Skill, Discipline, Appreciation — THE ARTSIs Your Child Ready for Lessons?

Sure…the memory of watching your 5-year-old gracefully prance across the stage in a puffy, pink tutu is priceless. But lessons in the arts can offer a lot more. Exposure to the arts opens a myriad of possibilities for a young child. They can experience the joy of creation and tap their endless energy to strengthen their bodies and their minds. “Classes in the performing arts offer children a wonderful beginning to a magical journey into the theater and the arts,” says Callina Moraytis, owner of Callina’s School of Classical Ballet, in Long Island City. But how do you know when your child is ready to fully benefit from a structured class or lesson?

It’s important to remember that each child is an individual with different strengths. Chronological age is not always the best measuring stick. Kids mature at different rates and parents should not be over-anxious to enroll a child before they’re ready. When attending lessons becomes a tug-of-war, it’s better to hold back and wait a few years. Classes aimed at the youngest aficionado usually require parents to remain for the entire session. Others require children to be dropped off to participate independently in group or private lessons. Parents must evaluate which setting is right for their child. Many schools will allow you to monitor a class or two before actually registering. Exposing young children to a variety of activities is a good idea, but not all disciplines will be right for each child. “It’s all about finding yourself and being joyous about the endeavor you choose,” says Grace Pettijohn, founder of Theater Dynamics, in Astoria. “To nurture the individual is a teacher’s greatest responsibility.” Here is some advice from the experts:

ART “Age 6 is a prime time to start art classes,” says Stacy Heller Budnick, an instructor at The School of Art at Jerry’s Artarama, in Bellerose. While preschool children will thrive in basic arts and crafts programs, most do not have the ability to focus on a formal two-hour class. In art class, children explore various media — from paint to printing — and learn fundamental art skills including how color and light relate, perspective, and shading. Sharing their artwork with others is an important part of the process, helping to build confidence and provide an outlet for individual expression. Art instruction sparks an intellectual curiosity, encouraging inventiveness and an ability to look for solutions. “Drawing exercises the right side of the brain,” says Susan Lane, a child’s instructor at the Alliance of Queens Artists, in Forest Hills. “This is the part of the brain that encourages problem solving.” She agrees that age 6 is a good age to start, but points out that it depends on the individual child’s ability to concentrate. Both schools will accept younger students who exhibit a willingness to participate. “We encourage our students to go outside the lines and explore alternatives,” Heller Budnick says. This freedom can be liberating to students. It sparks curiosity and original thinking. In Lane’s classes, students use books on nature and animals as subjects. “This helps children see and enjoy the world around them,” she says. “It opens up new possibilities and the potential for viewing things in a different way.”

DANCE Beverly Ron, director of Studio E, in Flushing, believes you are never too young or too old to start dance. Her school has something for everyone — from infants as young as 2 months old to special senior citizens’ classes. “Our research-based program, ‘Music Together’, suggests that all children are born musical,” Ron says. In her classes, geared to children ages 2 months to 3 years, students acquire basic music competency. “To watch their progression is like going to a party,” she says. The children are exposed to rhythm, tonal patterns and creative movement. They also experiment with musical instruments. Once their ears are trained, they move on to creative dance at age three. “Everything is sugar-coated,” Ron says. “Nothing is approached as a task, rather as a charming endeavor. Andrea Blagdan, owner of The Dance Zone, in Bayside, starts kids in creative movement at age 3. In her classes, she introduces basic ballet terminology along with age-appropriate activities such as tumbling or skipping. “This is the first coordinated group activity many of my preschoolers experience. They learn a great deal of the skills needed to succeed in school,” Blagdan says. The children learn how to follow basic directions, how to work together with peers, gross motor coordination, and counting. Many dance skills can help the budding athlete. “Boys learn how to be agile, how to use their bodies and basic self-control,” Blagdan says. Dance is also a confidence builder, she says. As an example, she explains how an overweight 6-year-old, who was experiencing social problems in school, benefited from the positive reinforcement she received in dance class. “She now walks proudly because she has an outlet that brings out the best in her. She can look in the mirror and be happy with herself,” Blagdan says.

BALLET Opinions are mixed about how early to start ballet fundamentals. Maureen Gelchion, owner of the Astoria Dance Centre, and who has taught ballet for the past 26 years, suggests toddlers start with pre-dance classes that include short spurts of simple ballet movements. “From an anatomical standpoint, it is impossible to teach ballet to that age group,” she says. Her classes incorporate stretches, and soft quality arm and body movements. She introduces French terms for movements that will form the foundation for ballet. Pre-ballet classes start between ages 6-8. In these classes, the fundamental skills of ballet are introduced; they include coordination, balance, and the basic positions. Moraytis, of Callina’s School of Classical Ballet, goes straight to ballet fundamentals with her preschoolers. “People are overwhelmed by how much ballet I cover with my youngest students,” she says. Both agree that an instructor must be vigilant and monitor the progression of the individual student to assess their proper level. Certain ballet movements done pre-maturely, such as the turnout and rotation in the hips, should not be stressed at a young age. Formation of the feet and legs is important and different children develop at different rates. Students who wish to move on to ‘pointe’ dance directly up on their toes in special toe shoes, and must work vigorously and achieve certain physical and technical milestones. Working on pointe too early can affect a child’s growth plate, leading to serious injury and even surgery. Pointe work generally begins at age 12 or 13. “Ballet is a very demanding discipline, but has many rewards,” Moraytis says. Many of her former students have gone on to obtain leadership roles in the community, and have attributed their success to the discipline learned in ballet. “In addition to building a healthy body, musical knowledge, self-confidence and poise, students’ minds are constantly being trained to focus attention on an awareness on how to use their mind and body as an instrument through movement,” Gelchion says.