Instructional dance DVDs for kids

When it comes to moving and grooving, I’m more like Elaine on Seinfeld than Beyoncé in “Single Ladies,” and my daughters, Bellamy, 8, and Molly, 6, seem to have inherited my lack of rhythm. But this hasn’t stopped all three of us from becoming obsessed with So You Think You Can Dance. Since the girls dream of someday appearing on the television series (or becoming astronauts—they haven’t decided yet), we decided to step up our skills by trying out “learn-to-dance” DVDs.

Hip Hop for Kids: School House Hop
Featuring a bow-tie-wearing dancer and a cartoon schoolhouse, this DVD’s cover is ultra-dorky. So my crew was pleasantly surprised that star Roger G, who has appeared in videos and concerts with Jay-Z, taught us truly funky moves. Molly and Bellamy couldn’t master every hip shake and booty roll—thank God!—but they nailed the freestyling. After each lesson, Roger and his tween costars improvise, giving us a chance to bust out our own steps.
Molly says: “My favorite was the chicken noodle soup. It looked like the dance Seaweed does in Hairspray.” $20; at amazon.com

Let’s Break With B-Boy Legacy
 Our favorite dancer on SYTYCD last season was Legacy, so we were psyched to discover a DVD he’d made a year before he was on the show. I worried that Legacy’s moves might result in a trip to the ER, but thankfully, he breaks them down into easy steps. We were all able to learn the top rock, where you pivot your ankles and bounce side to side, and the sweep (swinging your leg around in a circle). By the end of the lesson, my kids were posing like real little B-girls.
Bellamy says: “Only the baby freeze was too hard. It’s when you balance your entire body on your elbows.” Available at netflix.com

Masala Bhangra Workout: For Kids
Remember the last scene in Slumdog Millionaire, when the entire cast breaks into a boogie? That’s just a tiny taste of Bollywood-style dancing, a genre the girls and I were eager to try. The footwork was easy, but the hand and head motions were difficult. Unlike the other DVD dance teachers, instructor Sarina Jain had us moving constantly: We danced until we collapsed in a happy heap.
Bellamy says: “Once Sarina explained that the hand movement is like screwing in a lightbulb, I got it!” $20; at amazon.com