Hello,

I am 16. I have watched dancing on my TV for years. Since I was 5 years old I was in front of the TV watching the colorful dresses of the ladies twirl. I loved it. When I was very little I took a lot of dance classes. They ranged from jazz, to ballet. I even took tumbling. But the older I got the less classes that I took. I don't know why. I still stare at the TV when competitions come on, but I know that since I stopped dance when I was 7 I could never be one of those, people. A couple of months ago, I had a revelation. It didn't matter anymore that I couldn't be one of them I loved to dance and I was going to. But when I asked my mother to get me back into dancing. I got a flat NO. I was devastated. I need to know how I can learn to dance and dance well, but not let my mother know. She doesn't understand what dancing means to me. I know that I am not good now, nut someday I will be and when that day comes I want to be able to look back and be proud of myself. But now I dont know how I can dance. I went to some of the only programs that teach you online for free. Well the few that I went to always seem to be missing something, or it was an advertisement to sell their home videos. I need some advice. Any would work. Please Help.

Baby

You don't say why your mother refused. Does she disapprove of dancing, or is it the cost of lessons, or something else? As an adult, I have to say, it's probably not a good idea to lie to your mom about dancing. Chances are, she'll find out and it will hurt her trust in you.

That said, here are some ideas for getting into back into dance:

--does your school have any dance classes or after-school activities in dance?
-- check out your local parks, recreation dept., YMCA, community colleges, etc. to see if there are low-cost classes you can take
-- sometimes a dance studio will let you work in exchange for classes or lessons

If you present a specific plan to your mom--say, a class that meets for a month or so--she might be willing to let you take it with the idea that you will both re-consider your continuing in dance when the class is over. If she sees you sticking with the class, being happy, and getting all your schoolwork and other responsibilities done, she might change her mind.

If the worst happens, and she continues to refuse, then keep watching dance and start an exercise program of aerobics, strength, and stretching, so your body will be ready to move ahead fast when you turn 18 and can make your own decisions. If you're going to college, check out whether your choices have ballroom dance clubs or teams (lots of colleges do). If you're not going to college, check out becoming a dance instructor; lots of studios have training programs and will take trainees with little or no experience if they have an aptitude for dance.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!