WAG Question for coaches

[Gymbee06]

My best friends daughter who'sy god daughter is 4 and currently dances we were chatting yesterday and she mentioned that she is always doing bridges and back bends now I know it's not something that should be done before age 5 in gymnastics is it the same for dance? I did tell her this was for gymnastics)Also and more worrying to me is the fact her dd has arthritis I don't know if that makes any difference/more risky.
I guess my question is would/should I try and push for her not to let her dd do them or leave it alone? There won't be any bad feeling or it being taken the wrong way if I do say anything but I don't want to mention it again and press the point she shouldn't do them if it's not an issue she is also a small 4yr old if that makes any difference.
Thanks

 

[txgymfan]

A four year old with arthritis doing back ends? I would suggest you gently ask the mom to talk to her pediatrician.

 

[Turk]

Does she do them in dance class, or just at home? As a qualified teacher, I can safely say that a class of 4-year-olds taught by me would still be at the "creative movement" stage, not even learning proper steps really, and none of the styles of dance I teach or dance have bridges as part of them officially, although they do crop up from time to time in choreography at the older end. I do have an outside knowledge of freestyle/disco where they sometimes do a bit of that, but kids that age would be at the kicks-and-spins stage.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Having one serious dancer and one gymmie.... At no point in proper dance training will a 4yo be doing back bends.
You know developmentally it's not appropriate for gymnastics, and there's no reason for it be done in dance at that point at all. At 4, dance "training" should still be creative movement with very basic intro to positions.

 

[Gymbee06]

Yep she does them both at dance and at home her mum did say she would stop her doing them at home but when I suggested she talk to the dance teacher for more info about the damage it could do I got the impression parents can't question anything the teachers do

 

[Deleted member D3987]

My best friends daughter who'sy god daughter is 4 and currently dances we were chatting yesterday and she mentioned that she is always doing bridges and back bends now I know it's not something that should be done before age 5 in gymnastics is it the same for dance? I did tell her this was for gymnastics)Also and more worrying to me is the fact her dd has arthritis I don't know if that makes any difference/more risky.
I guess my question is would/should I try and push for her not to let her dd do them or leave it alone? There won't be any bad feeling or it being taken the wrong way if I do say anything but I don't want to mention it again and press the point she shouldn't do them if it's not an issue she is also a small 4yr old if that makes any difference.
Thanks

should NOT be doing them. see my new post "front limbers".