Anyone's gym require a ballet or dance class/instruction for the competitive/pre-team gymasts? My gym used to bring in a dance teacher for like an hour a week to do dance with the team girls, but they cut it out, not sure why. Guess they didn't get the results for the amount of time spent with practice on the dance, or complaints. They had brought in a ballet teacher in years ago to do the same thing and cancelled that after a while also. The guys are out of this kind of stuff and drama and do their own stuff. Required ballet class for all gymnasts in this club: http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/viewtopic.php?p=3320#3320

It is not required, though was highly stressed by our old director. We even had a class called, "dance for gymnasts'. It was kind of boring, and the girls who took it were pretty much forced to by their parents, but I took it seriously and benefited A LOT. I'm now known for being one of the best dancers in the gym, even other teams notice. The class is still offered, but the new director doesn't really push it. Although during the team gymnastics camp, the girls had to do dance with the ballet instructor.

Ballet is a lot different from gymnastics, gymnastics practice, even gymnastics conditioning - it's a lot slower paced you know. So, a lot of gymnasts probably would not want to be required to take ballet. There isn't one way to training / practicing, so gymnasts should do what works for them. Shawn Johnson is an awesome example of different than usual training that works and is fun!!

I think it's a great idea. Ballet really helps you get great scores, it helps develop a strong toe point, good balance, nice straight legs and good technique and teaches you how to dance with the music for floor routines as well as how to present your routines better. You often find those who have done dance, especially ballet will do great in competitions. Ballet also helps a lot with turns and leaps which for a lot of girls is their biggest deductions.

Ballet can be boring. Gymnastics clubs shouldn't require it. There are other ways to build the dance skills. It would be more fun at least if they included the boys in the class and did the lifts and dance parts together. My gym doesn't require it. Alicia Sacramone did miss points on the same dance skill at 2 major competitions; she says it looks like they're taking that skill out. She didn't make the turn in the dance skill completely, she was off by like a 1/4 turn. Maybe practicing triple flips and triple loops in ice skating would help with that. :D

I agree with you hotchili! Here's Mary Lou Retton's opinion on ballet: Ballet not for mary lou retton "I knew right away that the ballet class was not for me. {Bela laughing] I didn't like the frilly little you know graceful dance moves" From a video on Sidewalks TV, interview with Bela Karolyi and Mary Lou Retton: http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1321252331/bctid1323280306 May 2007 interview, to promote Blue Room AT&T behind the scenes web videos, "USA Gymnastics: Behind the Team"