Dance Studio Criteria

[mamakimberly]

Hey...

 

Just wondering if some experienced dance moms can give me some help here.

 

I'm picking a dance studio for my 7-year-old daughter. I am looking for tips on what criteria I should be looking at in the studios. I have it narrowed down to 5 in our area and plan to look at each of them this week.

 

If this is helpful, here's background info:

 

She specifically wants to take an acro class, but I told her if she wants to do any dance, she needs to do ballet as well, so we're looking at acro and ballet. I was a terrible, fat, awkward dancer for the 6 years I took it when I was a kid, but I do know that ballet is fundamental for having proper technique.

 

She got interested in gymnastics maybe 6 or 7 months ago but we were in the middle of moving. Since moving, I've been taking her to a homeschool gymnastics class and she likes it, but it is a bit limited in scope because it serves a wide variety of kids with a variety of "talent" so to speak. It is more of a PE class with some cartwheels tossed in. She has fun, but she's not going to get much useful training out of it, because that isn't the purpose.

 

I had my girls in a ballet/acro combo class in China for awhile when she was much younger (4?) but it was way too intense and they hated it (hitting kids, yelling at kids, etc...) That and the homeschool class are her only "experience".

 

She can do the splits, cartwheel (pointed toes, etc...) and a front limber just from my directions at home.

 

Because she is primarily interested in tumbling and because she is at the 99% for height, I'm thinking an acro class at a dance studio is better than putting her in full-fledged gymnastics. She's thin and flexible, but tall. I just can't see gymnastics being a good idea long-term and I'm not into the idea of investing tons of $ into something she can't do in a few years.

 

I guess my thinking was at a dance studio she can be more well-rounded so her height doesn't limit her... I am not sure if I'm correct on height being a non-issue in dance.

 

Thoughts? Criteria? I don't want to get blinded by price and overlook something more important...

 

Thanks!

[celticmom]

I would look at the costumes from past recitals to make sure none of them seem like something you would never want your child wearing.

[delaney]

Yes get an idea of the modesty level and who teaches what. If the ballet teacher is not great then move on. Here a few odd things I have become wary of:

"teacher assistants" who end up teaching the class when parents aren't around to see

any kind of seat in the room-if they are sitting then they aren't teaching effectively

We had a bad experience that we moved from and now my girls are with a very loving woman who is also a homeschooler and her technique is so strong. Also look to be sure that the girls are required to wear proper attire in class and that she cuts them off if the talk in class. That is how you can tell someone who takes their studio seriously. Of course I don't have to say that you need to avoid the yelling and demeaning teachers since that is a given:tongue_smilie:. You can see what I have dealt with in the past:glare:

[Dmmetler]

You might want to check gymnastics gyms-my daughter's gym has a tumbling class that is definitely higher caliber than the acro classes her dance studio offers.

[Parrothead]

When I had a choice I went with the studio where the classes were better disciplined. Not that there was any anger or punishment. One teacher had little control over the class. The other actually was able to teach and had control.

 

At the time these were 4-year olds.

[mamakimberly]

You might want to check gymnastics gyms-my daughter's gym has a tumbling class that is definitely higher caliber than the acro classes her dance studio offers.

 

Do you think height matters in your daughter's tumbling class? I am looking at 2 gymnastics gyms for that reason, but I'm not sure if her height will end up being an issue...

[Dmmetler]

Do you think height matters in your daughter's tumbling class? I am looking at 2 gymnastics gyms for that reason, but I'm not sure if her height will end up being an issue...

 

It wouldn't be a problem-tumbling is usually taken by girls who are doing or want to do hip-hop style dance teams or cheer teams, and in both cases height isn't an issue-bases in all-girl cheer teams need to be pretty large physically to lift other girls, after all.

[mamakimberly]

Hmm... not to sound rude, but I really would prefer my girls are not cheerleaders. If it happens, I'll be okay with it, but it is truly not my preference. I can see that encouraging her to go the cheerleader route if the other girls in the class are going that route though.

 

I'll have to think on that.

 

And I know not every kid in a tumbling class becomes a cheerleader...

 

Maybe I just harbor too much resentment from the mean girl cheerleaders in my life! ;)

Edited October 30, 2011 by mamakimberly

[Terabith]

I'd look at gymnastics, actually...... Her height doesn't have to disqualify her, and it sounds like gymnastics is really what she wants to do.

 

ETA: The height may keep her from being Olympic caliber, but I don't see any reason why her height would disqualify her from participating in recreational gymnastics. I think the quality of instruction would be much better there than in an acro class at a dance studio.

Edited October 30, 2011 by Terabith

[Lady Marmalade]

I'm confused about the whole height thing. Why would you restrict your DD's activities at the age of 7 because she might end up being tall? :001_huh:

 

Gymnasts can be tall, and dancers certainly can be tall. It just may take a little more effort on their part to learn how to manage and control their longer limbs. Sometimes it takes a taller girl a little longer to learn to manipulate her body, but some of the most beautiful gymnasts and dancers I've seen are taller- it makes their movements so much more graceful and lovely.

 

Tall dancers may have trouble finding a partner to match them if they go that route in the future, but other than that, I can think of no reason to restrict dance based on height or potential height.

 

Also, a base in gymnastics can have HUGE benefits down the road. I have cousins who were extremely talented gymnasts (they turned down an offer by an Olympic coach to train them) who decided to move on to track and field athletics in high school. Their background in gymnastics has propelled them far in their field. They broke record after record in high school, and have also done so in college. They credit a lot of their success to their background in gymnastics which helped them learn how to control their core muscles in a way that other track and field athletes don't know how to do. It's served them well in jumping, hurdles, pole vault and running.

 

Just a thought before you totally discredit the gymnastic idea. Your DD may not have an Olympic future, but if she loves gymnastics, I would let her go for it and see where it takes her.

[mamakimberly]

I'm confused about the whole height thing. Why would you restrict your DD's activities at the age of 7 because she might end up being tall? :001_huh:

 

Both of my daughters have consistently been at the top of the height chart... doctors have always predicted my girls will be between 5'10" and 6'1". I don't mean "Oh, she might be 5'4"..." I mean TALL. Could she level out at some point? Sure. But it certainly doesn't look that way for either of my girls... I think it is just realistic to look at that when I'm talking about spending a lot of money on classes for her.

 

And if there's something similar that will fulfill the same outlet and allow her to grow into something she can do for a longer season of her life, it makes sense to me to pursue that instead...

 

She's interested in dance and theater and singing, so this route also makes sense.

 

Anyway, I'm not trying to get hung up on the "why acro?" and would like to focus more on the "what should I be looking for in a studio?" aspect.

 

I do think it is a good idea to check out the acro class and make sure it is up to par- I can tell just from some websites that the acro class is just tacked on to fill a need and isn't a high-quality class... (i.e. they're throwing some mats on a wood floor for class vs having a true tumble track).

 

Thanks all- and I still appreciate more input...

Edited October 30, 2011 by mamakimberly

[Terabith]

But, I still don't get why limiting her activities at age seven makes sense, just because she might be 6'1" as an adult makes sense. (My sister is 6'1.") She is unlikely to do either dance or gymnastics through college, but if gymnastics is what she loves and it offers a great background of physical development, I don't get why that's a problem? The money isn't wasted; the skills are still there.

 

That said, I'd look for a studio that has a strong ballet foundation and is modest in their choice of music and recital costumes. I would ask for recommendations from others about the quality of instruction.

[catz]

Which is she interested in more? My daughter is doing 2 acro classes right now and dance. One of her acro classes is stage acrobatics taught at her dance studio and it rounds out the dance beautifully.

 

If you think she'll want to get to the point of doing MORE gymnastics, I'd go with a gymnastics gym. If she just wants to round out her dance, do it as an add on to dance. Many of the bigger girls in our dance acro program do get to back hand springs and flips. They don't work on the equipment you would at a real gymnastics studio though. It's all floor/mat work with a little tramp in for training. I wouldn't worry about her height/size at all. Girls of all shapes and sizes do this kind of thing these days and get quite a bit out of it.

 

Our dance studio is non-competitive and performance based. And reasonably modest in costume/music choices. But they still turn out some very skilled dancers that go on to college and perform. I've been happy with our choice. Especially since it's less than 5 minutes from home. :D

[mamakimberly]

thanks kck...

 

With Disney 15 minutes from our door, this area has a lot of performance stuff going on. All of the studios have Disney performers on staff. I'm not sure if her dreams of performing in the Festival of the Lion King will last, but we'll see.

 

Do you think it matters if they have parent viewing windows always available or if they have closed doors and only let parents view once/month or once/quarter?

 

She was diagnosed with a cyst on her brain when she was 3, and at the time she had very poor balance and was falling down a lot. We did intensive therapy with her on her balance, but were warned by the doctors that she would probably never be an athlete of any kind. It is so incredible to me now to see her hold a handstand solid for several seconds and see how far she's come from that prognosis.

 

I hope I know when I walk in the "right" studio that it is the "right" one. I guess if not, we can always switch, but I think it would be easier to pick the best place first, of course.

[elfgivas]

things we look for, in no particular order:

 

age-appropriate costumes

age-appropriate music

 

then we look at the teenage girls to see how they treat one another and the littles. and how they dance.

 

the studio we are at now, the teens treat one another well, and treat the younger children well, too. and they dance beautifully - but not all of them. some clearly started later, and others are clearly dancing as well as they can, but its not spectacular.... but they are encouraged to dance :001_smile:

 

you can sit in a waiting room and watch the teachers/staff interact with the children/teens/adults.

 

you can go on line and see if they have posted any performance videos.

 

there are some studios where the dancers all look exactly alike (short, blond, super skinny, for example), and that is the kind of studio i stay away from....

 

hth,

ann

[Lady Marmalade]

Having parent viewing windows is a clincher for me. If the studio didn't have them, I wouldn't enroll my kids. I want to see the everyday classes- not just the dances they put together for parent viewing. I would also expect that any studio worth their salt will have sprung dance floors with the top layer being marley.

 

If a studio does acro/tumbling classes, I would expect that they would have a special tumbling floor- a compressed, carpeted foam to reduce the chance of injury. I would not want my DD learning aerials and handsprings on a regular dance floor.

 

Our studio records the spring recitals- and also has several videos on Youtube from competitions. You could do a Youtube search for the studios you're looking at- and also ask for a copy of a studio DVD to view.

 

And definitely request to try a class or two before committing. You and your DD will get a feel for the atmosphere at the studio while there.

[rwjx2khsmj]

Here are several things I wanted to know when we looked at dance studios.

I wanted to know:

- the goals of the program to be sure that they were in line with my goals for putting my daughter in the school.

-the discipline procedure.

-the procedure for addressing concerns with a teacher or class situation.

-class attire requirements. Some only required leotards, tights and hair up. Others required leotards of certain colors, certain types of shoes, etc. It didn't necessarily make the choice for me but it let me know that the studio might be a little more or less particular in other situations.

-the policy for absences or late arrival.

-the expectations for recitals. Some of the schools had two a year, costumes were very pricey, dances were not what I considered appropriate for the age group, cost for tickets was high, only a few seats were available per family, etc. Asking to see a dvd of a previous recital can give you a feeling for this.

-expectations for parental involvement. Sometimes there's fundraising or joining a boosters group. Sometimes your only requirement is paying on time.

-opportunities for summer programs or special camps at the dance school.

-number, qualifications, length of tenure of instructors.

-class size.

-future opportunities for my child in the school. How far my child would be able to advance in a particular school was important to me. After picking the right school I didn't want to be starting over again in a year or two.

-extra opportunities for my child at the school. Some schools were affiliated with a professional dance company or theater performance.

Edited October 30, 2011 by rwjx2khsmj

[Belacqua]

-class attire requirements. Some only required leotards, tights and hair up. Others required leotards of certain colors, certain types of shoes, etc. It didn't necessarily make the choice for me but it let me know that the studio might be a little more or less particular in other situations.

 

I think that's excellent advice. I still remember my old ballet teacher, when asked this question by people moving to a new town (and this works best if you imagine her pulling herself up to her full 4'9" and glowering at you, then remarking in her heavy Russian accent): "You look at the dancers going to class. If the dancers look sloppy, the school is sloppy. If the hair is not in a bun, if the leotards have color other than pink or black, if there are [insert slight shudder] legwarmers...school is no good."

 

Of course, she freely whacked us with a stick for not ascending properly to pointe, so take her advice with a big chunk of salt. :)

[AmyinMD]

Dance studios vary so much. I would visit and observe at least one class before you decide. We currently have 3 girls in a total of 6 classes at 2 different studios. We've also used a 3rd studio we won't be using again.

 

The main studio we use is because it is very close to our house and very inexpensive. The classes are 50% after the first one. The studio is more for fun and does not get into competition stuff. However it is very limited in what it offers because it is small. Also since the studio is very inexpensive the classes all tend to be filled to capacity. The large room maxes at 15 and the smaller at 10 and all 5 classes my girls take there are pretty much at capacity. Parents are allowed to view which I do really like but occasionally the parents seem to be a distraction to the dancers. The recital is also very informal and the costumes are done as cheaply as possible and generally aren't super nice. It is typical that they cost under $20 which is really nice with several girls in dance.

 

We also use another studio for my teen because she prefers to dance with other teens. This studio is more expensive and very strict. I really kind of like it after mainly using the relaxed studio for several years. Parents must wait in the hallway (they have tv cameras for viewing) and students are not let in past 15 minutes late. The kids seem to be more serious here as well but I think part of it is the cost is more. The other studio it is very cheap to add classes and it tends to fill the classes to capacity. The classes we've used at this studio are generally smaller. They also have a very nice dance recital. They are larger and divide it into 4 shows so it doesn't get too long. The costumes are ordered months in advance and generally cost the amount of a months tuition.

 

We also used another studio but left because the owner was really odd. My girls were signed up for Hip Hop but all the class did was model walks. They had both done Hip Hop before and said the class just was not Hip Hop. We won't be using them again. They also required parents to volunteer certain number of hours for recital and their tuition was already quite pricey. That is the only place we've used that has had such a requirement.

[mamakimberly]

Brilliant- this is great advice, all!

 

Thanks!

 

Kimberly