<p>How did your children start their experiences in MT? What sort of programs are availabel for really young children? Should they just start with choir and dance classes? Or, is there a way to incorporate the theater portion at a young age? </p>
<p>My D (7) is really into her own version of MT, but I’m not doing anything formal (except for choir). Seems that everyday is new show in our living room…complete with costumes, music and dolls lined up on chairs as the audience (and me too!). </p>
<p>I would like to give her an opportunity to explore this more.</p>
<p>We are very, very, VERY lucky where we live to have the types of MT opportunities that we do for young children (given the size of our community–and I don’t mean our tiny town, but the surrounding city of 350,000). But, had my middle daughter not gone with her best friend to an audition (without my even knowing about it!) three years ago, I would not have been aware of ANY of those opportunities. Unless you are “in the know”, they are kind of hard to find. </p>
<p>If your Sunday paper has a separate ARTS section, you might find auditions listed in that. If not, I would still call your local paper to see if they know of any children’s theaters. Also, you can look in the phone book for places that offer theater AND dance–often they put on their own shows. If you have any little cabarets or small theaters that do local shows, ask the people there. Often those people are the ones supplementing their incomes by working with the local children.</p>
<p>I was not a theater/drama/music person, but I cannot tell you strongly enough how much MT has done for my three daughters. They dragged me into that world kicking and screamng, but now, I wouldn’t trade it for a thing. Your D sounds like my youngest D. I so hope you can find something exciting for her in the way of MT!!</p>
<p>Momsdream: get that little darling down to the best ballet school you can find and get her signed up for ballet class. You need strong dance for MT and you need ballet for any kind of dance. (It’s the foundation for all the other kinds of dance.) I think that would be the best thing you could do now to give her more opportunities later for MT.</p>
<p>Take her to see performances: children’s plays and musicals. Check out your local high schools and go to see their plays and musicals, especially. You can subtly point out that the kids dancing on stage (at least those with lead roles) have all taken dance and voice lessons. And then your D will want to know, can she be in plays like that when she is in high school… and you will discuss the steps needed to get there… if she wants that.</p>
<p>Choir is good. Private voice lessons might start in 7th grade or so. Be sure to find a teacher that won’t push her voice too much at a young age. Piano lessons would be invaluable. Piano or violin are supposed to be the best training to develop a young singer’s ear and musical knowledge.</p>
<p>Look for summer theater day programs for children and for summer theater camps for next summer or in the next couple of years. My D, now a college theater major, did her first summer theater day camp at age 8 and sang her first solo on our high school stage that year–9 years later she had the lead in her high school musical the spring of her senior year. </p>
<p>Get some classic movie musicals to watch with your D and play the sound tracks together. It’s good to get an idea about the songs in musicals. </p>
<p>My D was always a dramatic child, like your D. Mine was fascinated with The Phantom of the Opera–she used to act the songs out with her friend, complete with white face mask and long black cape. She says that she fell in love with theater because of the Phantom.</p>
<p>I have 2 d’s into musical theater…a 16 year old and a 10 year old. My older one got involved when our community theater had an audition for Wizard of Oz (her elementary school chorus teacher told her to try out and gave her the flyer)…that was the beginning of what has been such a wonderful ride so far for both my girls and that was 8 years ago. We are blessed with some fabulous community and professional theater opportunities here in nc! Both my daughters have done a lot of both. They have also been dancing since a young age, singing and have taken summer classes. Summer classes could be great for a 7 year old. Do a google search for theaters in your areas. There could be all kinds of things out there for your d! Have fun! I also was NEVER into MT…but I have loved being able to see my d’s perform in various productions!</p>
<p>There are theatre classes and summer camps (day camps) even starting at a young age, usually around six or so. My six year old did a couple of week long drama type classes as a four and five year old. They were very kid friendly. She had fun. They had a little class for four year olds a couple of years ago, which basically was learning one song, “It’s A Hard Knock Life,” which they performed at the beginning of the production of Annie that the day camp for older kids was doing (both my older girls were in that). It was cute. And the four year old believed she was the star of the show. (I wanna live in that world!). My middle D who was an orphan in that show was cast as the same orphan again in a community theatre production last summer (she’s a sixth grader currently).</p>
<p>Anyway, a drama camp or class is fun in its own right, but can teach your child something she could use for a community theatre audition, if that is something she would like to do. If your daughter is ready to try out for something, look for local shows like Annie and The King and I. Sound of Music casts some young ones too. And Music Man. Some plays need a few kids to be villagers or something. So there are opportunities for little kids. There actually are quite a few roles for kids maybe 8-12 years old. (Maybe a little younger if they are a little ahead of the game, a bit older if they still look young). Only problem is, if your child is cast, how to fit in the music lessons, dance and choir AND a play. All three of my girls are interested in plays, but the middle one is more seriously into it, and it is a constant juggling act. Have fun!</p>