It’s a common sight in Singapore to see little kids in pink leotards and chiffon skirts, especially on the weekends. If you’re considering sending your kids for ballet lessons too, you might have a few questions.
How does ballet benefit your kids? What’s the best age to start? And which syllabus is best?
Lisa Latip, the principal and director of Young Dancers Academy shares answers to questions that parents most commonly ask.
It’s exercise, and helps with muscle-building, especially if your kids don’t participate in a lot of sports. It also helps develop good posture and improve coordination skills.
On top of keeping your kids physically healthy, ballet also keeps them mentally sharp. Lisa explains, “Many may not realise it, but ballet works our brains as well. When we think of executing a step, a lot of thought goes into how we can execute it well. For example, we have to consider things like coordination of movements and timing.”
Ballet also teaches kids how to interact with others and work together as a team. “In ballet, there are exercises that involve teamwork and partner-work. These help kids to learn to work with partners or as a group from young,” says Lisa.
Plus, it helps to build confidence and discipline. “Ballet requires a lot of discipline, especially as kids grow older. Even committing to regular classes and practising regularly builds good discipline in children,” Lisa shares. “Concerts and performances also help kids to combat issues like stage fright, thus building their confidence.”
In Singapore, ballet also contributes to your child’s portfolio. Often, it’s used for things such as Direct School Admission (DSA), where kids can secure admission into schools based on their talents in the performing arts, sports, or other areas.
One of the most commonly asked questions is which syllabus you should pick? The most common curriculums are the one offered by the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), or the Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing (CSTD). There are also other established curriculums taught in Singapore, but the RAD and CSTD syllabi are the ones most commonly offered.
The Young Dancers Academy offers both the RAD and CSTD curriculum, so Lisa is in a good position to see the differences between the two. She explains, “They’re different syllabi, but the end results are the same. Whatever syllabus it is, a pirouette is still a pirouette.”
Leena Goh started sending her daughter to ballet lessons in 2013 when her daughter was four years old. Her daughter is studying the CSTD syllabus. Leena echoes this sentiment, saying, “Having gone through these nine years of ballet training with my girl, I realised that regardless of the syllabus, what is more important is that our child enjoys the learning experience, with teachers who are able to motivate and harness their students’ unique talent and ability. Furthermore, the child will eventually learn the necessary ballet techniques as they progress on with their grades.”
So where do the major differences lie? And which one is better for your child? Well, it depends on what you’re looking out for.
The RAD method is a leading method of English Ballet that dates back to the 1920s, so it’s well-established. It’s also one of the six major methods of ballet taught throughout the world, and is studied in over 70 countries. The method is known for its relatively slow progression and the amount of detail paid to basic techniques. The theory is that mastering the basics will help students adapt to more difficult ballet vocabulary more easily later on.
CSTD started in Australia and came to Singapore about 30 years ago. That said, both syllabi are recognised in Singapore. The School of the Arts Singapore (SOTA), for example, accepts a Grade 4-5 certification in either syllabus if your child wants to audition.
CSTD covers other dance genres such as contemporary, jazz, and tap, while RAD focuses mainly on classical ballet. That means many CSTD schools also offer lessons in other dance styles. If your child wants to explore other forms of dance too, it’s worth looking at CSTD schools.
Another thing you might want to consider is competition opportunities. Lee Poh Geok has two daughters, aged 10 and 12, both of whom started ballet when they were three. Competition opportunities are something she wishes she knew more about beforehand. She explains, “In hindsight, maybe I should have found out a bit more about potential opportunities, as my younger child was subsequently selected to pursue solo and join competitions. Competition opportunities were something that never crossed my mind. I always thought ballet was more about grading.”
When it comes to competitions, RAD holds the annual Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition, which is open to all RAD students around the world. While the competition is very prestigious, qualifying for it is definitely not easy. For the 2021 Fonteyn, candidates needed to be 15 to 20 years old and of pre-professional status at the time of registration. To be eligible for the finals, they also needed to hold an Advanced 2 with Distinction in Classical Ballet.
CSTD organises an annual regional competition in Singapore, as well as an annual Asia Pacific Dance Competition in the Asia-Pacific area. The competitions are open to all CSTD students, with the youngest age category being for candidates aged seven and under. If you’re looking to build up your child’s portfolio with competition opportunities, CSTD might be a better fit. Your kids will likely have more chances to compete, and won’t have to fly halfway across the globe to do so.
Ballet classes are offered at many places – whether it’s the nearby community club, or a dedicated ballet school. Your child’s primary school might even offer them as after-school enrichment lessons.
Lisa suggests, “It would be good for parents to take a look at the culture of the school to see if it is suitable for their child. Trial lessons are always good. Sometimes, it is all about rapport. Different teachers may have different teaching styles, which will be suitable for different children. Trial lessons allow students to test out the class and find out if they like the teacher and the teaching style.”
Poh Geok adds, “I think it is important to see that the girls in the ballet school are having fun. At that young age, it is the fun that keeps them going.”
Trial lessons also help you gain a better understanding of the class dynamics. For example, does the class size allow for the teacher to give your child the attention they need?
Apart from that, you might also want to consider things like performance opportunities, as well as additional activities – such as bonding activities and overseas workshops.
Most dance schools offer baby ballet classes for kids from about three years of age.
“Baby and toddler ballet classes are more for enjoyment and fun, where kids will pick up simple concepts of music and movement. Classes start to get a bit more technical at Pre-Primary and Primary levels, where kids will start preparing for their first ballet assessment. That usually takes place at the age of 5 or 6,” says Lisa.
But even if your child is above that age, don’t worry. No one is ever too old to start learning ballet, Lisa assures.
For parents of older children looking to pick up ballet, she advises, “Find an appropriate school and let them go for a trial lesson in whichever level the school recommends. Speak to the teacher after the class – the teacher would be able to advise the appropriate level for your child after the trial. Different kids have different learning abilities, so it really depends. In our school, we would usually put them in a class with students around their age, or with students a couple of years younger, if they have no dance experience.”
Parents often worry about how much time they have to set aside for ballet lessons, says Lisa. RAD has guidelines on the level of commitment you need.
For their Grade 1 examination, your child will need to spend 60 hours on guided learning, and 10 hours on additional learning. For a Grade 8 examination, the duration stretches to 90 hours of guided learning, and 40 hours of additional learning.
Lisa also points out that “most schools in Singapore require your child to take coaching classes a few months prior to the exams. These coaching classes are additional weekly lessons that must be taken to prepare for examinations, and can start as early as six months before the assessment. So, students need to attend two classes a week to prepare for ballet exams.”
Leena adds that the time spent on training increased as her daughter grew older, especially since her daughter took part in ballet competitions. “As she was four when she started ballet, the school work commitment did not exist at all. However, it got more strenuous as she progressed over the years in primary school, especially when she had to train for competitions,” she shares, “It could take up to five days of dance lessons and competitions a week, with each lesson being at least two hours long.”