Every person begins to study dance for their own special reason.  It could be for improvement of coordination, to become a  professional dancer one day, or just for fun.

Here’s a list of top 10 things to look for in a studio.

1.  Family Friendly - When you walk into a dance studio, you should “feel the love”! Look for performance pictures of their students and/or bulletin boards of their events. The studio should be clean, the personnel should be friendly and professional.

2.  Fees – Get all the details about all their fees up front:

• Registration fees – some studios charge a non-refundable registration fee.  This is ok, but it shouldn’t be more than $25 a person.  Others give a free t-shirt with this fee or apply some of it to the recital costumes at the end of the year.

• Tuition – This depends on the location, teacher reputation, and class time. Generally about $10-$15 an hour.

• Recital costume cost – It is customary to do recital every year or every other year.  It is important for a studio to have an end of the season recital because dance is a performance art.  It should be optional not mandatory.  Costume cost vary depending on the quality and extravagance of the costume.

3.  Instructors – Not all dancers can teach! My dance teacher would say ” There is a difference in “leading” a class and “teaching” a class.”  The instructors should have a history of at least 12 years of dance training.  It is also helpful if they have had dance instruction training. Ask if they go to any workshops, seminars or conventions.  You want to make sure they know the latest developments in dance training.  Some teachers specialize in certain types of dance and are more comfortable teaching that style. They do not necessarily need to have been a professional dancer or a college graduate with a dance degree, but they should have some performance experience. A dance degree doesn’t necessarily mean they will be able to relate to pre-schoolers or be able to “teach” steps to a 7 year old student.  Some studios hire teachers from a nearby college.  These teachers can be wonderful, but sometimes they really only want a teaching job for the money and not interested in the children’s growth.  A dancer with a degree is a plus, but check the class out to see how they relate to the children. The studio might have a master teacher over-seeing all the classes. Especially if the instructors are young this is an important detail.  A master teacher can see that all the students are being cared for and that the instructor is addressing all their needs.

4. Parent Observation - Seeing the progress of your student thorugh the year is very important.  This can be done in 2 ways.

• 2 way mirrors or video feed of the class – Most studios have 2 way mirrors so you can observe classes.  This is a great way to watch the progress of your student.
• Video feed to the waiting room – Some studios have installed a video feed of the class.  This is very cool but expensive.
• Designated days to come in to watch class. Sometimes it is impossible to provide 2 way viewing at a facility, so they have observation days set up through the season.  This is another way to catch up on the progress.

5. Dance wear – Correct dance wear for classes is essential.  When you are looking for a studio, check what the students are wearing.  It can tell you a lot about the quality of instruction.  Please see: “Articles – Why do I have to wear that?”

6. End of the year performance “Recital” – There should be some type of performance at the end of the year.  As mentioned above, dance is a performance art.  It is necessary for the student to learn this.  They enjoy and look forward to  showing off their accomplishments from the season.  This performance may or may not include costumes. It may include the entire studio or may be broken up into 2 separate performances with different age groups.  Most of all….it should be FUN for all involved.  OK….realistically, it is going to be a bit confusing and some times frustrating, but should be “organized chaos”.  During dress rehearsals at the performance venue the instructors are trying to coordinate:

• students entrance, exits and spacing
• lighting
• music

Patience may be IS required and appreciated.

7. Website – Every dance studio should have a website.  It doesn’t need to have tons of glitz and pizzaz, but it should include classes offered, schedules, updates, staff and philosophy.

8. Communication – The website is only part of the communication process.  Good communication with the parents and dancers shows the dance studio cares about you.  It shows that the owners want to include you in their studio “family”. Your dance studio should have:

• Monthly newsletters either on line or handed out in class.  A great place would have both.
• Timely notice on special events at the studio.
• Bulletin boards, although old fashion, really do the trick to provide info.
• Posted reminders on tuition fees and anything that could that keeps you informed as to what is coming.  Such as, auditions for special performances or events.

9. Dance company or competition group – It is normal for the studio to have a “dance company or competition group”. It is not necessary for them to do competitions, but a dance company compiled of their more serious students is good. To compete or not to compete is always a decision of the owner/master teacher.  Competition or a dance company option gives the “serious” student more opportunities as they advance.

10. Location – Choose a convenient location.  Many parents are rushing from one activity to another.  It is important to be realistic about how convenient the time of class and the location of the studio is to your family’s after-school activity schedule.  Don’t sacrafice good dance instruction just because the studio is around the corner.  No matter how casual a student, good instruction is most important.  After all you are paying for their study of this art form. Get the most out of it.

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