S/o ballet moms - would this bother you?

[snickerplum]

We moved last year(ish) and 2 of our girls are taking ballet. The oldest takes it seriously and wants to teach/be a pro when she grows up.

The dancers are not in sync. I first witnessed it while watching my daughter's class rehearse for the Christmas performance. But it's not just that age group, even the company girls.

They're all the time talking about the various intensives the girls get in. Honestly, I think it's partly because they're auditioning alone, not as a group. There's no doubt the girls are talented, it just seems like for most of the dances they're not together.

It bothers me that the teachers don't seem to care.

Oh, and my daughter said one of her teachers told them to concentrate on the beginning and the end of their dances because "that's really what people remember." Kind of an odd thing to teach IMO.

Would this bother you? I've thought about another performing arts school (they have a pre-pro programm and have students that are now on Broadway and Rockettes). I've called twice and they have yet to return my calls. We like the atmosphere at the current place - nice people, kind and friendly.

Ugh.

[Janeway]

Yes, it would. I would look elsewhere if there were other options.

[Farrar]

Well, your girls are under 10 yo, yes? In my limited experience at that age, you can absolutely get the kids to be in sync... but you're maybe accomplishing it at the expense of time you might want to be spending on technique instead. This is part of why ds's studio doesn't do recitals until they're 9 yo (before that, they do a little family demo with limited seating just for the close family members). They'd rather focus on technique and let the ability to get in sync and be aware of the others on the stage and the choreography and all that come when it's a little easier because they're older.

 

The company girls... yeah, that would start to bug me. I wouldn't be so impressed by placing kids in intensives - I'm starting to learn that even some of the intensives aren't as hard to get into as you might think. Do they send kids to young companies? Do they have former students who are now professionals? Do students go on to get dance scholarships to college? That's the stuff that matters. Our studio has the wall of professionals and the notice board where they talk about what former students are doing out in the professional world. I think that's common at serious studios.

 

 

[redsquirrel]

Little ones? no. Company? Absolutely.

 

Here's an example: My boys are at their own school's intensive. Today was the first day of the second three week session.  Ok, today, for the first time, ds2, who is 11, came home and said that he is now in the company director's class.  He is usually with the younger kids, but today she pulled him over to her class. This is a huge big deal for him, obviously.  He's in class with the company kids.  To be clear, the youngster class is running quite young for this session and she is doing him a favor by pulling him over with the older kids.

 

He was having a little problem with some of the combinations at the bar. But C, the director, just kept saying that she knows he is young and she doesn't expect him to get it all the first time. She told him as long as he pays attention to the count of the music and the tempo she is happy. In other words, her primary goal was that he be able to keep in sync with the other dancers even if he didn't quite have all the moves. She was ok with a little glossing over the middle part as long as he was in sync. He's got time to get the moves down, but he needs to have the timing correct from the start.

 

When he was quite young she had a part in a ballet that could be cast with a very young child. She asked me if I was ok with him being in the show and I was. She isn't his regular teacher and asked me if I thought he could handle the choreography. Well, how should I know? I had no idea, lol. I remember she asked if he could count out beats in the music. Because if he could count to the music and match the tempo she could work with him. If a dancer can't do that, she didn't think they would have a long career in dance. Ds2 has been taking piano since he was 4, so I told her I was pretty sure he could count out the beats. He did fine, BTW.

 

So, all of this is to say that getting the kid in sync is supposed to be a big part of their instruction. Again, with the littles it doesn't bother me a huge amount, but the company? I don't expect them to be perfect at all times, but it should be a major goal. It should be one of those things that the director should be working towards at all times. The director should be calling their attention to their cues. Hitting your mark is a huge part of all dance and theater etc. You need to be in the right spot at just the right moment.  Many times I have heard her say "I need you to come in on the count, not an eighth of a beat after."

 

And don't be too impressed with the names of the intensives. I say that as a mom to a kid who just got back from a "name" one. What I learned about the whole process was very interesting. There are some very good ones out there that would have zero name recognition outside the world of ballet. There are other famous companies that use their name and their summer intensive as a cash cow. I have spoken to dancers from my sons' school who tell me that the little intensive that we have right here, where my sons attend, is top of the line in terms of classical technique.  Other intensives are known for a bigger focus on more modern ballet. Some are very focused on boys, others don't offer classes just for boys at all.  It's a big world.

[dancingmama]

Yes, it would bother me for the same reasons everyone above said.

[Farrar]

And don't be too impressed with the names of the intensives. I say that as a mom to a kid who just got back from a "name" one. What I learned about the whole process was very interesting. There are some very good ones out there that would have zero name recognition outside the world of ballet. There are other famous companies that use their name and their summer intensive as a cash cow. I have spoken to dancers from my sons' school who tell me that the little intensive that we have right here, where my sons attend, is top of the line in terms of classical technique.  Other intensives are known for a bigger focus on more modern ballet. Some are very focused on boys, others don't offer classes just for boys at all.  It's a big world.

 

Yes. This was the first year that the boys in ds's level went out for intensives. We opted to spend one more summer delaying the whole deal. But from hearing from them and starting to hear from the teachers at our studio, this was the number one thing I learned. The biggest names does not equal the best intensives.

[Rebel Yell]

Your oldest is 9?  For me, 9 yr olds not being in sync wouldn't bother me a whole lot, because that's a hard thing to learn.  But...teachers not caring, not teaching towards being in sync, and then teaching them to concentrate on the beginning and end because that's what people remember....that would all bother me.  That's not actually teaching dance, which is what the girls are there to learn.  It's one thing for teachers or coaches to be teaching the basics, but the kids not quite all getting it...it's another not to be teaching it at all.

 

 

If 9yos are taking 1-2 classes per week, 90mins each, AND working on classical technique, I would expect them to be close-enough to in sync, but not perfect. If it is a 45min combo class once/week, I'd be shocked if they were all together.

In either case, if the class focuses on technique and doesn't begin recital choreography until February, then I wouldn't expect perfect unison from even the first example.

 

I'd also like to have some terms defined. Is "Company" an actual ballet company that does full-length performances with roles given by audition, or is it just a name for their competition team? And is an "Intensive" an acceptance-by-audition at an well-known school, or just the name for slightly-longer summer classes? That makes a difference.

[snickerplum]

Whew - lots to answer.

She's 10 (need to update...) and her class meets for 90 minutes twice a week. Her old studio had even kids her age then (so like 8?) in sync. At Christmas when it was off at practice I expected to hear "We're going to have to do it again - focus, ladies" like at her old studio. Instead I heard, "great job! You're going to be great next week!" Hmm...

I know of one girl from this studiL who went on to study dance past high school and now teaches dance at a high school in town and also choreographs the musicals. There are a few who have "graduated" from the studio and now teach there. One session a week is a younger teacher like that and one session is with the older teacher. The older one (The one who has danced and done stuff professionally) does the choreography for recitals and the other helps practice it.

The company is basically older girls at the studio who take more classes, pay more fees and are in more of the productions than the "regular" students. They have a name (The 'state' Christian Dance Theater).

The intensives are located all over. Several girls go out of state for different ones.

I want her to be at the best place we can put her. On the other hand I don't want to leave a place where dd feels comfortable and move her somewhere where maybe she's introduced to dance drama.

Would you call this other place back? Could there be a good reason as to why they haven't returned my phone calls?

[Farrar]

Like I said above - I learned from being at our studio that a focus on choreography isn't always the best measure. Ours is a very good studio with many former students out dancing for well-known companies and they specifically don't spend much time on recitals and that type of dance until kids are older.

 

However, that said, there are lots of red flags there that this isn't a great pre-professional studio. Former students right out of school teaching? Um, no. Being the helpers, sure. But the teachers? Not unless it's maybe for the big pre-ballet classes for littles. Going on to teach dance isn't a particularly difficult thing to do if someone has a passion and is competent. It doesn't denote that they necessarily got a quality dance education. What you want to be looking for is students who go on to young companies and dance scholarships. You want to see notices on the board like "So and so is now dancing at the State Name/City Name Ballet!" Sounds like that isn't the case there.

 

And finally, maybe I'm wrong, but my guess is that religious affiliations aren't a positive in the ballet world. Most serious studios are focused on the dance element, not the religion element. I'm guessing a split focus or a studio that excludes kids based on religion probably isn't going to be the "best" in terms of dance if that's really what you're looking for.

 

Of course, not every kid needs to be at the best studio. Sounds like they are a supportive, kind community and that's a positive thing too.

 

I can't say why the pre-professional school hasn't called you back. Could be a disorganized place. Could be because it's summer and they're in the middle of intensives or it's summer and they don't do intensives so they're mostly shut down or dealing with the chaos of camps for little kids. Could be their program is basically full and they don't need you so you're a low priority. I'd look for local reviews and see what the atmosphere there is like and what the reputation is.

[catz]

 

I can't say why the pre-professional school hasn't called you back. Could be a disorganized place. Could be because it's summer and they're in the middle of intensives or it's summer and they don't do intensives so they're mostly shut down or dealing with the chaos of camps for little kids. Could be their program is basically full and they don't need you so you're a low priority. I'd look for local reviews and see what the atmosphere there is like and what the reputation is.

 

 

Just a trend I noticed with a few local dance studios, is they often aren't paying someone to answer phones/check messages and it can take some persistence to talk to a live person.  Is there a contact e-mail?  I would keep trying for a bit if you're really interested in the other studio.  I'd try both e-mail/contact for through web page/facebook page/phone.  Do you know other parents that use that studio?  They might know the best way if the studio otherwise looks good.  I've helped a few friends through that at our studio.  And I love our studio.  I actually got my dd a phone because I had no confidence I could get through to her on the studio phone.

[redsquirrel]

Just a trend I noticed with a few local dance studios, is they often aren't paying someone to answer phones/check messages and it can take some persistence to talk to a live person.  Is there a contact e-mail?  I would keep trying for a bit if you're really interested in the other studio.  I'd try both e-mail/contact for through web page/facebook page/phone.  Do you know other parents that use that studio?  They might know the best way if the studio otherwise looks good.  I've helped a few friends through that at our studio.  And I love our studio.  I actually got my dd a phone because I had no confidence I could get through to her on the studio phone.

 

We have a phone in the room outside the studio and when it rings all the parents there look at each other in horror. There is no one to answer it. It's the job of whoever feels like picking up the phone. The kids and teens all ignore it. I will pick it up, a few others will as well. But I honestly have no idea why it's there.

 

If you want to get the info I maybe find a reason to stop by. Walk in and ask for information for a new student. Hopefully there will be some nice parent there to give you the scoop.

 

[musicianmom]

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Edited May 21, 2022 by musicianmom

[Farrar]

We have a phone in the room outside the studio and when it rings all the parents there look at each other in horror. There is no one to answer it. It's the job of whoever feels like picking up the phone. The kids and teens all ignore it. I will pick it up, a few others will as well. But I honestly have no idea why it's there.

 

If you want to get the info I maybe find a reason to stop by. Walk in and ask for information for a new student. Hopefully there will be some nice parent there to give you the scoop.

 

 

Really? That does seem disorganized and unprofessional... Our studio has an office and office staff. I guess I wouldn't expect everyone to, but if you can't, surely an old answering machine is superior to that method and isn't much money.

[redsquirrel]

Really? That does seem disorganized and unprofessional... Our studio has an office and office staff. I guess I wouldn't expect everyone to, but if you can't, surely an old answering machine is superior to that method and isn't much money.

 

They have no staff whatsoever beyond the teachers and a costume mistress. They make their own costumes, at least for now. I'm pretty sure the company seamstress is in her late 70s.  I can't imagine they can replace her when she's gone.

 

I think the phone is there for students, back when the kids didn't have cell phones or could borrow on from any nearby adult.  And there is some number that isn't connected with the studio that people can call to get information mailed to them. I assume it works because new students show up. But that damn phone still rings a couple times a week, lol.

 

 

Now that I think of it...I wonder if it's still there. It was at least a year ago, but it might not be now.