Dance and Gymnastics

Addison started Dance and Gymnastics this week. The format of the class is 10 minutes of tap, 10 minutes of ballet, 5 minutes of free dance and 35 minutes of gymnastics. She's been participating in gymnastics since she was 9 months old and has benefited from it in more ways than I ever imagined.

I first got started at The Little Gym when Addison's Early Intervention Specialist recommended I place her community classes to strengthen areas in which she may be delayed due to her prematurity. I loved the place from day one.

I guess I can't be certain, but I really believe that the gym helped Addison walk at 13 months (adjusted age: 11 months), which is pretty unusual for such an early preemie. I have also been told that Addison has really good arm strength, especially for being such a little peanut. It has enhanced both fine motor and gross motor functions. And finally, I think involving her in structured group activities at such a young age has helped her tremendously in the social arena and gaining independence. So, there you have it....my sales pitch on TLG!

Anyway! When I was looking around for a dance company to place Addison for ballet, I was left with some hesitations. First of all, I don't think my daughter is the most graceful little girl and am not sure ballet is her thing. It certainly wasn't a "sport" I excelled in and so far, it's been "like mother, like daughter"! Second of all, Addison LOVES gymnastics. Between school, soccer, mom's club, all the other extracurriculars we have going on, and leaving time for some at-home R&R, I didn't think both ballet and gymnastics would fit into our schedule at this time. I was excited to learn that TLG had a class that combined both dance and gymnastics. This will give Addie an opportunity to decide what she likes best. Well, maybe. When I asked her what her favorite part was, she said, "ALL OF THE PARTS!"

Tap

Ballet

Free dance

Gymnastics

Chase also started gymnastics this week. He is polar opposite of his sister and will undoubtedly take some time adjusting. He spent the first half of the class staring towards the speakers in which the male voice and music were coming from, saying "dada", and the other half of the class glued to me. This will definitely be a good opportunity for him!