WAG Flip side of the ballet question

[MaryA]

Ok, I know nobody can answer this for sure. It's going to be different for every kid, etc. etc.

The one mom wanted to know how much her gymnast will get out of a ballet class. I want to know how much my ballerina will get out of a tumbling class!

My 13-year-old DD, who has been taking ballet for years, has joined a Jazz dance team and one of the requirements is that she takes a weekly tumbling class. My gymnast DD hasn't been in the gym only one day (one HOUR!) a week since she was 5, so I have no point of reference. I feel like, how can anyone learn ANY tumbling skills in only an hour a week? But at the same time, the gym offers the classes and people continue to take them and they wouldn't do that if they weren't progressing (I assume).

So what kind of things do your think my relatively strong and flexible dancer girl can realistically be expected to learn in this type of class?

BTW, I have forbidden my gymnast to speak to her (twin) sister while she is in the gym for her tumbling class. Even if she said something nice, her sister would only assume she was being sarcastic. She almost didn't sign up for the dance team because of the tumbling class requirement. Tumbling is gymnastics and gymnastics "belongs" to her sister. Never mind that her sister takes 2 dances classes a week as part of her gymnastics training!

 

[Committed]

I had to take tumbling as a part of my cheerleading requirement in high school. We were mostly dancers. It was hard. I can't tell you how many back "head springs " I did due to low muscle tone in my arms.

 

[happychaos]

If the tumbling class is offered at a gymnastics gym, which it sounds like it is, then I think it should be okay, at least safety wise. Our gym offers 1 hr. per week tumbling, but it seems like most of the kids also take 1 hr. per week rec class. The skills are pretty sloppy, but safe (no headsprings). I would say it takes about 18 months to work up to BHS. If your DD is pretty strong from dance, I would think she would move quicker, and probably naturally have better form.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Well... I can only answer as the mom of an almost 13yo ballerina who has just taken her first semester of acro and did her first tumbling class over the summer.
Don't get me started on the "gymnastics vs ballet" discussions/arguments in my house... (Gymmie is 10 and has also done dance but never to the extent that dancing DD has... It was her passion from way before she could even take the toddler ballet classes).
So anyways, dancer switched studios last semester, from a prepro ballet studio to a more diverse dance studio, to focus on more contemporary work amongst other things (a lot of politics and tween self esteem issues). At the new studio, she was exposed to acro for the first time. Now it should be noted that a LOT of the dancers there have done gymnastics and dance side-by-side for a long time but my dd never did. She started doing the studios acro class (1hr/wk) in February with nothing but a very nice cartwheel.
It has not been easy for her, she is not a naturally strong girl and had very little upper body strength. She had a strong core and incredibly strong legs, but arms and shoulders? Fugetabbouit! So, fast forward six months. She can do a very nice handstand. She can do a back walkover. It isn't always successful, but she has the logistics down. She can do a round off. She is close to getting a BHS on tumble track/big wedge mat. She can do a FHS on tumble track. She almost has a FWO on floor. She can do a one handed cartwheel, but I think it will be some time before she has the guts to really try for aerials. She is seeing results, although she is not by any means progressing at the speed she would like to. Things have mostly come easy to her, so this is a good character builder for her...

 

[wsg13]

I did dancing for 5 years and It has helped massively with my gym! Not meaning to be stuck up but I was alway ahead of my class because of my gymnastics tumbling an flexibility. When getting to higher level dancing you will need skills like arials and back handsprings. To do this you will decently need a tumbling class

 

[Aussie_coach]

I think there can be real value in that. Tumbling is of course great for strength and flexibility, I know you say your DD is already quite strong and flexible, but it can't hurt.

The dance teachers obviously want to include some skills into their dance routine. It is very common to see cartwheels and walkovers in dance routines and at times handstands, forward rolls, backwards rolls and so on. It can look great if the entire class can do these skills and they can have them all do them in routines.

If you go to the dance competition work you will see lots of side aerials, front aerials, back handsprings and back tucks. These are very valuable skills to a dancer.

 

[lovemygymnast]

I've seen a lot of my dance mom friends bringing their dancer daughters for tumbling classes and even private lessons. Apparently, it's something they need for dance. From watching the progression, they've definitely learned a lot in a short time! Good luck!!

 

[MaryA]

Dance competitions to travel to. Gym meets to travel to. Dance and gym class to pay for. Private tumbling lessons for my dancer aren't going to happen. So the 1x a week class had better be enough!

 

[gracyomalley]

I do know that at early level ballet my DD skipped level 1 (RAD), got highest score on level 2 of class even attending only half time, and was successful at L3 (all in 16 months) before she quit, because of gym. She was strong, a good listener, learned steps/routines easily, and was already flexible - great leaps, etc. This was for ballet only, so no true acro....would have been more helpful there - I would guess that if the tumbling class is for dancers, it will target safe skills they will use - my DD has a friend who came back to rec tumbling after years of team - and she's having fun with 1 hour a week, learning stuff...

 

[1canadiangymmom]

I teach acro at a dance studio - 3 classes a week, and with my DD in gym doing 18 hours a week, I can tell you it is a very, very, slow progression with only 1 hour a week. And, most importantly learning tumbling in a gym is a lot different than learning acro for dance. Learning Aerials and BHS on a spring floor, then translating that to a hard wood floor can be difficult for a lot of girls. I would recommend a acro for dancers class vs. a tumbling class. Just my two cents.

 

[BlairBob]

I will say that I have heard to get into some dance programs at colleges with strong dance companies, a lot of girls want to be able to do walkovers and aerials.

I had one girl in the adult class that was trying to go somewhere in Michigan. Can't remember where. It did mean we worked lots of aerials every week (can't remember if she came once or twice) and it also meant I ended up working them which was the last time I think I've ever done any.

 

[gymdog]

Ok, I know nobody can answer this for sure. It's going to be different for every kid, etc. etc.

The one mom wanted to know how much her gymnast will get out of a ballet class. I want to know how much my ballerina will get out of a tumbling class!

My 13-year-old DD, who has been taking ballet for years, has joined a Jazz dance team and one of the requirements is that she takes a weekly tumbling class. My gymnast DD hasn't been in the gym only one day (one HOUR!) a week since she was 5, so I have no point of reference. I feel like, how can anyone learn ANY tumbling skills in only an hour a week? But at the same time, the gym offers the classes and people continue to take them and they wouldn't do that if they weren't progressing (I assume).

So what kind of things do your think my relatively strong and flexible dancer girl can realistically be expected to learn in this type of class?

BTW, I have forbidden my gymnast to speak to her (twin) sister while she is in the gym for her tumbling class. Even if she said something nice, her sister would only assume she was being sarcastic. She almost didn't sign up for the dance team because of the tumbling class requirement. Tumbling is gymnastics and gymnastics "belongs" to her sister. Never mind that her sister takes 2 dances classes a week as part of her gymnastics training!

As you've hit on, about a tenth as fast as the average level 3 on something like a round off back handspring. But of course a ton depends on their natural propensity for the sport. If she has the strength level and isn't afraid, she might easily learn it. Or she might be too afraid at this age to ever jump backwards without a spot. If she is the kind of kid who will do back dive and flips off the diving board, for example, she will probably learn fast. Otherwise it will probably take 2-3 years of classes, if ever.

 

[Aussie_coach]

You would be surprised at how quickly many dancers progress in tumbling classes. Like gymnasts serious dancers often dedicate many hours a week to their dance training. They spend a lot of time working on strength and flexibility, and it makes a big difference.

Also their tumbling classes may be a lot less frequent than that of a gymnast, but they are focused just on their tumbling skills. They don't need to fit in bars and beam and vault as well.

Of course it won't be as fast as a kid training 18 hours a week in gymnastics. But many make excellent progress (if they have a good quality teacher).