Best Age to Start Dancing

[pygmalion]

Sad but true, despite a strong desire to dance, I didn't start until I was an infamous thirty-something. I often wonder how much more I could have done if I'd started sooner. Oh well. Does anybody else ever think about this? Is there a best age to start dancing? Is it different by dance discipline?

[MadamSamba]

Oh, great topic, Jenn!

Naturally starting young is preferable, but honestly, I believe things only come into your life when you are good and ready. So I'm an old lady, big deal. The fact is that I may not have enjoyed dancing as much at another time in my life (when I was younger) and perhaps the same holds true for if I had discovered the joys of dance when I was too old to do anything about it or truly enjoy it.

I don't think you're ever too old to learn to dance, but whatever time you discovered it was the right time, or am I sounding too much like Confucious? :) The only bad time is to never have discovered it at all! :)

[Swing Kitten]

I would imagine that if it was something that was always part of your life and you don't really remember a time without it then it would be difficult to have the same appreciation for it. You could still appreciate it ... but it be in a different way. For instance I appreciate food-- I appreciate really yummy food-- I'm positive my appreciation pales in comparison to someone who spent a part of their life in serious hunger.

[SwinginBoo]

Sad but true, despite a strong desire to dance, I didn't start until I was an infamous thirty-something. I often wonder how much more I could have done if I'd started sooner. Oh well. Does anybody else ever think about this? Is there a best age to start dancing? Is it different by dance discipline?

I can totally relate to that Jenn. I wanted to do nothing but dance my whole life. But since my mom didn't send me I never did until now. I often wonder what I could have done if I had taken lessons when I was young, considering it seems to come naturally you know?

For instance I appreciate food-- I appreciate really yummy food-- I'm positive my appreciation pales in comparison to someone who spent a part of their life in serious hunger.

This is so true.

[swingin' baby]

Hey I'm new here!!
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I started Lindy when I woz 9 and I'm 15 now, it's a shame dat more young people don't do it!
^
I've done some teaching at Rock bottoms, a groovy dancing holiday www.rockbottoms.com but I love Lindy hop an I'm glad that i started doin it at a young age. :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: who do you all learn it with?

[pygmalion]

Hi swingin' baby! Welcome to the forums. I hate to admit it, but I don't do lindy ... yet. The lindy hoppers in this forum are trying to convert me! :lol: :lol:

[Sagitta]

Welcome swingin' baby!! :) I've learnt a little lindy, but not enough. Right now I'm concentrating on ballroom and latin, but I'm pretty sure that it will come around once again as all good things do. I actually have great teachers for swing over here in Ithaca, and great dancers too. So, it's a pity in a way that I don't do more. [Shrug!]

I agree that starting young is great. I should have, but I was way too shy back then. I only came out of my shell when I found myself a couple thousand miles and couple continents away from home. :)

[DancingMommy]

Sad but true, despite a strong desire to dance, I didn't start until I was an infamous thirty-something. I often wonder how much more I could have done if I'd started sooner. Oh well. Does anybody else ever think about this? Is there a best age to start dancing? Is it different by dance discipline?

It depends on your goal(s) as a dancer. 8)

Gabriella is chomping at the bit to start dancing. There just aren't any classes for non-verbal, non-potty trained divas-in-training [sigh].

I started dancing at 4, but my options were limited. In fact, I was going to post something along these lines today, but you beat me to it.....

[d nice]

I didn't start formal training until I was 13. I started informal lessons when I was six, but growing up in a family where there was always music and dancing was expected at parties I've been doing it since I could walk.

I personally believe informal lessons are best5 at an early age...

These days you have all sorts of "movement" classes for children that are chock-full of games and exercises but none of the formality or structure of a ballet class. These are marvelous. They teach social interaction, coordination, musical interpetation etc. This is the stuff I learned just being around family members. I started with vernacular jazz when I was six from my grandparents just showing things and then as hip-hop slowly emerged I was part of the burdgeoning scene of cardboard carrying kids who spun, popped and locked at the malls. I learned by watching, we taught each other moves and invented new ones.

It wasn't until I was 13 that I chose to take formal dance lessons... personally I wish it had started earlier, but I wouldn't trade my informal instruction for it, so much as I wish I had the opportunity to do both.

The long and short of it is that as long as it is approached in a fun manner, something they enjoy there is no minimum age to begin an introduction to dancing. Formal classes will be dependant on the maturity and personality of the child. Don't push, but encourage.

[dancergal]

Thinking about it, I think it would've been nice to start at a younger age, but I started a family when I was pretty young and there is no way I could raise them and fit dancing in my schedule with a full time job. I didn't start dance lessons until they moved out. Now I can concentrate on my lessons and dance to my heart's content, no worry about kids or anything.

[salsachinita]

Is there a best age to start dancing? Is it different by dance discipline?

I guess you DO have to start ballet at an early age, to have any chance of getting somewhere. I was sent to one (grade 2?) but got told nicely that I'd have better chances doing something else other than dancing :shock: .

I wished with all my heart that my dancing had been encouraged. Believing that I was no good, I didn't get back to dancing until I was 19, when I began salsa.

*then I wished that I had been able to focus on the DANCING rather than other issues in your 20s :roll: *

Now that I am happily dancing in my 30s, I've been wondering why on earth I didn't just drop everything earlier and did what I'm doing now..!

:roll: If only I knew then..... :roll:

[salsachinita]

8) But, hey.......it's better late than never 8)

------sign: Official Cheer Leader of the Better-Late-Than-Never-Club

:wink: see thread "How many dances with the same partner?" page 2 under 'General Dance Discussion' :wink:

[SDsalsaguy]

8) But, hey.......it's better late than never 8)

------sign: Official Cheer Leader of the Better-Late-Than-Never-Club

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Dancegal]

I first took Two-Step/Polka/Western Swing at 26 but was in my 30's when I finally took Salsa and Swing dances.

I just don't know WHY it took me so long to get around to learning East Coast & Lindy - especially if these were so popular in the late 1990's. Now I'm constantly encouraging my friends to GO LEARN LINDY (Sublimal message for Pygmalion) :P !

[lindy jihad]

i started when i was 13.
oh man, back in the day.
gotta love that neo-swing crazy.
..i'm just glad its over with

[Salsero_AT]

I started 3 years ago when i was 29. I never did dancing before.

Better late than never 8)

[SDsalsaguy]

Better late than never 8)
See salsachinita? Have another club member for you right here :uplaugh:

[d nice]

i started when i was 13.
oh man, back in the day.

Back in the day... Adam you only turned thirteen two weeks ago you little punk, shut up.

:twisted:

Actually Adam is a freshman in college and is fourteen if he is a day j/k




Nothin' but love for ya brotha.

[lindy jihad]

i was foolish to think you would not expose me, i should have known *gasp*
yeah, who would have thought a college would take someone so young?!

you going to get it, buddy :twisted:

[rickyT]

Hi,

I started learning dancing late in life, at 46 years old (probably later than most forum members) due to work commitments and my doubts that I ever can learn to dance. My wife had already took up dancing 4 years prior to me. My wife was a fast learner, (she learnt folk dancing and gymnastic in school, and taught aerobics for a few years), had a good sense of rythmn and feel for the music. I was a slow learner, completely clueless about dancing, had a poor sense of ryhmn, was stiff as a rod, and had no feel for music. My wife had a lot of positive traits, but patience for a slow-learning, bumbling learner was not one of them. Nevertheless, I was determined to learn, so I repeated (and often re-repeated) most of the dance lessons and attended technique classes and private lessons.. I also practiced and practiced and practiced a lot (often on my own).

After an initial period (read ‘a couple of years’), I started improving (to my own surprise!) and learning became much easier. Now after 6 years, I think I can dance the Latin rhumba, samba, cha-cha, ballroom waltz and rock-and-roll competently. When I started learning Salsa recently, it was a pleasant experience as I was no more clueless, rhythmless nor stiff as a rod.

Idon’t aspire to be the best dancer on the dance floor because I know I have limited talent (and also started dancing late in life) but when I compare to what I can do now to when I first started I do have a sense of satsifaction that I overcame my own doubts and took up dancing.

If my post can encourage one single beginer who is struggling to learn dancing and thinking of giving up, it would have served its purpose.

rgds

[Sagitta]

It's so true RickyT. Some things come easy to some and some things don't. Once the body gets the muscle memory to move in certain ways then the stiffness/akwardness goes away and learning dance becomes an easier process. :)

While it would be difficult to get great at a few dances if one starts late, such as ballet as mentioned by salsachinita, I don't think that one should necessariy limit ones dancing to a certain level because of starting late in life.

[suek]

Hi,

I started learning dancing late in life, at 46 years old (probably later than most forum members) due to work commitments and my doubts that I ever can learn to dance. My wife had already took up dancing 4 years prior to me. My wife was a fast learner, (she learnt folk dancing and gymnastic in school, and taught aerobics for a few years), had a good sense of rythmn and feel for the music. I was a slow learner, completely clueless about dancing, had a poor sense of ryhmn, was stiff as a rod, and had no feel for music. My wife had a lot of positive traits, but patience for a slow-learning, bumbling learner was not one of them. Nevertheless, I was determined to learn, so I repeated (and often re-repeated) most of the dance lessons and attended technique classes and private lessons.. I also practiced and practiced and practiced a lot (often on my own).

After an initial period (read ‘a couple of years’), I started improving (to my own surprise!) and learning became much easier. Now after 6 years, I think I can dance the Latin rhumba, samba, cha-cha, ballroom waltz and rock-and-roll competently. When I started learning Salsa recently, it was a pleasant experience as I was no more clueless, rhythmless nor stiff as a rod.

Idon’t aspire to be the best dancer on the dance floor because I know I have limited talent (and also started dancing late in life) but when I compare to what I can do now to when I first started I do have a sense of satsifaction that I overcame my own doubts and took up dancing.

If my post can encourage one single beginer who is struggling to learn dancing and thinking of giving up, it would have served its purpose.

rgds

Wow. Pleasantly surprised to see another late bloomer on the board. My one thought is the best age to start dancing is the age you are the day you start. As in it's never too late and if you're moved to move, please move.

I finally got off my couch and on the dance floor in my late 40s and I couldn't be happier about it. I try not to dwell on the regret of all the years I missed. Instead to be grateful for the days I have--each and every one of them. And to get satisfaction in my progress more than I suffer frustration that I may not have enough time to get as good as I'd like to be.

[vey]

I wished with all my heart that my dancing had been encouraged. Believing that I was no good, I didn't get back to dancing until I was 19, when I began salsa.
Now that I am happily dancing in my 30s, I've been wondering why on earth I didn't just drop everything earlier and did what I'm doing now..!

Same here, although I did ballet, figure skating, ballroom, you name it when I was a child, I was never encouraged by instructors or parents. Always lacked confidence while dancing with other people present (still struggling with it) :cry:

And inspite of the fact that I almost always have to restrain myself in order NOT to start dancing when I hear ANY kind of music, it didn't "click" in my mind until my 32nd birthday, when out of the blue I went to a club for my first salsa lesson!!!

I agree that to be a serious ballet dancer you have to start as a little kid but otherwise -I think it has to "click" and it can be at any age.
It also probably depends on what your goals are, for example I firmly believe that it is never too late for social dancing and even some professional dancers start "late" by dancing standards - Eddie the Salsa-freak started at 30!!! :)

[pygmalion]

Cool. 8) I was getting intimidated by the single digit starting ages. I'm sort of in the same place as Sue. And I belive that things happen for a reason. I started dancing when it was the right time for me to start. Maybe I needed it. I guess I could regreat all those years I didn't dance, but then, why spend my energy on that, when I can spend my energy on something more fun, like dancing?

[DancingMommy]

Cool. 8) I was getting intimidated by the single digit starting ages. I'm sort of in the same place as Sue. And I belive that things happen for a reason. I started dancing when it was the right time for me to start. Maybe I needed it. I guess I could regreat all those years I didn't dance, but then, why spend my energy on that, when I can spend my energy on something more fun, like dancing?

I started dancing when I was 4, but got kicked out of ballet class because I had a slight physical disability. They encouraged my folks to not bring me back. :twisted:

I started dancing *again* when I was 8 - ballet, tap, theatre dance, gymnastics, etc and continued that until I was 15. I was pretty "ok", but definitely not pro Broadway style, IYKIM. Purely recreational.

I didn't start taking ballroom lessons until I was 22 (almost 23). It's been an uphil climb and I wish I had been able to do *this* when I was younger, but at least I had a little "background" from which to start.