5 questions you should ask when choosing a dance studio

Dance education is not unlike academic education.  It requires the skill of highly qualified and motivated educators and administrators to teach and get the most out of a student by way of a well developed, age appropriate curriculum.

Most dance studios rely on the skills of  teachers to create curriculum, choreography, structure and guidelines for individual classes, which results in an inconsistent standard of education across the board.  There may be some highly qualified teachers who yield excellent teaching results alongside  less experienced teachers who require additional guidance.  This usually creates a two-tiered educational structure, where the most advanced students receive the best training by the best teachers and the less serious students receive the less favorable training by less experienced teachers.

In order to maximize the learning potential, all dance teachers on faculty  should  follow a unified, well developed syllabus created by dance education specialists.  All dance faculty should participate in continuing education and training throughout the course of the year on teaching principles, learning styles, safe dance practice and content. Dance faculty should meet regularly with the administration to discuss the progress of each student to ensure their development and success.   Our studio has department chairs for each genre of dance to ensure maximum success along with a dedicated Studio Director who oversees the studio wide curriculum and manages the educational needs of each individual student.  We also have a dedicated and separate Artistic Director who oversees the artistry and performance needs of individual students to ensure a high level of professional performance work.

Dance is a highly physical activity that requires jumping and elevation, which can put stress on bones and joints. Most dance footwear does not provide the proper cushioning support to reduce shock to the joints and postural alignment of a dancer.  One of the best ways to prevent injury is by choosing a studio with a professional “floating floor.”  A floating floor is a dance floor that rests on a system of high-density foam, to absorb the shock of jumping. A high-density foam base is superior to a “sprung” floor, which usually consists of a wood structure built on the regular floor.The top layer of the dance floor is also an important factor. A vinyl composite “marley” floor is accepted worldwide as the best surface layer for professional dance. Facilities such as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Royal Academy of Dance in London, England, and Riverdance – The Touring Show, all use marley floors as their dance surface. A marley floor allows dancers to slide, with a degree of “controlled slip”, but is not slippery so there is less risk of slips and falls. Very few studios use professional marley floors because of the expense involved.Tap classes should be taught on a wood floor surface on top of the sprung sub floor.   Fewer and fewer dance studios are opting to provide proper wood flooring for their tap dance programs.

4. What Is The Performance Philosophy?

Performance is a element of performing arts education. Most studios only put on one year end recital.  The recital is usually a string of individual class dances that  follow a theme and require costumes for each dance number.   Oftentimes, more advanced students perform to mature song choices and wear costumes that may not be appropriate or acceptable for young children to see or experience.  At MSA, we produce over 15 student performances each year.   Our students have the opportunity to participate in the Nutcracker, Frosty Follies, The Winter Dance Concert, two acting showcases, two music recitals, our Spring Production amongst others. In the winter, our youngest dance students have the opportunity to participate in the Winter Dance Concert, which is a family friendly charity drive performance  usually held in December.  Students wear basic, low cost costumes for this performance and there is no ticket charge for this performance.  In the Spring, we produce a fully staged Broadway-style musical production that incorporates all of our dance students, from beginning to advanced.   Our students get a first hand opportunity to experience professional theater at its best.  Our Artistic Director incorporates the individual dance classes into the main story plot, which is driven by an Ensemble of pre-professional students.  Our youngest students can opt to perform with a class that participates in the Spring Production or a specially designed, low key Early Childhood performance for young children. All of our costume, choreography and music choices are appropriate for the entire family.  We believe that young performers can present current and up to date material by learning age appropriate choreography and wearing age appropriate costumes that showcase high class, style, technical excellence and meticulous artistry.

5. Can I Get Immediate Assistance And Service?

In many studios the teacher or the studio owner conducts classes and manages the administration. By trying manage two jobs at once, the students may be affected as the teacher uses class time for customer service issues, or the studio may have no customer service available if the teacher is in a class. To have a good experience it is important to choose a studio that can assist you with details like costumes or schedules, even if a teacher is occupied in a class. Our studios have full time administrators on hand from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. most days,  so you can get immediate assistance.