The Little Friends' Ballet and Gymnastics School

Yay, every Tuesday afternoon I get to go to the ballet and gymnastics school! Look, this is what it looks like inside. For our ballet training the mirror and the ballet barre are important. Imke and I, and of course the other ballet girls, always do different exercises there: we learn the different ballet positions of the arms and feet, stretch and extend ourselves. Of course we also dance all around the room and play movement games.

The older ballet girls, like Lena and Eva, dance more than we do in the middle of the room. But they also do exercises at the barre. Because that's part of every ballet class. 'Only those who master the basics well can dance well', our teacher always says.

The climbing frame is mainly used by the children in the gymnastics training. Lukas especially likes it and he's really great at climbing. On the balustrade on the other side of the hall you can balance really well, Emma likes that a lot. The gym kids also do many exercises with the ball or the hoop. And they need the floor mats – as protection under the climbing frame and to tumble on. So we have everything here for lots of dancing and gymnastics fun!

The ballet girls of the Little Friends

Next I want to introduce you to my big sister Lena and her friend Eva. They are both older than Imke and me and have been going to ballet lessons for a few years. That's why they can already dance very well. They whirl across the room with pirouettes, do complicated sequences of steps, jumps and arm movements and they practice splits. Twice a year Lena and Eva rehearse for a small performance at our ballet and gymnastics school, and they always wear their lovely pink and white tutus. And the best part: this time Imke and I are finally allowed to take part in the performance too, because by now we can dance well enough. I'm very curious to see what we little dancers will perform.

Lena's ballet exercises to try

The classic ballet exercises can sometimes be a bit tiring because you have to stand and move very precisely. But with time it gets better. Most of the time it's about balance and flexibility. Can you touch the floor with your fingertips without bending your knees? Can you stand on one leg? Here Lena shows you a good exercise for balance: try lifting your right leg up and holding it with your right hand. You can of course also try this with your left leg and left hand. It's best to stand on a blanket so you land a little softer if you happen to fall over.

I can promise you: the more often you practice it, the easier it gets.

The Little Friends' gym kids

Sometimes I watch the gym kids during their training. They do many different exercises and lots of games. Felicitas and Matze, who are also in my kindergarten group, train in the gymnastics group. Sometimes they show Imke and me their hardest gymnastics exercises. Then we try to copy them… that's not so easy. But Matze and Felicitas can't do ballet either. The gym kids Emma and Lukas are a little older and have therefore been in gymnastics training longer. It's great what the two of them can already do: climb, balance, do a cartwheel, handstand, difficult exercises with the hoops.

But you can probably already be great at gymnastics too, because it's fun for all children, right?

Gym exercises from Felicitas and Matze to try

Felicitas and Matze like to be silly… That's why after gymnastics training they sometimes stay a bit longer and try all sorts of funny things. Here they show you two exercises: Felicitas practices a headstand with crossed legs. For that it's best to put a cushion on the floor and ask mum or dad to hold your legs. Matze supports himself only with his left leg and his right hand on the floor and stretches the other leg and the other arm into the air… you have to tense the muscles in your stomach and back well.

Well, I'm curious what great exercises you'll come up with – I'm sure you're now really excited about gymnastics and dancing, aren't you?

Dancing, gymnastics, playing and having fun

Dance routines, gymnastic exercises and much more… The most important thing is: we all have a great time – whether we're doing ballet or gymnastics. And you're sure to have a lot of fun too when you can move however you like, right? If you want to play, do gymnastics and dance with us more often, you should take a look here – you'll find everything about us Little Friends. <Link> Wishing you lots of fun dancing and doing gymnastics, your Mali