A Guide For Parents - 5 tips for choosing a dance studio.
Faculty
A home is only as strong as its’ foundation. Just as you would select a licensed carpenter to build your home, the same philosophy holds true when selecting a professional dance teacher for your child’s dance foundation. Professional faculty with appropriate classes will safely create a love of dance for a lifetime. The first goal is to find a studio with teachers who have a passion for excellent technical training alongside a passion for sharing their love of dance to their young students. Does the studio offer a diverse faculty specializing in all dance forms? Are the teachers studied in Kinesiology? In addition to a comprehensive knowledge of dance style, Kinesiology is the mechanical knowledge to safely train young bodies to move properly while protecting their joints, muscles, and developmental health to ensure longevity in their physical activity.
Classes & Placement
Kinderdanse, Ballet/Pointe, jazz, Contemporary, Tap, Hip Hop, Ballroom … what is your interest? How large are the classes? Are there class assistants? Classes should be small enough to ensure individual attention. Students should have plenty of room to perform their traveling steps just as they would onstage. How is class placement determined? How is feedback provided regarding goal-setting and accomplishment? Is there a viewing system? Parents should always be welcomed to observe class so they’re award of their child’s progress and work ethic. Is there an end of year concert to showcase what your child has learned during the year?
Communication & Camaraderie
An informative studio will have a constant flow of up to date news in one location available for their students and families. What is the studio’s communication highway? What are the studio policies? What are the payment options for classes? Are discounts offered for military families, families with more than one dancer, to those who pay for a half-year or a full year instead of monthly? Can you pay online or set up an auto payment? And on which day of the month will tuition be due? What is the vibe of the studio?
Performance Opportunities
Does your child want to take their training to the next level through additional performance opportunities or competition? Do you see evidence of individual and group accomplishments being celebrated by the studio’s community via a newsletter or bulletin board postings in the studio? What types(s) of programs are in place for helping dancers at the studio feel part of the larger studio community? Big Sister programs between the older and younger dancers, open studio days, fundraising activities and other recreational events help students and their families find the benefits of authentic community through the studio.
Facility & Dress Code
What is the studios’ dress code? The answer to this will inform your knowledge of the studio’s approach. You hope to find that the school requires form-fitting clothing as well as appropriate footwear, no jewelry and hair secured off the face. Dress codes for a recreational class will be less formal than for the company or competitive classes. Instructors must be able to see body alignment in order to provide essential body alignment information. Dress codes also ensure appropriate coverage and support of the body during class.
Visit the studio and assess its cleanliness, safety of parking, and studio arrangement. Find out if there are student dressing rooms, lobby with dance supplies for purchase, televised viewing system, accessibility to water, professional sound system, dance flooring, and adequate lighting. Is the studio atmosphere vibrant and are materials (mats, barres, floors) in good condition? The studio is a second home for dancers. It should be warm, welcoming, and comfortable for all to enjoy.
Kinderdanse