This might be a chicken/egg type question, however...

She has had dancing classes before when she was younger but stopped to do other things she wanted to experience.  I'm all for her trying lots of things and the choice is always hers.  the reason I'm asking about dancing is because she has asked me, and as I've said here so often, what I know would fit on a pinhead so asking me for advice in these matters is a bit daft :)  So I told her I'd ask the folks here because you guys have the experience.

The little she did has helped her already - there are some who think she already does dancing because she picks it up well and moves gracefully - but she's limited to very basic things.  She was wondering if she'd get more opportunities if she did dancing.  If she took it up it would only be because it would be furthering her 'goal' for want of a better word, and not because it's a passion... she really only has 3 passions in life: singing, piano and acting... oh, sorry, and swimming...

And as for her growing out of her "passion" for the performing arts - she's been this way since she stood up in nappies and could grab neighbours or anyone who came to the front door and could make them sit down so she could perform for them... and no, I am not exaggerating.  :)  Even now if you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up - there isn't even a second's hesitation... she's always said the same thing ever since she could talk.  Of course, she may change her mind and want to be something else and that is her decision, but as I have decided to support her regardless of what she is doing, right now, I'm supporting her in this the only way I know how - which for the moment, is get the right information and advice for her so she can make informed decisions and choices.

Is dancing something she could take up in her teen years if she decided to add that?  Does the sort of dance, if you guys think she should incorporate it if her goal is to go into the performing arts, have to be ballet or could she just do jazz?  Or are there plenty of roles out there for singers who don't have to dance, or just do very basic steps that non-dancers can easily do?

I should mention, my daughter does not see herself in a chorus role... :)  And I can imagine what you're thinking and it would be wasted to say anything because those who try to pop her dream, or put her off her goal, she just shakes her head and feels sorry for them for being so negative and will quickly point out that it is just as well the likes of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Yvonne Kenny and Dame Joan Sutherland and Judy Garland and whoever... didn't let anybody tell them to forget their dreams or lower their sights because that only happened to "other people" etc.  or we wouldn't have them.  Her other favourite admonition is 'big stars don't have to come from big cities'. 

My daughter is just 9 but she has set herself goals and has done this, herself, since she was about 7.  She knows about WAAPA and has her sights set on attending there too.  In fact, she's only just going into grade 5 this year and she's already worrying about whether she stays at her present school for year 8 or tries for a scholarship to a school in Perth with a brilliant musical program.  She's 9!  None of her friends think this way. I don't know where she gets it from.  (Actually, I think I do know where she gets it from... she sings with the Senior choir at school as well as the junior choir - I don' t know for fact but perhaps she's heard the senior girls discuss things like that and this is how she knows about it... I don't know where else she'd get her info from.)

Anyhow, right now she just wants to know should she worry about dance classes just now or not or never...  I say, humour her - we have nothing to lose and who knows, maybe one day she will be a star!  Or maybe she'll be a dental assistant... or a marine biologist... or a checkout chick... whatever... and if that happens, I'll go find a list that can answer the questions that she'll ask then, or maybe by then she'll be old enough to ask them herself :)

So the question is still open - majority opinion will probably rule - just know that she wants to know, not me, the choice IS hers and she just wants to hear it from the experts :)

Thanks!

DFE