advice please

[stagecoach2007]

Hiya guys

our ds is only 4 years old. just wondering what would be the main core classes to enrole him in to give him the best start. he attends Stagecoach theatre school at present which he enjoys, but they seen to base the 12 week course on working towards one show, which is put on for parents at the end of term.... after enquiring today about ballet/tap/modern dance classes for ds the ballet teacher i spoke to didnt have a good word to say about his theatre school and basically said i was wasting my money.... This is all very new to me so havent a clue what he should be doing and what he shouldnt be doing. would be grateful for your advice x

[GypsyMumNot!]

Ballet/tap/modern for absolute sure. Probably not worth thinking about a theatre school for performing until he's about 6 or 7, but could carry on with Stagecoach if he's enjoying it just for fun (funds dependent of course! None of this is cheap!).
Personally wouldn't touch Stagecoach with a barge pole (totally agree with the ballet teacher you spoke to), although others on here would probably disagree - really depends on the individual teaching at your particular franchise, but bear in mind, that's just what it is - a franchise & a business first & foremost....IMHO - I would go for an independent every time, but probably not worth worrying about just yet.

[stagecoach2007]

Thanks gypsy mum not..... its sooo hard knowing whats best for them..... Ds loves dancing but i think he will have an issue with being in a ballet class dominated by girls and him being the only boy... have booked him in for a one to one lesson at the end of the week to see how he likes it and will take it from there.... DS is shooting his first short film next week and looking to go down the film tv commercial work route till old enough to go into theatre... just looking for any classes which will help him along the way really even if its just to build confidence... he also loves to sing. another area i know nothing about. are they expected to take singing lessons too?

[janine]

Definitely agree with regards to the dance training. My daughter started with ballet at 2 & now takes more dance lessons than I care to remember... I firmly believe that for both sex's dance gives them such confidence of movement, which is vital whether or not your child is interested in musical theatre or film work.( or even just walking into a room for a university/ job interview)

Opinions on Stagecoaches vary from person to person ( although I would rather base my judgement on my own experience (which you have had as your child's in Stagecoach,) rather than listen to a individual that you do not know & who could be the best dance teacher ever ,but may have a personal reason for talking so badly of their competition. Probably the reason that perceptions vary is because as GypsymumNot says they are a Franchise --- Some will be great... Some will be bad..My daughter attends our local Stagecoach & has done for over 4 years,she attends a separate dance school & has for 5 years, & 8 months ago she joined a local youth theatre also. Each has given her different experiences, fun, & from each she has learned & developed.Ibelieve in general Stagecoach seems to be good at confidence building, & giving your child stage experience which can provide a good start to their learning & also can be marvellous for children who need their confidence boosting within a friendly encouraging group...As your child grows & if they are seriously wishing to pursue a career (even as a child actor) I would suggest that a good private acting coach would be beneficial . TBH my daughter has probably outgrown Stagecoach, she does have a private acting coach , but at present shes still attending as she enjoys it, has made lovely friends& enjoys the shows. I certainly do not feel in fact I know that I have not wasted my money, in those years she has spent there, as i think it was a great learning experience ,taught her the basic art of stagecraft from a very young age, & gave her a very great love of acting & performing.For this I will always be grateful.
At only 4 years old I wouldn't worry too much about the correct courses, there really aren't 'correct ones' the only right classes for him will be whichever classes he enjoys. why not try a few & let him tell you what he enjoys..

[stagecoach2007]

Thanks Janine.... think im gonna need to remortgage to keep up with it all lol.... ds has so much confidence at the mo and loves performing just want to encourage him all i can in what he enjoys doing.... i know the Ballet/tap/modern is his next step just not sure how he's going to react being the only boy in the class.

[fame]

Hi Stagecoach
My ds also loves to dance, he is 4 and goes to a mix class of ballet and tap, he is the only boy there but loves being with the other children(girls), he also goes to a drama class at Derby Live Playmaker which is for 4-5 years and 6-8 years, which he loves alot. The drama class is in the theatre it self, where they also get the chance to do some showes and filming, so if you are near to Derby then maybe that might be on to try out, or see if there is any thing like that near to you.

[Fruitcake]

Hi stagecoach.....my DS did dance from the age of 3 and loved it! He was the only boy in a class of girls for about 4 years and it never seemed to bother him. I don't think they are that bothered at that age. It's as they get older it seems to matter more, but by then there are usually a few boys per dance school!

I would agree with everyone else with regards to the drama - just let him do what he enjoys at this young age. With the dancing however, I would strongly recommend making sure he has proper, professional training from day one, as bad habits are hard to rectify later on if he wants to carry on with it more seriously as he gets older.

[tikto]

Such great and helpful replies everyone, although not to my question but I did really enjoy reading them. Thank you! I do agree re stagecoach, some teachers would be really and trully loving their job and acting and would pass it on to the children whereas others would see it plainly as a business so it is up to you to judge whether the particular class is worth attending or not for your child, it's kind of like with schools, some teachers are godsent whereas others are indifferent and unhelpful! My question is, how do you find an independent or private tutor for drama? x

[islandofsodor]

Your son is only 4 and at this age it is more important for him to be happy and develop confidence and basic skills, mostly leanring through play, than getting too worried about the technicalities.

There are a lot of dance schools that are very narrow in their outlook and see their way as being the only way. Personally I see a combination of a good group drama/singing class combined with ballet as the best way forward to produce an all rounder.

Dd is 9 and started Stagecoach just before her 4th birthday. At age 6 I started her in ballet and just last September she also started modern and tap. She has picked up the modern and tap very quickly, the dance training she received at Stagecoach and in ballet stood her in good stead. I do see a big difference in her however than in those who only do the dance training. She is far less "stagey" in her acting she is encouraged to develop her own ideas and produce a more truthful performance. However I also see a difference in the girls at Stagecoach who also do ballet alongside in their poise and poerformance quality.

It is good to be an all round, triple threat. Dh wors at a well known London based dance/musical theatre college and he knows the kind of students they are looking for.

Some dance schools and stage schools can be very unprofessional in their approach to the competition. I personally would never slag off another school but would instead conncentrate on explaining our ethos.

At age 4 if your son does take up ballet, tap & modern he will only be doing basic creative movement type things for example in modern it is excercises like "the pond" and running with action where they cross from the corner and have to do an action when they get to the other side. You do run the risk of overloading him. I would perhaps say leave him for a couple of years unless he asks to do something else then consider adding ballet or modern when he is a little older.

As I say dd is 9 and I have only just increased her classes.

[islandofsodor]

I will say though at our Stagecoach the dance teachers are also ISTD and BBO trained dance teachers and teach modern/jazz syllabus excersices as part of their class structure. Also there is always one term where there is no performance but technique is worked on.

[stagecoach2007]

id say ds is quite an advanced 4 year old. possibly down to the fact he has older brothers. we had an incident at nursery where he wouldnt participate in a dance class as he said it was for babies and refused to join in as they had to dance with teddy bears.... ds has also been attending another theatre school which is independant...he is the youngest there and loves that he's with kids a lot older. some as old as 14 years.... its a lot more laid back than Stagecoach and not as disciplined but ds really enjoys it. Stagecoach is good for discilpline. they also work on voice projection (think that's what its called lol) if im honest im amazed at this age how much they take in and how quick they learn.

[islandofsodor]

in which case he might struggle with syllabus ballet as they do have to dance with bears/dolls as part of their exams.

[stagecoach2007]

lol.... oh great !!! ds going for a one to one lesson on friday. will have to see how he gets on..... maybe he will surprise me and participate in group classes....