If, like many mums, you want to embrace and encourage your child’s interest in dancing, it is important you send your youngster to a qualified dance teacher.
According to the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), the feet of primary school children are being put under severe strain by unqualified dance teachers.
Claiming that youngsters are being taught certain moves before their bones have fully developed, Luke Ritter, chief executive of the RAD, told the Times that parents should make sure they are sending their child to a reputable school.
"Anybody could put up a notice on their front door announcing a school of dance. You could run a successful business without anybody knowing that you have absolutely no training or qualifications."
Highlighting the risk, Ritter added: “This can cause lasting damage. If young children are in the hands of unqualified, untrained people then physical damage can be done simply because the teacher does not know about anatomy and the development of bones."
Ritter puts the increase in those wanting to take dance classes down to TV shows like Strictly Come Dancing and Billy Elliot, saying: "A child starting dance classes under an unqualified teacher could have their chances of making a successful career severely damaged."
