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Just wanted to say well done to my ds who has started ballet and tap lessons at 17 after years of doing other types of dancing (ballroom, latin, hip hop and musical theatre). It is late but wanted to encourage any others who wanted to try a new or different dance style.

Thats good to hear, well done to your ds. I am sure she will be a natural .

I thought my dd was late at 9

Hope he has fun and sure his other training but be a real help, I'm sure he will pick it up quickly x

Good luck to him. I bet he will love it. So many more boys dancing nowadays and it's never too late.

Never too late - whether it is for personal enjoymnent/hobby or because he wants to go down the theatre route. I know of boy who is now at vocational college who took up ballet at 16/17. He had done musical theatre and dabbled in other dance styles. My DD only started tap herself at 16 and took her intermediate exam 16 months later gaining a distinction so it can be done.

DH started dance (Ballroom, Latin Rock'n'Roll & Disco) at 38, with no dance exprience & qualified as a teacher 2/3 years later

It's never too late

When your dc have started ballet and tap late, what kind of level class have they joined; have they gone with people their own age and picked it up as they go along, or have they done classes for beginners?
Thank you.

My dd's teacher sometimes has GCSE or A level students who would like to start ballet, and she puts them in Grade 5. Because she puts people in class based on ability and not age, they would join students in the class from about age 11 up to 14 or so.

I have started tap myself at the age of 47.
Our teacher with vast West End experience and very well trained works us very hard and doesn't seen to realise I don't want to audition for Top Hat! Great fun though.
My DD has stated dance at the age of 12 tap,modern and ballet as she really does want to do some form of musical theatre I felt that was late but after seeing her
progress quickly with and excellent teacher (the same one) I would think whatever age you start you would benefit.

My ds started ballet at 18 having done no previous dance training whatsoever. Definitely helped him get into Arts Ed and he loved doing it. As people said, it is never too late to start.

I though my dd was a late starter at 9!

Darcey Bussell started ballet at 13

Interesting to hear about all the other experiences of other people's ds and dd. My ds has only had a few classes but has taken to it. He is in a class with adults and a couple of other beginners, male and female. He is picking it up quickly as he has done lots of other styles of dance. He is tall and strong and ballet is great for strengthening, tone and endurance. Glad to hear it is never too late. I don't expect him to be auditioning for the Royal Ballet anytime soon but it is a great skill to have for those wanting a musical theatre or drama career. He is in the process of auditioning for drama schools this year. Hope it encourages other boys his age who have thought about joining a class but haven't got round to it.

Darcy Bussell didn't start ballet at 13, that's how old she was when she started full time training at White Lodge. She was at Arts Ed before that having started ballet classes at 5 years old.