Kids Shows - For me they are such a great possibility for kids to build confidence and skills. Dancing, singing, acting... right and left brain development. No matter if you child is getting later in life a performer, actress or singer, but developing those multiple skills will help your child at any time in life to feel more confident and for sure - Have more fun in life!

Over the last years I have seen a couple of kids shows and sometimes I asked myself: "What where those people thinking sending those kids like this on stage?" Kids who have been badly prepared, did not know what to do and performed in ways even the kids felt something was wrong. Many of them were just moving puppets on a stage. It breaks my heart to see talented kids on a stage, trying to do something, but because of lack of preparation and training, failing totally. Sometimes I have the feeling some of those shows are just set up to pamper the ego of the scriptwriter, teacher or school. I have seen kids sitting for hours on cool floors, nobody to bring them to the toilette nor being provided with proper food. I have seen the same hairbrush used at 50 kids without being cleaned. I have seen kids sitting in dark and mosquito polluted areas waiting for hours to get onto the stage. I have seen kids who have been over trained and almost abused mentally and physically from people who shall never teach children at the first place, some damaged for life, some who never would go on a stage again.

But than... I have seen shows where kids were relaxed and confident, where they got enough food and clean water. Where they had a great space to hang out until the show starts. I have seen that the parents helped as much as possible and were mostly welcome to do so for the benefit of the kids and the show. I have seen kids loosing, shoes, clothing and costumes.

What makes the difference? The difference is made from the people training those kids. I have seen a performance of kids of the Canggu Club here in Bali, who were trained from Heidi. They performed "Alice in Wonderland" and it was a great success for the kids. The script was fun, the kids incredible trained from Heidi. Costumes and stage was made with love. The kids performing had a lot of fun, even they were trained hard before. A single woman was able to do this very well!

I have seen the last Bali SoDa show "Lady Pirates of the Caribbean", where the show took place in an incredible venue, the kids had warm up training in between the shows, had fun, food and chatted away. They were relaxed and happy. Their stage presence was incredible - The best I have seen so far in Bali. The kids were trained from professional teachers and performers, who 100% knew their job. Costumes and make ups have been simple, but well done.

I have seen the uploaded Greenschool end of year performance, which was totally simple in structure, but each child I have seen in the YouTub video was confident and had fun. They naturally performed for their families and teachers, each child could highlight its strength. Little money was spent to set it up, no stage had to be rent, no expensive costumes. The focus was on the kids.

I wished, people who do organize and train kids for those shows, would more understand what damage they can do to those kids and keep their fingers off doing low quality shows. I wished, that more parents would see this and have an idea how a good kids show shall look like. I wished more parents would understand that high quality education might cost more, but will bring a far higher benefit for their children. I talked to Nancy Wuisan, the Royal Academy of Dance teacher at Bali SoDa, she told me, that by educating children wrong skills, many times very talented children, who might have had a fantastic career ahead, have been ruined by the wrong training. Nancy told me, that introducing "Point" to children under 12 or 13 years can damage their joins so much, that later in live they will never be able to reach higher levels. Nancy is a very experienced teacher, who is able to get the children join her classes following her without that she ever has to get loud, scream nor hit them with anything. Nancy would never give time out for children who are not able to follow her teachings. She gives her ballet girls the feeling of being a little princes flying away... - "Point" is earliest at 12 or 13 years introduced and only, only if the joins, foot and muscle is strong enough. I wonder why those knowledge is not widely used and how people are allowed to teach, if basic standards are not followed. I suggest parents, to very carefully select and observe how their children are trained and teach ed. Just because it is convenient, does not always mean it is for the benefit of your child. Please support those schools who do take care that your child is rather uplifted, than down turned....