. it's expensive
2. takes a lot of time
3. "takes off" a lot of weekends
4. it's hours of waiting
5. take pity on your nerves!

Let's say you enrolled your child in ballroom dancing.
At first, the child only has group classes twice a week. If the child is small, they are taught to dance:
5 years
children's polka, ducklings, disco
6 years
slow waltz, berlin polka, disco
7 years and older
slow waltz, cha-cha-cha and polka

All clubs teach the same steps. These are the steps required for attestation. For children, the tournament is equal to certification. But there are also certain programs, such as the Six Steps of Mastery (but more on that later).

When your child has learned the first steps, the coach says it's time to participate in tournaments.

After the child’s performance, DO NOT FORGET to take a printed PAPER (looks like a ribbon) that says how many points your child scored, who was the main judge, where the event took place, how many couples there were, your child’s number. Paste the paper into the tournament book! If there is no book yet, DO NOT throw away the paper, paste it later!
Your child is moving to next level when the coach decides. Or when you score 100 points in tournaments.

DON'T FORGET TO TAKE WATER! Children though to drink! and a chocolate can be useful - it does not overload the stomach before a performance and gives a small boost of energy :)
At tournaments, you should always have pins with you to pin your number, as pins are not always sold.
At the beginning of the year, the coach usually collects money and makes an athlete's book. If the book is ready for the first tournament, don't forget to take it with you. If the book is not ready yet, do not forget to take the birth certificate of the child or your passport, where the child is recorded.
Do not forget to find out the name and surname of the coach and the name of the club!

You arrive an hour before the start. Buying admission ticket for yourself, a child, and if you want, you can also buy a cup of one dance, but this is not necessary. For example, the Polka Cup.
After buying a ticket, you go and register the child, they give you a number. Dress up your child:
girl
nude tights, sandals, white swimsuit, black skirt or (if allowed, rating dress), bun on the head (nail polish must be without glitter, no makeup)
boy
white long sleeve shirt, black pants, black tie or bow tie, black socks and black dance shoes

and pin the number on the child's back.
Tournaments usually feature solos, couples, and goblets. For kids, the program is called:
Baby 1 and Baby 2

For children seven years of age and older
H3, H4 ... H6 - by the number of dances performed.
After H6 there are classes E, D, C, B, A. A class is the highest. Behind him is a master of sports.

At tournaments, your child dances his program. Judges evaluate the child on a three-point system. The highest score for one dance is 3 points. The lowest is 1. Sometimes the judge may not give a mark at all. Highest score in H3 - 9 points. That is, 3 dances, three points for each. Sometimes children who scored 9 points dance again H3. And among them choose the best - 1,2 and 3 place.

If you bought a cup of one dance, then the child dances together with everyone else one dance. If you're lucky, your child will get to the semi-finals, and then to the final. Usually 7 people remain in the final. 1st to 7th place.

First they dance the program H3. These kids are coming early. When they complete their program and receive prizes, then, of course, they are going to go home. And at this time already registration in progress children who will dance H4.
If your child dances two programs, then you first register for H3, and when registration begins for H4, then also for H4. Naturally, the child will have a different number. Don't forget to buy another ticket.

There is also a certification program "Six levels of mastery"
This is a system for assessing the dance skills of children 1-3 years of study. The smallest dancers (5-6 years old, 1st year of training are groups of preschoolers) participate in steps called baby-1 and baby-2. Older dancers (6 years and older) gradually pass from 1 to 6 levels of mastery.

At the certification there are a number of rules and traditions that must be observed. Firstly, a certain dress- for girls it is a white leotard, a black skirt, flesh-colored tights or white socks and dancing shoes (from the 4th step it is allowed to dance in a rating dress), for boys - a white long-sleeved shirt, black trousers, a black tie or bow tie, black socks and black dancing shoes. Hairstyle for girls- a bunch (other options are not allowed if the girl has short haircut, all hair should be removed as much as possible with invisible hairpins and styling products), all hair should be collected into a hairstyle with varnish or other styling products (without shine) and invisible hairpins. Clothing and hairpins should be free of jewelry and sequins. It is better to do your hair in advance, at home, so that you only need to fix it before the performance. Secondly, there is a tradition at certification - children give flowers to your coach. This happens before the start of each stage after the parade of participants. Therefore, you need to have a flower with you - since the coach is present at the certification from morning until evening, and there are usually a lot of students, it is better to give one flower with a slight smell and such that it does not wither. It will not be out of place for those who pass the baby-1 or baby-2 or step 1 steps to bring some kind of flower container with them so that they do not wither until the evening (for example, a cut 5-liter water bottle) - this will be a manifestation respect for the coach. Thirdly, you must have 4 safety pins- it is English, they are necessary for pinning the number, ordinary pins can injure the child. Fourth, participation in certification is paid(usually it is 250-300 rubles per spectator and per participant, and the participant pays this fee for each step). And lastly, the coach informs you in advance what time you need to arrive for registration. Attention! If you are late, you may not be registered, and the child will not be able to participate in the assessment. Plan your time in advance so that you arrive without delay.

Where is certification carried out? Most often, certification takes place in dance hall"Nika" (street Kirovogradskaya, 21a, nearest metro station "Prazhskaya"). You have arrived for certification, what should you do next? First of all, you need to pay a fee for participation in certification. Then you need to register. Lists of participants are posted next to the registration (look carefully for which stage the list is posted, sometimes registration is delayed). You need to find your child's name and number in the list. You name this number and the number of the school at registration. If you suddenly did not find your last name on the list, you need to go to registration and simply give the last name and first name of the child, the team and the last name of the coach. The person registering you usually asks for the last name of the child, be careful. As your child is registered, his name and surname will be written on the diploma. After that, you will be given a number. It needs to be pinned on the child's back. In the hall, try to be close to the coach and other children and parents from your club so as not to miss the parade of participants and the warm-up (children are given the opportunity to repeat the dances before the performance). All children are dressed the same, look the same from the back. Be careful not to lose the child in the crowd))). After the end of the performance, you need to quickly remove the number and give it to the coach.

What dances are performed at the certification?

Program " dance planet childhood":

Stage I (baby-1) - children's polka, ducklings, disco
Stage II (baby-2) - slow waltz, Berlin polka, disco

According to the program of 6 levels of mastery, the following dances are performed:

Stage I - slow waltz, cha-cha-cha and polka.
Stage II - slow waltz, samba, cha-cha-cha, disco
Stage III - slow waltz, samba, cha-cha-cha, disco
Stage IV - slow waltz, rhythmic foxtrot, samba, cha-cha-cha, jive
Stage V - slow waltz, quickstep, samba, cha-cha-cha, jive
Stage VI - slow waltz, quickstep, samba, cha-cha-cha, jive

You can see which figures are performed at which steps

What is the grading system for certification?

At the attestation, marks are given by 5 judges. Competitive attestation participants are evaluated on a 5-point system.

Grade:
1 point- participant does not dance competitive program
2 points- dances the competitive program, but not in accordance with the musical rhythm
3 points- dances the competitive program to music, but does not keep the lines of the body.
4 points- dances to the music, keeps the lines of the body, but technically does not accurately perform the figures.
5 points- dances to the music, holds the lines of the body, performs the figures technically correctly.

According to the results of the assessments, the participant is awarded: diploma, diploma, diploma with honors. According to the results of the assessments, the participant is awarded: diploma, diploma, diploma with honors.

Ballroom dancing for children is not only a graceful children's sport, but also a fascinating art that can captivate girls and boys.

ballroom dancing is a great alternative to any sport and even more than an alternative, because it is movement, plasticity, and love for music at the same time. Without exaggeration, ballroom dancing for children really enhances comprehensive development child. In order to glide so easily on the parquet, in fact, the child needs remarkable strength and endurance - they develop through a variety of training, intense movement and the constant complication of the elements.
Flexibility and coordination are needed here no less than in rhythmic gymnastics: many movements require a good stretch, and the study of various figures will allow you to learn how to move around the site correctly and correlate your actions with the actions of a partner and other dancers. And of course, dancing is an endless variety of great melodies.
“Getting into the music” is one of the basic requirements even for beginner dancers: children learn to hear the music, feel the rhythm and correlate their movements with it. The movements become more complicated gradually and in parallel the musical fragments become more saturated.

When to start exercising?

3-4 years: early start You can start dancing from an early age.

It is best to start ballroom dancing from the age of 5, but some children already at 3 years old are able to learn well. It all depends on how easy the child perceives information. Imitation abilities are also important - can he repeat the movements after the coach, and then independently. If you are thinking about taking your child to ballroom dancing at an early age, pay attention to how active he is in movement and how he listens to music.

A good sign, if the child begins to move himself to the music, gets to the beat. But it's better to show baby professional teacher, and he will determine the degree of readiness of the baby for classes.

5–6 years:

We choose - a dance school or professional sports. From the age of 5, everyone who wants to take classes in sports ballroom dancing, no special training this is not required. At this age, classes are held on average 2 times a week for 60 minutes, the trainer, focusing on the level of the group, can gradually increase the duration. Dmitry Tarasevich argues that “it’s not even talent that matters here, but desire and perseverance - these are serious pursuits, work in which you often have to overpower yourself.”

Features of classes at an early age

At the age of 3-4, even a sufficiently collected child is better to study individually so as not to be distracted by other children.

At an early age, children study 1-2 times a week for 30-40 minutes.
The trainer must have extensive experience working with children. The main difficulty in working with kids is their scattered attention: the coach needs to be able to win the respect and attention of the child, teach him to concentrate and persistently achieve results.
For kids, any children's activities should be in the form of a game. In ballroom dancing, a child’s training is based on constant repetition of movements, so the coach will have to try hard to turn the routine into a game.

And it is also important to develop a sense of rhythm and coordination of movements, which implies not only the correct repetition after the coach, but also the perception of his instructions by ear. Parents should pay attention to ensuring that the child in home games masters spatial concepts (up / down, forward / backward, right / left), as well as body parts (neck, chin, elbows, etc.). Then it will be much easier for the child to perceive the words of the coach: left hand up, right leg back, knee higher, etc.

Where to dance?

Education centers. Many clubs operate on the basis of schools that provide opportunities for additional development of children.

Advantages: no need to take the child anywhere (classes take place directly in the halls of the school); Opportunity to work with classmates.

Fitness and sports clubs, dance studios, art houses

Benefits: the ability to dance "for yourself", not to take part in any official competitions; the ability to create your own class schedule.

Dance and sports clubs(net official clubs Russian Dance Sport Federation)
Advantages: high class coaches; the opportunity to practice both in pairs (competitive dancing) and independently (dance school); participation in the events of the Federation; contests and competitions from the first year of study.

In the dance and sports club there are always 2 areas of development: a dance school and competitive dancing.

School of dance is a school of mass education, here they learn several dances, in which they start with the most simple elements gradually making them more difficult. It is important that you can dance without a partner in a dance school - therefore the ratio of boys and girls in the group is completely unimportant. To switch to new level the guys pass the certification: these are real competitions for which they are seriously preparing. It is the upcoming competitions that discipline and spur them on during classes, when their strength is already running out.

competitive dancing- it's already professional training. Here they compete in pairs, and the pair is selected from the very beginning.
It can be difficult for children to maintain the mutual understanding that is absolutely necessary for a couple to be stable and the time spent “dancing” is not wasted because of petty quarrels.
An individual program is created for each couple, based on physical and psychological characteristics children.

Is it a man's thing?

Understanding why ballroom dancing attracts girls is easy. But if you doubt that dancing is a suitable children's sport for a future man, remember that ballroom dancing used to be obligatory element good education not only for girls, but also for boys. All famous generals and commanders were not only daredevils, riders and well-aimed arrows but also excellent dancers. Yes, and in modern military schools, officers are still taught ballroom dancing.

For a boy in sports dancing, there are many conquests, heights that need to be achieved. In addition, classes are constant serious sports loads, our boys often run and jump in competitions for the whole school. Motivation is different for everyone: someone is fascinated by music, someone - interesting communication and travel, someone's charisma teacher. Much also depends on parents - it is very important how much they are ready to pay attention to their child, because competitive dancing means constant tournaments, training camps, travels.

Despite the fact that ballroom dancing is considered very costly type sports, children's equipment is quite modest.

For girl

Gymnastic leotard for training
- skirt,
- bolero (optional)
- Czechs.
One set per year is enough.

For boy

Black pants,
- White shirt,
- Czechs.

For girl

For competitions, a rating dress is enough, one per year is enough: one-color, up to 11 years old, not only jewelry, but also any combination of fabrics is prohibited.
Shoes - special dance shoes with small heels, also without decorations.
Hairstyle - strictly meets the requirements: a bun strongly fixed with varnish with a simple net, without decorations.
Only from the age of 11 girls can wear a long dress for the European program and a suit for latin at the competitions, from the age of 14 - dresses can be decorated with various jewelry. The cost of such dresses to order.

For boy

Dancing shoes,
- Bow tie or tie.
Custom-made suits are always more expensive.
From 11 years old, a black shirt for Latin is allowed, from 14 years old - a vest for the European program and a separate suit for Latin, from 16 - a tailcoat and also a special suit for Latin.

Ballroom dancing is divided into two programs:
European (standard) - slow waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, slow foxtrot, fast foxtrot (quickstep);
Latin American (Latin) - samba, rumba, paso doble, cha-cha-cha, jive.
Classification by age of the child in groups:
children 0: 7 years and under,
children 1: 8–9 years old,
children 2: 10–11 years old.

Classification by level of training:

H class (“beginner” or hobby class) - only some dances are performed in this class: slow waltz, cha-cha-cha, samba. The set of movements is limited.
E class - performed: slow waltz, Viennese waltz and quickstep in the European program and samba, cha-cha-cha and jive in the Latin American program.
D class - already includes 8 dances, excluding only the slow foxtrot in the European program and the paso doble in the Latin American program.
C class - includes all 10 dances. With this class, a serious career of dancers usually begins.
The higher grades: B, A, S and M are the highest skill class for amateurs.
Dancing for children has always been relevant, and today they are at the peak of dance fashion.

First competition

Competitions - necessary element any sport. If a child takes dancing seriously, then participation in competitions will become an obligatory part of the family schedule.

You can participate in the first competitions by mastering simple options movements of three dances.
Children compete among themselves in their age category.

Participation in competitions earns points by scoring a certain amount of which, the dancer moves to a new level (class). In order to move to the next level of skill, you need to take part in several competitions, sometimes 10 or even more.

Participation in the competition is paid.

Registration for competitions usually takes place early in the morning, each participant receives a number to dance under.

Usually many dancers take part in competitions at once, and children come out on the floor in groups of 20-30 and perform one or another dance together.

Scores are given by the jury, but children, as a rule, are not told the number of points, but are assigned some place. But 125th place, even out of 500, will only upset the kid, so everyone gets first, second or third place: the first is for those who danced on maximum amount points, and so on. So, according to the results of the competition, there can be several gold medalists, many silver medalists and very, very many bronze medalists.

Diplomas and medals that the participants receive are a huge reason for pride and motivation for further studies.

You still can't decide what to do with your beloved baby? Sport sections, literary circles, theater studios, art schools- The choice of activities is huge.

Ballroom and dance Sport This is definitely worth a try! The elegance of the pas and the bewitching music attract more than one generation of young dancers. Why shouldn't your child do the same? beautiful view sports?

health benefits of dancing

Sports and ballroom dancing is not only an unusually beautiful, but also a very healthy hobby. Dance lessons:

• Strengthen blood vessels and muscles;
• Increase the physical endurance of the child;
• Improve posture;
• Remove muscle clamps;
• Improve the functioning of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems;
• They teach the child to calmly relate to failures and lose, to be more stress-resistant.

What is the passion for dancing?

However physical health- this is far from the only reason why it is worth enrolling a child in a dance school. Ballroom and sport dancing influence many areas of children's development. They:

• Train motor skills and coordination.
• Develop an ear for music, a sense of rhythm, aesthetic taste.
• Improve moral, moral qualities.
• They learn to live in society and communicate with other people.
• Form a beautiful gait.
• Reveal Creative skills child.
• They make children more active, collected, disciplined.
• Learn to control your body.
• They transform the appearance - a sparkle in the eyes, a smile on the face and a toned figure adorn the guys.
• Develop intelligence and curiosity.
• Guide the child towards achieving goals.
• They help to get rid of many fears, complexes and self-doubt, as well as raise self-esteem. Dancing changes even the most shy and introverted guys!

Interested? Then read how to start dancing classes.

When to start classes?

After decision The question for parents is: “And at what age is it best to give your child to choreographic studio?» According to experts, it is best to do this at 6-7 years. However, it all depends on the individual qualities of your child.

On the one hand, children who started dancing early (at 3-5 years old) are much more likely to succeed. And on the other hand, kids who are not yet 6-7 years old get tired quickly, their coordination of movements is poorly developed, and they cannot concentrate on one thing. And it is still difficult for them to perceive all the requirements of the coach correctly.

If you still want to take your baby to dance at 3-4 years old, then answer the following questions:

1. Will the baby be able to understand and follow the coach's commands?
2. Is he able to coordinate movements and concentrate?
3. Can you bear physical exercise, or does he usually spend his time passively?
4. Does your child want to dance?
5. Does he have a good memory and musical ear?

If you answered “yes” to 3-4 questions, then feel free to take the baby to the dance section. Otherwise, take your time, most likely, he is not ready for this yet.

Clothes, shoes and other ... expenses

Ballroom and sports dancing is one of the most expensive sports. In addition to paying for classes, you will need:

• Shoes and costumes for performances;
  • At least 2 pairs of training shoes (boots or slippers). They should be light, comfortable and natural;
  • Minimum 2 suits for training. Boys train in trousers and shirts or t-shirts made of stretch fabric. Girls - in a free short skirt and a top or blouse in a figure.

Concert outfits will need to be made to order, and training clothes are usually bought in specialized stores.

You will also need to pay for travel to the venue of competitions and competitions, accommodation and meals (yours and your child) and individual lessons if necessary.

Before starting classes and think about whether it will be possible for you. If you feel that you won’t pull it, choose more for the child a budget option classes to save him from tears and disappointments in the future.

Choice of school and teacher

When choosing a dance section, give preference to those that are closest to your home. Long trips will tire both you and your baby. In addition, after school he will need to rest, eat and change.

You should also pay attention to Timetable of classes(it should be comfortable for the child) and age group (best to do with peers). Find out if there are special requirements for appearance(clothes, shoes, hair).

Refine the cost of classes- lower prices are usually in those schools that have recently opened or are located in less prestigious areas.

You need to know name and surname of the coach, his status- work experience, age, whether Teacher Education and a diploma from the Institute of Physical Education, how many years he has been working at this school, etc.

Ask about school status- what organization does it belong to, who are its graduates, do students win prizes in competitions, how many years have they been studying here.

Having compared all the nuances, you will surely choose the most suitable section, studio or dance school.

Let's hope that the passion for dancing will bring your child a lot of impressions and positive emotions. And who knows, maybe from little dancer someday a star of world significance will grow!