Dance Lessons

My mother knew a little girl who took tap at Dance Arts Studio and so she gave Noelle lessons at age 5 (1974). This began years of tap, acrobatics, ballet, and jazz for ALL of the children. My mother subsidized many of the lessons and helped with many costumes. Luckily it was a very reputable studio where we certainly received our money's worth.
I spent many hours watching lessons. The teacher, Patricia Heath, was one who advanced the children as their ability allowed (she did not teach the same thing all year), and she choreographed each dance from scratch (others teach the same routines over and over). We had a recital every other year (it is just too much to do it annually), and our lessons were year-round. If a student missed a class, he or she scheduled a make-up class to learn whatever had been missed.
At Dance Arts, students were not admitted until age 5, ballet was not taught until age 9 or so, and jazz was not offered until age 11 or 12 or older. I found, over the years, that these are sound practices.
I highly recommend tap dancing for children...it develops coordination, memory, counting and so on....there is just nothing like watching them really having to THINK! If a particular step required real concentration, it was often referred to as a "think" step!

Acrobatics is a great way to give a child self-esteem! As a child, I was never even able to do a somersault or a cartwheel, much less a backbend or a headstand! I made sure that all my children could do these things...you would be surprised how they impressed their peers in school gym classes, etc.
I admit I bribed them, especially on backbends. I think Nadia was the only one who ever did a back handspring, and no one has done an aerial cartwheel, but I know it has been good for them to know that they accomplished all those other stunts!

We participated in dance competitions early on and it added a new dimension to our lives. We really got to enjoy it and saw such places as St. Louis, Myrtle Beach, Louisville, and Columbus, OH, because of it. The many trophies won by the kids I guess made up for the ones I longed for as a child...
For the most part I did not insist on practice, but they seemed to do it on their own. I did demand it before contests, however, because those entry fees etc., are a big investment. Their teacher and I only asked that they do their best...the winning or losing was always up to the judges....

Looking back....a few comments....
I took tap and jazz for a while and was in two recitals with the children, and in one contest.
My experience was nothing like the one you might see today on DANCE MOMS, the reality show. I made many friends at the studio and we had fun. Two of my daughters, two granddaughters, and one grandson, are taking at the same studio today. Several of my daughters worked there during high school too. The twenty-plus years there was an invaluable family experience for all of us, and the structure provided lessons that have served us well.
I forgot to mention that not only did Dance Arts put on programs in the community when asked, but our family put on a few itself for our parish and for a couple of other gatherings!