i need to help my child with coordination and timing when she dances?

Question

my daughter is 6 and she has just finished her dancing competitions she was very disheartened when she only got one medal out of a possible 6 (i was as pleased as punch) she loves dancing but she doesnt have natural rhythm i know that this will come in time but you cant tell that to a 6 year old any tips on ways to help her along

Answer 1

She's at a good age to start taking tap, which is great for instilling a sense of rhythm. Not only does the individual dancer have to keep time with the music, but they also have to learn how to keep time with other dancers.

Meanwhile, I doubt you want to hear me say it, but I don't think competitions are the greatest idea for beginning dancers and little kids. I wish your daughter would find the joy in dance just for the sake of dancing and not for a prize at this point.

Answer 2

Well, if she's six, I don't think you should be pushing her too much (trust me, I used to do competitions and there was only so much "rhythm working" I could take)..........

Anyways, the thing that really clicked it in my head was when my teacher played a clapping game with me. She played the music for my dance, and we would clap our hands together like we were playing patty cake or some other children's hand game. We started out clapping our hands together to the basic simple beat, and then we tried more difficult beats that got faster as the music intensified. By doing this I quickly got the hang of rhythm.

Another thing you can tell her to do is close her eyes and march to the beat (this can give you an idea of if she is ahead or behind the beat). Then you can march with her, and she can follow your lead, showing her what pace she should be marching at. With some practice, she will be able to find the beat and stay with the time easily.

One last thing that may work the best for a 6 year old is giving her words to identify the dance steps with (for example, turn on the word "flower" in the song). I hope this helps you, and as far as coordination goes, this will come later on with practice. Be sure to encourage your daughter often, competitons often put a lot of pressure on kids (trust me, I know!). Good luck!

Answer 3

Totally agree with WWD: it is development, many children don't understand the rhythm yet. If you want to help - TV OFF, stereo ON. It doesn't have to be serious stuff all the time, she's only 6. Also, children seem to happily follow the visual lead: if it is possible for you at all, dance with her to music. It doesn't have to be the same stuff she does at dancing school, anything will do. Try playing recorded dance performances for her on a TV where there is enough space in the room for her if she feels like jumping around. Don't force her to watch though, see if she enjoys it. I did, but my mom's friends thought I was a strange kid.

Clapping is good first step, but there is a huge difference between clapping and dancing. Many people can clap complex rhythm but can't follow it with their feet. Because clapping only involves ears, brain and hands, but dancing inolves ears, brain and the whole body.

Answer 4

Why? Children have natural rhythm. Unless your child has special needs, he/she will find his/her own rhythm. My grand-daughter is only 28 months old. When we go to Kurdish weddings she is already starting to dance in the Kurdish manner. Last week we went to the Carnival in Switzerland. Totally different rhythms and totally different movements to the music, but she was copying the Swiss after about 10 minutes of puzzlement and observation. Children are much more receptive and flexible than we adults imagine.

Answer 5

She is still very very young, sometimes it takes time to develop an innate sense of music and timing. I am an Irish dancer and so timing of the music and execution of the steps is the FIRST priority, or you will NOT get placed at a Feis lol. :-) I would encourage her to listen to the music and count out the beats with her, maybe she could attend an additional class merely to observe the girls and count the music.

Tell her not to be disheartened. I can think of several girls in my class in particular that need to build on this skill.

Answer 6

Rhythm is something that comes with practices and modeling other dancers who already have good rhythm. You could record your daughter and let her see first hand her own mistakes, or you could let her dance in a mirror. This will build up confidence and help her see her mistake immediately.

Answer 7

You've gotten some great tips, which I think would work. Also, what I have done with my little sister who is 7 and in ballet is anytime I am in the car with her we turn on the music and I just gently tap my hand on her knee to the music as we are driving. This is a great way to teach her beat and rhythm without her feeling like "oh gosh...more lessons..." she thinks you are just playing with her, but she is really learning!

Answer 8

This may sound odd, but give her a skipping rope and tell her to jump! You can have a lot of fun together. Skipping rope is used by boxers to develop foot work and coordination. It's cheap and will also keep her fit, plus develop her calves and strengthen her ankles while she's having fun. Music lessons will help too.

Answer 9

You could probably have her dance with something in her hand like a toy to keep balanced or you give her something to keep the beat with like a drum or tambarine. She also might just have an ear infection thats throwing off her coordination.

Answer 10

Have her practice with her music while a metronome is going(or if you have good enough rythim, you can clap) and give her cues on when to go. also, just practice a ton and play the music that she dances to at least three times a day, more when a competetion is coming.