When you decide that you or your child wants to learn to
dance, find a dance studio that specializes in the type and form of dancing
that you are most interested in. Classical ballet is the most formal of the
ballet styles; it adheres to traditional ballet technique. There are variations
relating to area of origin, such as Russian ballet, French ballet, and Italian
ballet. Avoid studios that have limited or no ballet options, as ballet is the
foundation of all other dance styles, and if your child is strong in ballet he
or she will excel in other dance forms.
Other types of dance that may interest you include:
Modern, Contemporary, Jazz, Tap, Hip-Hop, Acrobatics, Lyrical, or even Irish
Step. Modern, Jazz, and Tap are the most common styles, and are the styles that
your child should have at least a year in to be called a well-rounded dancer.
Next, check out the qualifications of the teachers. Many
excellent dancers do not make good teachers. Your teacher does not need to be a
great dancer, but to be knowledgeable enough to be able to instruct people with
different body-types, abilities, and learning styles. A teacher with an
impressive dance resume may not know how to describe movement for children or
beginners. Ask if you can sit and watch for a while, but do not be upset if
visitors are not allowed as they can disrupt class. Some studios offer 'open
classes' designed to give future students a feel for the rigor of the
instruction. Be wary of these; they are usually stiff and nerve-wracking and
can give students the wrong impression of a studio. You won't really be able to
judge whether you like or dislike the studio until your child has taken a few
classes with a few different teachers. Teachers should give positive
reinforcements to students and be able to point out muscle alignments to improve
technique. It is normal for schools to use older students to demonstrate to
help train the younger ones.
Your child should be toilet-trained before joining dance
class. Most studios will allow children to start at 2 or 3 but age 3 or up is
preferred. Children at this age should be enrolled in a "Creative
Movement" or "Pre-Ballet" class, which incorporates basic ballet
positions and steps, moving on levels, using big, small, fast and slow
movement, etc. It introduces children to a structured environment while having
fun and making new friends. Beginning Acrobatics is fun for most kids, and
Modern introduces strong alignments and rhythm. They are typically 45-60
minutes long. If you are looking for class for yourself, choose anything that
says 'Beginning Adult'. Jazz is usually the most fun for adults.
Some studios offer hip-hop for children as young as 5, but it is most enjoyable
for ages 7 and up.
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Think about what you are looking for in your dance studio. Are you
training to be a professional dancer? Are you trying to lose weight? Are you
dancing for fun? It is important that if you are serious about dance that you
don't get stuck in recreation oriented classes. At the same time, joining a
difficult class if that isn't what you want can lessen your enjoyment. Also,
people who start dance just to lose weight often end up disliking the class.
If all you want to do is lose weight instead of dancing because you like to,
reconsider your choices.
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Talk to local dancers you know. See what they have to say about the dance
studios. Dancers have usually attended more than one dance studio in their
lives, if they've been dancing since they were young, and they will probably
have a suggestion. They will know who to avoid, too.
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Make a decision on how far you are willing to commute. Do you want to be
able to walk there? Is driving for 30 minutes going to be okay? Is there a
convenient train or bus?
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Call (or email) the studio. Depending on your goals (fun, improvement...)
you may not be willing to alter your schedule a lot to include classes. Be
sure you explain to the owner of the studio when you could take class, as
well as your skill level and the level of intensity you are considering. He
or she will probably have a schedule, but the names of the classes can be
confusing. Sometimes intermediate classes are classified as advanced, just to
separate them from an even more intermediate class. Also, Intensive options
are often offered, which can be confusing as well.
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Narrow down your list by class times and varieties, and go to the studios
still on your list to watch a class. Usually, you can participate in a class
without paying if you ask. Don't be put off by the exterior of dance studios.
Usually, the outsides are really, really trashy, but often the inside will be
brightly painted and welcoming. Even if the inside is trashy, don't assume
the instruction will be bad. Some of the best studios invest as much as they
can in making an excellent program instead of a pretty waiting area.
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Find out the class size. If you want individual attention, don't go to a
school with 15-20 dancers. If you don't want a lot of attention, which would
actually be bad, go to one with 15+ dancers.
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Consider how affordable the studio is. Do they charge a little extra each
month for costumes, or charge separately? Do your research and figure out
what would be a reasonable price to pay.
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Choose your favorite!
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Go and visit the studio, feel the "vibe". Do the teachers use
calm voices when teaching, or do you hear yelling? Watch the little ones, do
they look like they like being there, this is a good indicator of how happy
any age dancer will be there!
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- Find a
school that matches your personality. Unless you're super-competitive,
avoid super-competitive dance schools as they tend to be too results
oriented. Not every studio is right for every dancer and not every dancer
is right for every studio.
- Don't be
afraid to switch studios. If things aren't working out, its okay to leave,
as long as you keep dancing! Just make sure you give the studio you are
leaving a heads up, it's greatly appreciated! Avoid leaving in the spring,
when choreography is being taught; it negatively affects the other
students almost more than the teachers.
- Be careful
about big studios. They may not care as much about you individually, but
they may also have resources smaller studios lack.
- Talk with
other parents whose children take dance in your area. Consider all
opinions and don't close your mind off to a studio just because one parent
had negative things to say.
Warning
- Be aware,
some studios may offer to put you on pointe shoes too soon. It takes many
years of study and conditioning to develop the strength and poise to dance
'en pointe'. And, it will happen at different ages. Just because all the
other girls are graduating to pointe, doesn't mean everyone is ready. To
dance on pointe, the dancer must be strong, have good balance, and high
enough arches so that they can balance on the tip of the pointe shoe. It
is recommended not to start pointe before age 12, because bones in the
foot may not have hardened completely and may become deformed from pointe.
It is much better to wait a couple of years than go on pointe early and
risk serious injury.
