Any Ballet moms?

[mommyoffive]

Are there any Ballet moms on the board?

 

My kids have only danced in park and rec program, that is very sadly organized.  

 

I am trying to figure out where they should dance in the fall

 

1. Another town's park and rec

It is run like a studio but priced like a park and rec

 

2.  A studio 

 

3.  A Ballet Company's Academy For a large city

Where they have live piano for every class, professionals teaching,

 

 

What would you go with?

Has anyone been a part of Ballet Academy for a professional company?

Likes?  Dislikes?

 

 

How much does your program cost? 

 

Is the Academy program worth the extra cost?

[Janeway]

Hi!

 

My child is very serious about ballet specifically. I went for a place that focused on the ballet. I had trouble finding a place for a boy where the boys took ballet and the ballet was taken seriously. His teacher is a graduate of the Vaganova Academy. It is a small, run down looking place, but very high quality. And he attracts some great people to be visiting teachers there. 

[The Governess]

Generally speaking, the academy would be my first pick. How old are your kids? I would consider; 1) length and frequency of ballet technique classes, 2) what kind of professional experience the teachers have; 3) class size; 4) performance opportunities. Also, are their higher level students gaining entry to well-known training programs? Are any alumni dancing professionally?

 

Sometimes studios that aren't affiliated with a company can still provide a student with great training and opportunities, so it's worth comparing the studio and the academy and weighing pros and cons. You likely want to stay away from the parks and rec program.

Edited July 17, 2016 by lovelearnandlive

[mom2scouts]

If you want the best ballet training, go for the ballet academy. If your child wants to dance for fun and may want to try other styles of dance, the studio would be a good option. Ask around about its reputation for producing good dancers. I would avoid the parks and rec type programs. They tend to be attended by those less serious about dance and I would worry the training will cause bad habits.

[catz]

We have found a nice compromise in a non-competitive ballet based company.  My daughter just went en pointe this past winter at age 11.  She has been dancing there since 5.  This past year she did 4-5 hours of ballet a week.  She also took tap, jazz, composition, and acro.  So if she were going to a ballet studio, she'd actually be doing ballet for about the same number of hours per week.  The teachers that do ballet are highly qualified and have been part of larger professional ballet companies.

 

I think if you want a quality studio, look at the oldest kids in their program.  It's great to watch a performance if you can and see if you see a logical progression in skills as the kids advance.  Do kids regularly go on to college dance programs?  Our studio had 3 graduates this year that will be dancing in college - one in an extremely competitive program.  And they have rec dancers too. 

Edited July 17, 2016 by WoolySocks

[ktgrok]

Depends on your goals and priorities. My daughter dances at a studio. They are not the best in the sense that their dancers don't always get to elite levels, etc. However...they are kind. They are AMAZING with small children. My daughter's teacher this year is a kindergarten teacher by day, and teaches dance after school (she of course danced before becoming a teacher). They have girls of all sizes and shapes and colors there...several overweight and perhaps even obese dancers. Everyone is treated kindly. Everyone has fun. For my daughter, at this age, that was MUCh more important to me than quality of the instruction. But, I have no particular thoughts that she will end up a serious dancer. She goes to get exercise and have fun. If at some point she becomes more serious we'll look into other options then. 

[lulubelle]

I think I would bring your kids to check a class out and see what they think before signing them up. Usually, places allow kids to try classes at the beginning of the academic year. As my kids get older, I like to present opportunities, but allow them to make the choice.

[catz]

Katie brought up a good point about kindness.  Some dance studios are not kind.  They might subtly encourage competitive, catty behavior and subtle body shaming.  Our studio has kids of all shapes and sizes.  They don't tolerate drama.  There was a period this winter where some of the tween/young teen girls were on each others nerves so the main ballet teacher cancelled class for the night and they just talked out their problems as a group.  The kindness aspect was big to me too and especially if you have kids under 12, you might want to carefully consider the culture.  For motivated kids that are professionally bound, often they're much more tolerant of drama in the studio and can overlook that for high level teaching.  I honestly feel like we won the lottery at our studio.  Great combo of wonderful community and high quality teaching.  Super happy with it!

Edited July 17, 2016 by WoolySocks

[mamakelly]

My daughter dances at a classical youth ballet school that does not have a professional company. She will most likely not become a professional dancer, but there have been some girls that graduated and went on to dance professionally. We tried a few different schools and here were my priorities;

 

1. Quality of teaching. Are the teachers dancing or doing professional development? Do they put girls up on pointe too young? Etc..

 

2. Body/race issues. Are there different sizes and races of girls dancing?

 

3. Performance opportunities. Does everyone have a chance to perform in some way?

 

4. Community outreach. Does the school do any kind of outreach or programs? How do they reach out to the community?

 

We ended up a a large youth nonprofit ballet school. It fits my daughters needs, and my desires.

[Ali in OR]

We do not have the option of a company academy as we don't live in a metropolitan area. We go to a local studio that follows the Russian/Vaganova syllabus and does a good job of ensuring proper technique. In its history a few students have been good enough to go on to some type of professional career and most of them have needed further training elsewhere in the later teen years. I think that's okay. Most dancers do not go on to a professional career--my dd is certainly not at that level of talent, but she does enjoy ballet and gets good training where she is at. I would leave the Parks and Rec programs and go to a serious studio, but not necessarily one that's quasi professional. I might consider that if it were obvious that my dd was very talented and had the physical gifts and dance ambition that might take her far, but I think most kids I have seen here do just fine with quality instruction at a smaller studio.

 

And just a warning that even her smallish town and smaller studio ballet training, one class level below the top dancers in the studio, is more expensive than all of her sister's club soccer, cross country, and track and field expenses.

[redsquirrel]

Are there any Ballet moms on the board?

 

My kids have only danced in park and rec program, that is very sadly organized.  

 

I am trying to figure out where they should dance in the fall

 

1. Another town's park and rec

It is run like a studio but priced like a park and rec

 

2.  A studio 

 

3.  A Ballet Company's Academy For a large city

Where they have live piano for every class, professionals teaching,

 

 

What would you go with?

Has anyone been a part of Ballet Academy for a professional company?

Likes?  Dislikes?

 

 

How much does your program cost? 

 

Is the Academy program worth the extra cost?

 

My boys are very involved in classical ballet. My older boy just returned from a prestigious summer intensive.

 

If you want them to focus on ballet, then check out the academy.

 

But, in general, I feel like with things like dance or music or art, you get what you pay for.  So, if your kids just want to dance for fun (and that is FINE) then maybe the local parks and recs program is  a great fit.

 

But if they are the sort to get serious then you need to seek out much better instruction.  If they want to dance en pointe then you MUST seek out very good instruction. The chance of serious injury is just too great. For me, that would be a non negotiable. You also need to start with that school a couple of years before hand as well. It is something they work up to with that teacher.

 

But it is a commitment.  My 11 year old son takes 5 classes a week. My older boy, who is a now a company member, dances 3 hours a day, 6 days a week during the school year. He attends public school. Classes end at 3:35 and he is at the bar at 4pm-7pm M-F.  We have a car pool to pick the kids up and get them to the school on time. Once class is done at 7pm, there is rehearsal that can potentially run until 9pm.  Rehearsal isn't the same as class time. And they are almost always rehearsing for something.  Every Saturday my son has class from 11am-2pm, again, usually followed by rehearsal until 4pm.  Now that it is summer, they are expected to attend the summer intensive that runs from 9-3pm M-F for 6 weeks. My older boy went away to NYC for a 3 week intensive and just got back yesterday. He's expected back at his school tomorrow to finish out the rest of the summer.

 

It means we don't go away unless the school is on vacation. They are expected to make up any missed classes. They certainly can't miss lots of rehearsals. Having a dentist appointment is one thing, but we can't randomly go out of town for a long weekend or they will miss too many rehearsals. 

 

All that said, my kids love it. It has been a wonderful experience for them and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

 

And there are a lot of steps between taking two classes a week and auditioning for the company. So you don't have to make a huge commitment up front. You can try it out first.  But, you should know that as the kids move up there are generally multiple classes every week. To really study ballet beyond the absolute beginner level means more than a once a week class.

[mommyoffive]

Wow, thank you guys.  This is such great info.

[Hilltopmom]

My dd is not going to dance professionally, & we don't have any companies or associated schools here, but we do have one "just ballet" studio in our town. We don't go there. My dd started dancing at 11 & they have no beginner classes for older kids. And by her age, the other girls were starting pointe. That's the Nutcracker option here.

 

So, she goes to a studio with a mix of styles & that has worked out great! She started with hip hop, then added ballet & jazz, and is adding lyrical next year. She would be there every night if we could afford that many classes & evenig trips to town.

 

She really wishes she has started ballet earlier, but it is what it is. (She did try it a few times when really young but hated going!)

She helps with the preschool classes too & loves it.

 

One thing to consider if you choose a mixed studio is whether or not they do competitions. Lots of people love that scene, but others feel opposite & it's very expensive.

But you can just do a class or two a week somewhere for fun & exercise and not get into the whole competition dance or serious ballet scene either.

 

Good luck

Edited July 17, 2016 by Hilltopmom

[Farrar]

I think others covered it pretty well. Ds dances at a classical youth ballet. He's 11 and has class 4 days a week, including one day when he's dancing for nearly four hours straight, which... oy, we'll see how that goes this year.

 

Not only do you want to pick based on your goals, but go into it with eyes open. It's okay to choose the "lesser" more recreational option, but don't think your child is getting the same level of instruction as she would at an academy with former professionals. And I strongly second the thing about body types dancing - there are a couple of serious pre-professional schools here and ours trains dancers of all shapes and sizes but the other big one strongly has a type (as in, a certain build, a certain size, a certain height, etc.). So that's something to consider. Most serious studios are a funnel - big classes of little girls, medium sized classes of older girls, just a tiny number of high school aged kids dancing. It's sort of cruddy when the funnel is as much about ability as it is about body type, at least from my perspective. In the professional world, there are companies that are more body type diverse. It just depends.

 

And, finally, with thinking about goals - think about what your performance expectations are. Our studio doesn't let their feet touch a stage for ages - not until they're 9 for the recital and not until they're 10 or 11 for Nutcracker. Even later for the spring concert. Other studios have two big recitals per year and put even their youngest ones in a Nutcracker performance. There's not a right or wrong, but some little ones really crave the stage experience and some parents aren't happy unless their kid has a chance to show off what they've learned.

 

It's been a learning curve for me, that's for sure. But I'm starting to feel like I can actually call myself a ballet mom.

[TianXiaXueXiao]

We decided early on that dd wasn't going to dance professionally, so we chose a dance studio in our small town when she was 5. She is a natural and strong dancer, so when we moved to a major metropolitan area two years ago, we seriously considered a Russian ballet academy, but after watching the documentary film First Position, dd realized that she likes ballet as a hobby but not as a life. We enrolled her in another small town studio where she gets a lot of love and support and she has some responsibility as a teacher's assistant. She still watches First Position frequently and has not changed her mind. I would only go with a serious classical ballet academy if you have a dancer who wants to be committed to dance as a lifestyle.

[KungFuPanda]

I'd start with the studio then evaluate how happy your children are there. Is a a good fit? Do they need to scale back to parks and rec or up to the academy? The studio might be the best choice if you want to treat your kids like a unit and not have them in different schools. In the academy, one kid might thrive in the higher-stakes environment while another is discouraged. How would your family handle this? It IS going to cost more as they get older. Is your family willing to let them progress. The lessons and shoes and costumes only get more expensive. Also, after that investment, will you let your older child decide to stop dancing and try other things?

[amsunshine]

My older Dd is 14 and has taken ballet since she was 4. She started at a more recreational ballet school but by the time she was 8, we moved her to a serious preprofessional school. We have no idea if she will dance professionally. It is a beautiful art form that has become my dds passion. She knows the importance of education because very few make it in the ballet world.

 

However, ballet quickly becomes a very expensive endeavor once a student is en pointe. We decided that if we were going to pay for ballet, we'd rather pay for quality training to avoid future injuries and the like. Also, we really dislike watching bad ballet. We felt that anything worth doing, including ballet, is worth doing right.

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with recreational ballet - but you should decide if that is what you want. And make sure that if recreational dance is what you want for your dc, don't allow them to be put en pointe. Pointe work should only be done with proper training, progressing for a certain number of years, at a preprofessional ballet school.

[redsquirrel]

We decided early on that dd wasn't going to dance professionally, so we chose a dance studio in our small town when she was 5. She is a natural and strong dancer, so when we moved to a major metropolitan area two years ago, we seriously considered a Russian ballet academy, but after watching the documentary film First Position, dd realized that she likes ballet as a hobby but not as a life. We enrolled her in another small town studio where she gets a lot of love and support and she has some responsibility as a teacher's assistant. She still watches First Position frequently and has not changed her mind. I would only go with a serious classical ballet academy if you have a dancer who wants to be committed to dance as a lifestyle.

 

I disagree.

 

Look, lots of kids have passions that they explore at this age that they don't pursue as adults

 

Lots of people study music to a very high level during their school years, going to competitions, summer music camps etc. Many of them don't pursue their music study in college, but I would never call that a waste.  It's the same with sports. There are kids who play a sport with a high degree of commitment who have no intention of being professional athletes. Or maybe they do in their dreams, but they know it is not a realistic goal. But because they learn important skills that serve them well off the playing field it is seen as character building. I don't see how a passion for dance is any different.

 

The kids in First Position are more like kids who are Olympic athletes in high school. They move away from home to study with specific teachers, their school load tends to be minimal. It's not a representation of what life is like for the vast majority of kids who study dance at this age. Now their are kids who participate in that competition who are more like typical dancers, but the documentary focused on a small number of dancers who had a realistic chance at the dance scholarships. Most of the kids are there for the experience. 

 

I am very glad your daughter is at the school that is right for her. She likes dance as a hobby, but she doesn't have a passion for it, and that is fine. I am so glad she is able to study it in a way that makes her happy. But I don't think it is a good idea to make a decision about what school a 7 or 9 year old should be in based on if he or she is going to be a professional dancer. How can anyone know that? For a kid who does have a passion, if that can be supported, I think that is great. There is nothing to lose if he or she doesn't become a professional. And I don't think that learning to be the best you can be, even if you don't plan to pursue a career in dance is a waste of time. I don't think learning to be the best violin player or swimmer that you can be is a waste even if you don't continue with that beyond age 20.

 

My son's school does send a couple dancers off to companies every year. And maybe one student a year leaves the school as a young teen and moves away to join a residential school for a professional company. But the vast majority don't. They go on to college and become accomplished in whatever is their chosen field of study. They have no intention of committing to dance as a lifestyle. They are becoming doctors or speech therapists or teachers or physical therapists or whatever. I know we have one physicist. But they sure seem happy to come back and visit.

[TianXiaXueXiao]

I disagree.

 

Look, lots of kids have passions that they explore at this age that they don't pursue as adults

 

Lots of people study music to a very high level during their school years, going to competitions, summer music camps etc. Many of them don't pursue their music study in college, but I would never call that a waste. It's the same with sports. There are kids who play a sport with a high degree of commitment who have no intention of being professional athletes. Or maybe they do in their dreams, but they know it is not a realistic goal. But because they learn important skills that serve them well off the playing field it is seen as character building. I don't see how a passion for dance is any different.

 

The kids in First Position are more like kids who are Olympic athletes in high school. They move away from home to study with specific teachers, their school load tends to be minimal. It's not a representation of what life is like for the vast majority of kids who study dance at this age. Now their are kids who participate in that competition who are more like typical dancers, but the documentary focused on a small number of dancers who had a realistic chance at the dance scholarships. Most of the kids are there for the experience.

 

I am very glad your daughter is at the school that is right for her. She likes dance as a hobby, but she doesn't have a passion for it, and that is fine. I am so glad she is able to study it in a way that makes her happy. But I don't think it is a good idea to make a decision about what school a 7 or 9 year old should be in based on if he or she is going to be a professional dancer. How can anyone know that? For a kid who does have a passion, if that can be supported, I think that is great. There is nothing to lose if he or she doesn't become a professional. And I don't think that learning to be the best you can be, even if you don't plan to pursue a career in dance is a waste of time. I don't think learning to be the best violin player or swimmer that you can be is a waste even if you don't continue with that beyond age 20.

 

My son's school does send a couple dancers off to companies every year. And maybe one student a year leaves the school as a young teen and moves away to join a residential school for a professional company. But the vast majority don't. They go on to college and become accomplished in whatever is their chosen field of study. They have no intention of committing to dance as a lifestyle. They are becoming doctors or speech therapists or teachers or physical therapists or whatever. I know we have one physicist. But they sure seem happy to come back and visit.

I probably wasn't clear. I am talking about a lifestyle now at this age. If my daughter were at the Russian ballet academy today at age 12 she would be expected to dance 2 hours 4 days a week and our monthly tuition would be at minimum $575. Too me that is pretty darn serious. Maybe there are other academies that aren't this dedicated but this is the option here.

 

I think it is worth the money and time if one is truly dedicated to a life of dance. My daughter has a passion for ballet but she also likes having a more open schedule. As it is she dances 3 days a week for 1.5 hours and more during rehearsals. It's a good fit for dd and her teacher is a former pro so it's a a legit classical studio but not necessarily pre-pro. There is nothing wrong with going the pre-professional route for someone who doesn't necessarily dream of a life as a dancer, but just be prepared for lots of time and money committed to dancing.

[Ali in OR]

I probably wasn't clear. I am talking about a lifestyle now at this age. If my daughter were at the Russian ballet academy today at age 12 she would be expected to dance 2 hours 4 days a week and our monthly tuition would be at minimum $575. Too me that is pretty darn serious. Maybe there are other academies that aren't this dedicated but this is the option here.

 

I think it is worth the money and time if one is truly dedicated to a life of dance. My daughter has a passion for ballet but she also likes having a more open schedule. As it is she dances 3 days a week for 1.5 hours and more during rehearsals. It's a good fit for dd and her teacher is a former pro so it's a a legit classical studio but not necessarily pre-pro. There is nothing wrong with going the pre-professional route for someone who doesn't necessarily dream of a life as a dancer, but just be prepared for lots of time and money committed to dancing.

 

I'll agree with this. My dd enjoys dance, but it is not her whole life. As a high school student, she is in band and performs at football games and basketball games. The last two years she has been a dancer in her school's musical. Ballet opened that door for her, but just being in the musical takes so much time in January and February that she doesn't do much ballet during those months. I don't think a pre-professional type academy would even keep her around, but at our small-town studio the owner is her main teacher and allows time off and a mix of classes at different levels to fit dd's busy schedule and allow her to pursue activities other than just ballet.

Edited July 18, 2016 by Ali in OR

[redsquirrel]

I probably wasn't clear. I am talking about a lifestyle now at this age. If my daughter were at the Russian ballet academy today at age 12 she would be expected to dance 2 hours 4 days a week and our monthly tuition would be at minimum $575. Too me that is pretty darn serious. Maybe there are other academies that aren't this dedicated but this is the option here.

 

I think it is worth the money and time if one is truly dedicated to a life of dance. My daughter has a passion for ballet but she also likes having a more open schedule. As it is she dances 3 days a week for 1.5 hours and more during rehearsals. It's a good fit for dd and her teacher is a former pro so it's a a legit classical studio but not necessarily pre-pro. There is nothing wrong with going the pre-professional route for someone who doesn't necessarily dream of a life as a dancer, but just be prepared for lots of time and money committed to dancing.

 

If your daughter is dancing 1.5 hours 3X a week at a classical studio then she is a serious student of dance. That counts, lol. Her school might not send many students off to the 'big leagues' (I have no idea) but that is a bigger time commitment and higher caliber of education, than the OP is getting at a "parks and rec' type program.

 

 

There are many different kinds of academies with different requirements. I think the OP should take the time to really check them all out. But to just dismiss the company school out of hand, because of what might be, isn't making the most of her options.

[mommyoffive]

I probably wasn't clear. I am talking about a lifestyle now at this age. If my daughter were at the Russian ballet academy today at age 12 she would be expected to dance 2 hours 4 days a week and our monthly tuition would be at minimum $575. Too me that is pretty darn serious. Maybe there are other academies that aren't this dedicated but this is the option here.

 

I think it is worth the money and time if one is truly dedicated to a life of dance. My daughter has a passion for ballet but she also likes having a more open schedule. As it is she dances 3 days a week for 1.5 hours and more during rehearsals. It's a good fit for dd and her teacher is a former pro so it's a a legit classical studio but not necessarily pre-pro. There is nothing wrong with going the pre-professional route for someone who doesn't necessarily dream of a life as a dancer, but just be prepared for lots of time and money committed to dancing.

 

$575 a month?  Holy cow!!

 

 

 

I am learning from everything posted.  Thanks.

[amsunshine]

I probably wasn't clear. I am talking about a lifestyle now at this age. If my daughter were at the Russian ballet academy today at age 12 she would be expected to dance 2 hours 4 days a week and our monthly tuition would be at minimum $575. Too me that is pretty darn serious. Maybe there are other academies that aren't this dedicated but this is the option here.

 

Yikes!  $575 per month for only 8 hours per week?   :blink:  We pay approximately 25% less than that at a ballet school with an attached professional company for 15 instructional hours per week, not including rehearsals.  I thought that was expensive....

[redsquirrel]

$575 a month?  Holy cow!!

 

 

 

I am learning from everything posted.  Thanks.

 

My sons' school is less money, but we live in a small city. It's more expensive in bigger cities.

 

This is for 9 week quarters:

 

• Dance Movement: $90
• Pre-Ballet: $90
• Elementary Ballet & up:
  • 1 Class per week $117
  • 2 Classes per week: $216
  • 3 Classes per week: $306
  • 4 Classes per week: $387
  • 5 Classes per week: $459
  • 6 Classes per week: $522

 

And I have to admit that we get a deep, deep discount. If we lived in a bigger city, with more than once company, they wouldn't pay anything due to competition. My dancers are boys, and boys are a very rare commodity in the ballet world. But without boys there are no ballets to dance.

[TianXiaXueXiao]

Yikes! $575 per month for only 8 hours per week? :blink: We pay approximately 25% less than that at a ballet school with an attached professional company for 15 instructional hours per week, not including rehearsals. I thought that was expensive....

Please forgive me. I'm calculating Pointe shoes and costumes into the cost. The classes alone are $400 per month.

[Farrar]

We have to pay a yearly tuition. But it comes not far south of $400 a month for four times a week. Serious schools are expensive. Thank goodness we'll never have to pay for pointe shoes. Ah, the benefits of boys in ballet vs. girls are pretty immense - more chances, fewer body image issues, cheaper gear. For the first time, we have a scholarship for next year which keeps our tuition down slightly. It's still going to get more and more pricey in the next couple of years.

 

Redsquirrel, we're in a big city and the boys' tuition is less, but nearly everyone I know is still paying. It's competitive enough that we've seen boys "poached" from one program to another. But still, everyone seems to be paying something and enough kids aren't on scholarship at all at our school - in part so they can opt out of Nut and do the professional one at the Kennedy Center.

 

I agree that there are benefits to kids who don't plan on dancing professionally in doing a pre-professional program. I have no idea if ds will ever be good enough, but his passion and commitment justify the price and even if he doesn't end up on a dance scholarship or with a company one day, doing something with high goals and seriousness will be beneficial to his overall growth and maturity, I think.

Edited July 18, 2016 by Farrar

[Momling]

My daughter loves ballet and was very serious about it. She was considered very promising by her teachers, en pointe at 10, and trained 12-15 hrs/week. However, by the time she was 12, she had developed into a short curvy young woman and was suddenly ignored in casting decisions and ignored in class and given no corrections. She hung on for a year before leaving at 13. Since then, she has enjoyed feeling successful in rec type ballet classes and has expanded into jazz, contemporary and ballroom. She dances about 5 hrs per week now and is much less stressed. Her ballet training has paid off and transfers beautifully to other dance forms. From a dance perspective, I suppose starting with more serious ballet and shifting to something recreational when appropriate was a good move. From an emotional perspective, it was pretty rough for her to be ignored by teachers who favored a certain body shape that she would never have. These are things that I didn't think would happen in a children's ballet studio in a small town.

[TianXiaXueXiao]

There are many different kinds of academies with different requirements. I think the OP should take the time to really check them all out. But to just dismiss the company school out of hand, because of what might be, isn't making the most of her options.

There are many different kinds of studio schools and many have attached dance companies. Our school has a company but they are performance oriented and not competitive for trophies, medals, etc.

 

The options where we live are parks and rec, studio schools (like what we are in), and serious pre-professional academies.

 

I think the commitment level is an important factor in finding the right approach to dance. If we had a lot of disposable income, I still wouldn't spring for the pre-professional academy unless dd wanted to be at the Academy daily. She loves dance but she also loves cooking, horse riding, painting, pottery, and swimming in addition to just goofing off with family and friends.

[lulubelle]

My daughters school is a lot of money for ballet only. We are near a major city. She is 9 and goes 4 1/2 hours a week. It is professional driven. The reason we are there is because my daughter thrives in a school that is more challenging. She was really bored at the recreational places, and they were not working on flexibility much. Her goals, at this time, are to get to pointe and see from there. She is also a figure skater and that has also driven our decision.

[mommyoffive]

Generally speaking, the academy would be my first pick. How old are your kids? I would consider; 1) length and frequency of ballet technique classes, 2) what kind of professional experience the teachers have; 3) class size; 4) performance opportunities. Also, are their higher level students gaining entry to well-known training programs? Are any alumni dancing professionally?

 

Sometimes studios that aren't affiliated with a company can still provide a student with great training and opportunities, so it's worth comparing the studio and the academy and weighing pros and cons. You likely want to stay away from the parks and rec program.

 

Kids are 10, 8, 5, and 3

 

The Local park and rec is 5 mins from my house

The park and rec that is like a studio is probably 20 mins

The studios are about 20 to 30

Then there are 2 academies that are about 50 mins from the house

 

 

For the 8 and 10 year old they would be starting in Ballet 1 I am sure.  The classes they have had are nowhere as good as what this type offers.

 

Both are around the same prices for Ballet 1 About 700-800 for the year.

Both are an hour away

 

Academy 1 

That price is all inclusive - no additional performance or costume fees

has a year end full school showcase performance

Is a professional school for a company ballet

accredited by NASD

Live music at every class

Ballet 1 is only 1 time a week

 

 

Academy 2

 

Live music at every class

Ballet 1 you can come to 1-4 classes a week for the same price

They said they don't have any recital type events with costumes, most of their events are free for the students to be in

Is a professional school for a company ballet

[mamakelly]

I'd have them do a trial class at both places and decide from there.

Edited July 21, 2016 by mamakelly

[mommyoffive]

I'd have them do a trial class at both places and decide from there.

 

I will have to see if this is an option. 

[redsquirrel]

Yeah, try a sample class. I would be very surprised if they don't allow that as a free option. Sometimes you can purchase a number of classes, like a punch card, and your kids could take three or five at each place before deciding.

 

Live music... eh. It's luxurious, but wouldn't be a deciding factor for me. It's also an expense you have to pay for. I would go more for the feel of the school, the quality of the teachers and your commute. And ask if live music is standard. Some times they might have it and sometimes not. It can be, a way for a (very) talented piano playing parent to barter for ballet classes, and more power to them! So you have the pianist as long as they need classes for their kid. OTOH, it could absolutely be the case that they have had their pianist on staff for 30 years and he's the best guy ever. So if it is a deal maker or breaker for you, ask if they always pay someone to play for all classes.

 

And their ages are about right for ballet one.  The 10 year old is a tad older than a few, but I doubt she would be the only one.  Many 10 and 11 year olds start ballet. And, at that age, the school might allow them to switch to a higher level halfway through the year or between years, to be with more of her peers. If she shows enthusiasm and good attitude it could def happen. That is also something you can ask about. Just ask what year or level the other 10 year olds tend to be and what would it take to get your 10 year old to be with her peers by next year. They might not know right away and say that they would have to work with her a little bit. That is a reasonable answer. Or it might be something like, she takes two classes a week for the year and then they can decide.  Or they might have a definite path for kids that age. Again, it is fairly common for kids 10-12ish to quit a less serious school and come to a more serious one. It's something they deal with on a regular basis....or should be. 

 

If the schools run their own summer ballet program sometimes going to the entire thing, 6 weeks or 8 weeks, counts as a year of instruction and they bump kids up a level. So you might get told if she goes to two classes a week and attends the summer program she can be in level three in 2017-18.

 

I'm just tossing out possibilities, her level might not matter that much to you at all. 

[amsunshine]

Yes, try both!

 

Without knowing anything more, though, I'm wondering why Ballet 1 is only offered once per week at Academy 1?  Maybe for pre-ballet, once per week is appropriate, but for ballet 1, once per week seems like the bare minimum.  For your 10 year old, especially, it would be nice to have at least twice per week, maybe moving up to 3 times per week by the end of the year.  Academy 2 seems to offer a more desirable pre-professional schedule, especially for your kids' ages.  But, again, I know nothing more about these schools other than the schedules you describe.  As an aside, I'm not sure that NASD accreditation is a big deal.

 

Also, I highly recommend that you join the Ballet Talk for Dancers forum.  Lots of knowledgeable folks there, and information about age appropriate training guidelines.  HTH.

[mommyoffive]

Just looking at the booklet

 

At academy 1 Ballet 1 and 2 are only 1 time a week.  It is an hour, but still.

 

The 3 older ones we were all dancing 4 hours a week in spring with our park and rec.  They would love to dance more.  Although the one time a week works better for me since it is an hour each way.  I was going to have them all on one day and make a day out of it. 

 

 

[Farrar]

Both academies sound potentially good.

 

I am under the impression that live music is pretty important, but I'm no expert. I don't know about the accreditation thing though. 

 

Once a week for "Ballet 1" is pretty common though "ballet 1" means different things different places. Once a week for a 10 yo who is doing a serious ballet program.

[redsquirrel]

Once a week ballet 1 is what my sons' school offers. Ballet 2 is 2X a week, Ballet is 3X a week etc etc.  Then around year 3-4 (depending on the dancer) you add in pointe so that is an extra class, and there is boy's class which is once a week in addition to their regular classes. 

 

It's around ballet three that the more serious students stay and those who don't want three or more classes a week move on to something else.

[amsunshine]

Once a week ballet 1 is what my sons' school offers. Ballet 2 is 2X a week, Ballet is 3X a week etc etc.  Then around year 3-4 (depending on the dancer) you add in pointe so that is an extra class, and there is boy's class which is once a week in addition to their regular classes. 

 

It's around ballet three that the more serious students stay and those who don't want three or more classes a week move on to something else.

 

I guess I'm going by my own experience!  At my dds' prepro school, Ballet 1 was offered twice per week, with Ballet 2 three times per week, and so on.  The age guidelines offered by Ballet Talk for Dancers also provide a useful gauge.  It's possible a school might put an older beginner, such as a 10 year old in Ballet 2, just so he/she gets more of what is needed at that age.  Another good reason to try both schools and talk to the director!

[mamakelly]

Ballet levels are so subjective! My daughters school starts with pre ballet then beginning ballet, then goes 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4/5/6. 5/6 is our preprofessional level. My daughter just made level 4, where I expect she'll be for at least 2 years.