5 Things Every Parent Should
Know
Before Choosing a Dance Studio
Basically, all dance
studios offer lessons with qualified teachers and a
recital at the end of the year. You may be asking
yourself... “What’s the difference? Aren’t dance
studios all pretty much the same?” Does it really matter
which place you decide to enroll at? The answer is
YES!!! There are 5 main things that can make a huge
difference in the quality of instruction you or your
child receives, the amount of hassles, and the enjoyment
of being involved with a dance program. Here are 5
things every parent should know:
1. What type of dance
floor is used?
Dance is a very strenuous
activity, requiring a lot of jumping, which may put
stress on joints and bones. Dance movement can place
pressure on the knees, ankles, and back of a dancer.
The best way to prevent this stress is by choosing a
studio with a professional floor. Wood flooring should
be professionally designed and installed using a basket
weave design to optimize the dancers movement. The top
layer of the dance floor is also a very important
factor. A “marley” floor is accepted worldwide as the
best surface layer for recreational to professional
dance. Professional touring companies such as the
Royal Academy of Dance in London and Riverdance
and many more all use marley floors for their dance
surface. Marley floors allow the dancers to slide with
a degree of “controlled slip” to gracefully move across
the floor but not too slippery so there is less risk of
slips and falls. Very few studios use marley floors
because of the expense involved.
Our studio, Dance
Xperience, has a professionally installed and
designed basket weave wood floor as well as a marley
top surface. Our special flooring allows dancers to
move with confidence and dance longer without feeling
tired.
2. What is the size
of the class?
It is very important you
or your child receives appropriate attention during
dance class. If there are fewer students in class, the
more attention the teacher will be able to give each
student and will result in the students learning more
rapidly and having more fun. This also ensures that
students are not developing bad habits or improper
technique.
Dance Xperience
limits all classes (ages 7 & up) to a maximum of 10
students per class. In our younger classes (ages 3-7)
we limit our classes to a maximum of 6 students per
class.
3. What are the
“extras” required for the recital?
The end
of the year recital can be very hectic and costly for
parents. Most studios have the parents paying anywhere from
$80 to $120+ per costume. On top of this fee, there is the
recital program where some studios make parents venture out
and get businesses to place ads in the program. All of
these “extras” can be inconvenient, frustrating, and pricey
for parents.
Our
studio, Dance Xperience, keeps costume prices
below $65. Our recital program is taken care of by our
office managers and is optional if parents would like to
place an ad in the program. We do not make parents work at
the recital and only take volunteers. We try our best to
create a hassle-free recital for parents so you can enjoy
your child’s achievements.
4.
Can I get immediate assistance and customer service?
In many
studios the teacher or studio owner conducts classes and
does the administration. Doing these two jobs at once may
result in the dancers’ class time suffering since the
teacher has to answer questions or take tuition payments.
Many studios do not have customer service available during
the day. It is important to have your questions answered
especially during recital time.
At
Dance Xperience, all of our calls are forwarded
to the studio owner during the day. At night during
classes, there is an office manager there happy to help you
with anything you need.
5.
When do the students start learning their recital dance?
Some
dance studios start teaching the recital dance as early as
October. Students learn the dance during class time and for
the rest of the dance year practice this same dance over and
over. This can easily turn children away from dance since
the repetitiveness of performing the same dance all year
becomes extremely monotonous.
Dance Xperience teaches students different dance
combinations throughout the year and does not start the
recital dance until March and only uses up about 10minutes
of the class time each week on the recital dance. We firmly
believe parents should be paying for their child to learn
technique and the art of dance not just the recital
routine.
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