What Age Should My Child Start Dance Classes?

Children can start dance classes as early as 16 months when the program is designed to support toddler development. At Tiny Tutus, our ballet-based curriculum begins at 16 months and builds confidence, focus, and real movement skills from the very beginning.

Is There a Best Age to Start Dance?

The short answer is: earlier than most people think.

Many dance schools don’t offer classes until age 3 or 4, but that’s often because their program isn’t equipped to handle toddlers. It’s not about what age a child can start; it’s about whether the class is designed for them.

At Tiny Tutus, we welcome dancers from just 16 months of age, because our curriculum is written specifically for this stage of life, not adapted from a bigger class.

What Children Gain When They Start Dance Early

Dance isn’t just adorable, it’s developmental gold.

Starting dance classes early helps children:

• Build gross motor skills like balance, jumping, and turning
• Strengthen memory, sequencing, and listening
• Learn social behaviours like turn-taking and teamwork
• Develop emotional confidence in a classroom setting
• Connect rhythm and movement, the building blocks of musicality

Our youngest ballerinas aren’t just “keeping busy”, they’re learning how to learn.

What Happens in a Dance Class for Toddlers?

At Tiny Tutus, every class for under-5s is:

• Structured to match short attention spans
• Filled with repetition and musical cues to support memory
• Taught using real ballet foundations (plié, tendu, port de bras)
• Calm, safe, joyful, with no overstimulation or chaos
• Held in open studios, where parents sit in the room to support learning

You won’t find beanbags and parachutes here. Just gentle, playful ballet with early childhood intelligence at its core.

Is 3 or 4 Too Late to Start?

Absolutely not.

While Tiny Tutus begins at 16 months, any age up to 8 years old is a great time to start, especially in a program that meets children where they are developmentally.

In fact, children who begin at 3–5 years of age often:

• Grasp ballet technique quickly
• Gain classroom confidence
• Form meaningful friendships
• Feel pride in learning something “for them”

Whether your child is just walking or already cartwheeling around the house, we have a place for them.

What Should I Look for in a First Dance Class?

If you’re exploring options, look for a program that:

• Welcomes children from 16 months to 8 years
• Uses a real curriculum, not just creative movement time
• Includes real dance vocabulary taught in a developmentally appropriate way
• Lets parents stay in the room and watch
• Has teachers trained in both early childhood and ballet

Tiny Tutus checks every box.

So… What Age Should My Child Start Dance?

Start when they’re ready to move, and the program is ready to support them.

For us, that means from 16 months and up.

Because the earlier your child experiences the magic of dance, the longer they have to build confidence, coordination, and creativity, all in an environment that puts their safety, joy, and learning first.

We'd love to welcome you to Tiny Tutus! Book a Trial Class today or Learn More About Our Program here