Choosing a dance school is of utmost importance for your budding dancer. For young dancers it is important they have fun in addition to learning about the dance basics before they progress further. With older dancers who are changing dance studios, it may be an idea to find out where current and former students of the studio are and what they are doing. Depending on how serious your child is about dance, it is importance to find a dance school with excellent technical training alongside a passion for developing youth dance.
Your dancers may wish to study a variety of dance techniques or just focus solely on one. Many schools offer a full range and require the students to be trained as an all-rounder, and others enable you to pick and choose training. Make sure you are able to check on your child’s progress effectively and if parents are able to watch classes. Some studios also offer the chance to be entered into competitions and other performances outside of dance school hours, but these are not usually mandatory.
Dress code or uniform is also a consideration: this reveals a lot about the dance school’s approach. The school should require close fitting clothing and appropriate footwear, no jewellery and hair off the face. Teachers must be able to see body alignment in order to provide essential corrections. Try and see this first hand before joining the studio by visiting the school to gain a better idea of how it operates, as well as the general vibe and rapport between parents, students and teachers.
In visiting the school you can also assess its cleanliness, safety and studio arrangement. You can see if there are changing areas, water accessibility and adequate materials such as mats, barres and safe floors. The atmosphere should be vibrant and the mood positive.