Like most things in life, you have options when it comes to choosing what you want. There are options for where to shop for groceries, where to buy a car, and who to hire to paint your bathroom. Getting a few estimates, visiting a few stores, and finding the right people to do business with is time well spent to ensure you get the best value and the best experience for your effort and money. Now that your daughter or son wants to dance, finding the right dance studio is just as important as everything else you have options for. There are several factors you should evaluate when you are looking for a place to call home for your ballet, jazz, or hip hop dancer.
Smaller Size Dance Class
Just because a class or studio has many students does not necessarily mean it is the best place for your daughter. With so many kids in a class, your daughter may not be getting the attention she needs to develop her skills and talents and keep up with the other kids in her class. Developing good technique is key to progressing in dance. If you, as a parent, can’t see your child during dance class, how is the dance instructor supposed to see her? If you can’t see her, do you think she can see the instructor? Choosing a dance studio that offers smaller class sizes will ensure that your little dancer gets the most out of her class time and learns the dance steps and routines she needs to develop her skills and enthusiasm for dance class!
Instructor is Good with Kids
Choosing a dance studio with an instructor who is great with kids is important for you as a parent and for the child in class. Younger children tend to like pleasing their teachers. They go out of their way to be liked and want the attention of other adults in the room. A dance instructor who is naturally good with children will help them build positive self-esteem, and they will want to go to class and participate. A child who fights going to class is telling you something. Either they are leaning in class and find it boring, or they don’t feel that the instructor likes them and may shy away from attending class. Kids know when an adult likes what they do. They may not verbalize it, but they can sense it and will turn those feelings into a love for dance or a reason not to go.
Recitals Don’t Break the Bank
Recitals are a natural part of being a student in a dance studio. The more classes you take, the more dances your child will be in at the recital. Each dance requires a unique costume to reflect the class and the theme of the chosen music for the recital. When evaluating dance studios, ask the owner about the average cost of recital costumes. Ask what the philosophy is regarding recital costumes. Many studios charge upwards of $100 per costume for each scheduled recital. For some parents, that may be enough to keep their kids from participating. Other dance studios do their very best to try and keep dance costume prices low so as many children as possible can not only take dance classes, but participate in the recitals showcasing their skills.
Room to grow
As a parent of a younger dancer, you want to make sure that when your child is ready, there will be more classes for them to take so they can grow in the art of dance. A child who just starts out in dance may take one class for the first year or two, but as they develop a love for dance and want to become more involved and increase their skills or prepare themselves for a high school dance team, having other classes to try and develop as a dancer will be important. Again, having a smaller number of students in a class will also ensure that they are developing proper technique and that the dance instructor has their eyes on them for much of the class to get proper feedback.
Choosing the right dance studio for your son or daughter is important. Like most things in life, you have choices, and you don’t have to settle for anything less than what you want. Look for a studio with smaller classes, an instructor who is good with kids, dance recital costs that won’t break your bank, and room to grow as a dancer. These are all details to consider when looking for an excellent place for your child to learn and love dancing!
Being a child that experienced ballet, tap and jazz I often think back to all the fun I had. The one thing that sticks with me the most was being on stage. I think it is a great life lesson for children to overcome that fear and feel the excitement of it. A good dance studio with create so many great memories for the students they teach – just like yours!