4 Things To Look For When Choosing A Studio For Dance Classes

If your child has shown an interest in taking dance classes, choosing a studio is likely one of your biggest priorities. Before you spend hours driving around to different studios and looking around, call a few and ask a couple key questions to make sure you're signing up for a program that's right for you. Here are a couple things to ask so you can ensure you've found the right place for your children to learn to dance.

Look For Instructors Who Enjoy Working With Kids

Many studios have a number of classes that cater to children of all ages. If your child is starting to learn to dance and they're very young, ask what kind of experience the instructors have with little ones. A teacher who focuses on lessons for high school students will need very different experience than one who teaches pre-schoolers. One of the biggest differences is that teachers who work with pre-school students will need nearly endless amounts of patience since children this small can be a little difficult (but fun!) to teach.

Look For Studios That Offer Flexible Class Times

Busy parents need a lot of options when it comes to dance lessons. Instead of finding a studio that only offers a class once a week, look for one with a number of different options for dance lessons. One benefit of finding a studio that has many different classes is that you'll likely be able to make up a class in case your child is sick on their regular class day. Another benefit is that many offer Saturday classes, which are vital if you're a working parent.

Search For Studios With Many Different Types Of Dance Classes

If your child isn't sure what type of lessons they want to take, look for a studio that offers a number of different types. These can include beginning ballet, tap and jazz, as well as hip hop, adult contemporary and even yoga! Studios with so many different options mean that you won't need to go from studio to studio if your child wants to try something new.

Ask About The Fees

Lastly, ask about the fees. It's fairly standard to pay a registration fee, as well as monthly or quarterly fees to take the lessons. Some studios do offer a discount to students or families that participate in more than one lesson a week. Also ask if there will be any additional fees for a recital. Dancers will need a costume that matches the rest of their class, but there might be optional fees for photos, videos, advertisements in recital programs and more.

Choosing the right program so your child can learn to dance is vitally important. A great teacher and studio can help set your child up for a lifetime love of ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop and more. Don't leave this to chance -- do your research to make sure you're choosing the right program for your child.

Styles of Dance Classes

Ballet is viewed as the basis of all forms of dance. This is because of it's rigid structure of movement. The core of ballet is comprised of erect posture, turnout of the legs, five basic positions of the dancer's feet, pointe work, lifting of the leg known as extension, and different levels, such as jumps, releves, and plies. Ballet takes years of training. Classical dance such as ballet has been known by qualities such as graceful and elegance. Ballet, not unlike Opera, often is used to deliver a story with drama. Mime is found in ballet technique, were it is designed to speak without words. A ballet is commonly used to tell famous stories. The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty are prime examples. Other stories include Copella, Swan lake and Giselle. American Ballet Theater and other companies carry on the tradition of ballet story telling. Professional dancers work on the technique of classical ballet for many years in order to have a chance at performing it for a living.

Ballet being the oldest, of what we know as dance, as changed or been modified into Modern dance or Contemporary. These techniques are made up of movement that is free of rigid form and one that constantly changes to adjust to different types of feelings. The movement is based upon using organic use of gravity, momentum and breath to create steps that move through space. The biggest difference between ballet and contemporary dance is in the use of gravity. Ballet stays away from it and Modern dance is ruled by it. The natural swing of the body falling and rising generates the movement.

Modern is know as an abstract style of dance but is quickly becoming a part of the worldwide art culture. It tends to be very dramatic, touching on human emotion which commonly does not follow the storyboard like ballet. Modern dance can be experimental, not always having themes or a story, making it seem open ended. Modern uses other inspirations, which other styles also do, but modern is more known for being inspired by a feeling or a life event. It often takes everyday situations or stories and makes a dance of feeling. A basic example would be to look at a rainbow and make a movement structure reflecting the pattern of the rainbow's arch and using its various colors to depict different movement qualities. An example of modern dance can be seen performed by Alvin Ailey or Netherlands Danse Theatre. Contemporary and Modern dance transforms movement into a tool that can speak to an audience on a more abstract level.

Jazz, probably the most commercially known form of dancing, is usually a fast paced and energetic dance form. Jazz dance can take on many different styles. The classic form, think Chorus Line, is comprised of sharp lines and precise movements. Jazz is also known for turns and jumps that have explosive power behind them. It is most often seen on television shows like "So you Think You Can Dance" and "Glee" were it takes on its more common counterpart, Musical Theater.

These three forms of dance are all linked to one another through its basic similarities found through ballet. Just how a painting encompasses different historical periods, uses of different colors and brush strokes, dance does through movement quality, musicality, and body structure.

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