What's the best age to start dancing?

Children discover the wonder of dancing at an early age, often in free body movements that take the form of skipping or spinning. While parents can be forgiven for fantasizing that their child could be the next Fontaine or Nureyev, enrolling children in formal dance classes before they're emotionally and physically ready can actually hinder their development as dancers. So what is the best age to enroll your child in dance classes? Better to ask which dance classes are right for your child's age.

Generally, a formal dance studio won't even consider pupils until they're potty trained. Many parents with young toddlers find that creative movement classes allow them to share time together while letting children explore the fun and creative side of dance in a low-stress environment. Creative movement classes are available at many schools and community centers, and provide both parent and child with a social and creative outlet during the day. True ballet it isn't, but young children seem to have a ball with it (and so do parents).

Between the ages of 5 and 7, depending on a child's physical and emotional maturity, parents may want to enroll their child in a formal dance school, typically for ballet, which serves as the foundation for most professional dancing. Parents should do their research and find a reputable school that teaches proper ballet. Not all ballet schools are the same, so look for one where you feel your child is getting the best instruction and attention.

Some parents feel that, as their child grows older, the window to success as a competitive dancer closes, and to some extent that's true, but many professional dancers began their formal training at 9 or 10 and went on to great success. Coordination, imagination and dedication play as much of a role in a child's dance development as the age of indoctrination, so don't feel that older children have missed their opportunity to become good dancers; they may simply need to play catch-up for a couple of seasons.

While childhood is the best time to begin formal instruction, the magic of dance is always open to the inner child in all of us, whether we're 16 or 86. The teenage years in particular are a perfect time to explore contemporary dance and social dancing. While competitive ballroom dancers often begin at a young age and may already have a solid foundation in ballet, for most social dancers it's never too late to learn the waltz, swing, foxtrot or some of the more exotic Latin dances like the cha-cha, salsa and tango. Age is mostly a state of mind, and when we're dancing, we're all young again.