Choosing a Dance Studio

Posted on 08 06, 2007 under The Manual by foodad |

balletshoes
[foodad's note:]  Guest columnist Sue from dance.net and more importantly danceart.com is here to help educate clueless noodads about how to select a dance studio, why some of their policies are in place and how the business works. Our original post was picked up by dance.net and sort of turned into a flame war of noodads versus dance instructors.  In the end, we all agreed that Noodad, Foodad and our hundreds of thousands of dedicated readers needed to be eductated by these professionals so that we could make more informated decisions. Take it away Sue! Can we call you Suedad? Just kiddin…

 

Besides the obvious, like a convenient location, class time and plenty of parking there are some things you should look for in a dance studio that you might not have thought about. First and foremost: teacher qualification. They should have some sort of training in dance education. There is no special license required to open a dance school. Anyone can open a studio if they have the finances. Having taken dance classes does not necessarily mean one is prepared to teach.

{mosnooad} 

Ask what their training, experience and exact TEACHING qualifications
are. There are organizations such as Dance Masters and Dance Educators
of America which offer teacher training courses. Having a diploma from
one of those organizations doesn’t really guarantee that they are 100%
sure of what they are doing, but it’s a start. Be aware that just
because you have a young child doesn’t mean its OK for them to have a
young (under 18) teacher. Teachers should be adults, regardless of the
ages of the students they are teaching.

Secondly, what kind of flooring
is there at the school? Upon entering the studio you might look
for obvious things like cleanliness and adequate space. Ask to jump on
the floor a few times. The floor should have some give, almost a
spring. As a matter of fact, dancers refer to this as a “sprung floor”.
It's most commonly found in gyms in their aerobics rooms. The top
surface should be placed over some sort of cushion such as foam blocks
or thruster pads and never directly on concrete.

Third- check on their
organization skills. When you come in to register you should be given
everything in writing. All studio policies, including expenses outside
of regular tuition that may possibly be incurred by you the parent,
should be laid out up front before you register. Ask how they plan on
communicating with you throughout the year to be sure you are kept
informed of all events and important messages. There should be some
sort of system in place, besides just sending notes home (that
inevitably get lost) with your child. Some schools post all pertinent
information on their websites, others have filing systems in the lobby
where each child has a folder that their information is put in for you
to collect, other schools use mass e mailing systems.

Lastly…see how the year goes. Do classes start and end on time? Is the
class released in a safe and orderly manner when its over? Can your
child show you material that they have learned in class? Do they seem
to only be working on what they plan on doing in the end of year
performance? (that’s not a good thing….there is a lot more to dancing
than learning a dance) Are you easily able to communicate with the
director when needed? (usually via phone call or e mail….teachers and
directors rarely have time mid day to meet with parents as they are too
busy working with the kids!)
Don’t forget to do your part….it helps immensely.

Pay your tuition on
time….don’t put the director in a position to have to ask for it as
they have bills to pay as well. Keep yourself informed. Kids HATE IT
when their parents don’t know what’s going on and usually all it takes
to stay informed is a visit to the studio website. Know what you are
agreeing to before you agree to it! Not reading thoroughly through
policies and handbooks and then complaining later about something you
claim to have not been told when it was in writing for you to approve
from the beginning is futile. 
Dance can be a wonderful experience for children. They learn everything
from awareness of physical fitness to music appreciation to discipline
to the ability to perform in front of a crowd….so many invaluable
skills….but it all starts with an informed parent!! Choose wisely and
it can be one of the greatest gifts you ever gave your kids

 

 

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Viewing 4 Comments

    • ^
    • v
    Rock on Suz!
    and to all youdads - now that we\'re pals, we can let you in on the location of our not so secret clubhouse - it\'s actually not the site you\'ve been mentioning - it\'s danceart.com. Just in case you need even more info on the dance world from a parent\'s perspective - there are also boards there where you can ask a teacher, a studio owner, a pro, etc. & there\'s even a \'for guys only\' section where we\'re not even allowed to post - imagine that! ;o}

    So, on another note, I\'m thinkin\' it wuz a good thing y\'all did the math = all of these dance studios have lots and Lots and LOTS of new dads we can send your way - looks like you\'ve figured out the honey vs. vinegar ratio. Now your babies aren\'t the only ones who\'re sittin\' in the sweet spot. Go daddy-o
    • ^
    • v
    SUEDAD!!
    I LOVE IT!! :grin
    But can we lose the photo of that weird girl with the geometric thingies on her boobs?
    Oh I get it....sorry.....an ad....yep, yep, gotta pay the bills.
    • ^
    • v
    Way to go, Suz.... Good article.

    I\'ve always tried to involve the dads at my studio to make them feel a part of it and also to give them a feel for what their kids are doing. I didn\'t want them to feel like an outsider, like it was a \"girl\'s club\" of sorts or that they were only around to pay the bill and be the chaffeur. I wanted to get to know the dads because sometimes I didn\'t have a clue which dad was with which kid.

    I offer a \"Boys Night Out\" and the dancer gets to bring their dad, stepdad, age appropriate brother, etc. OR their mom if no dad is around or available. They participate in the class and have always come away with a newfound respect for dance and what the teacher is doing, even more admiration and pride towards their kids and a few have even signed up for classes!
    • ^
    • v
    What Suzanne says is so true. Many times we will have parents complain and say, \"I didn\'t know.\" But I have found that any info that I give out, I have them sign the line on the bottom that says they have read the entire document, understood it and agree with it.

    Then when they say, \"But I didn\'t know, I say, here is your signed copy.\"

    I just LOVE (not) it when they say, \"Oh, but I just signed it without reading it.\"

    Duh! Then it\'s not my fault but it\'s amazing how many times I have been blamed for not informing parents.

    Anyway, up front, before any parent agrees to anything, ALL costs and time commitments are put in writing and given to the parents. They can choose to NOT participate, if they don\'t like either.

    This does help avoid bad situations, for the ones who really read the info.

    Hopefully, all of you will make sure you are given all the info, read it and keep a copy of it (and put all the stuff on your calendars) to avoid any confusion.

    Our fathers at our school are wonderful ad supportive. I have few problems with fathers. I have had more with mothers but for the most part, they are great, too.

    We love parents and never become angry when a parent comes to us with an issue, as long as it is done nicely.

    All we want to do is help you and if your school is truly a problem, maybe you will find a better one that suits your needs.

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