5 Questions Every Parent Should Ask Before Choosing a Dance School

Are you considering enrolling your child in dance lessons? If so, you need to know that not all dance studios are the same. Unfortunately, there are no licensing or certification requirements for dance studios or dance teachers in the United States. So it is important that parents choose carefully and wisely since improper training can result in injury and frustration for the student. To help you in your selection, Southern New Hampshire Dance Theater has prepared these “Five Questions Every Parent Should Ask Before Choosing a Dance Studio.”

Extracurricular activities for children are abundant and selecting one that is appropriate and a good fit for your child can be difficult. You want to be certain the activity is an educational and exciting one that will bring your child delightful memories and experiences for years to come. So how do you choose? What questions should you ask? And when you ask the right questions, what answers should you be looking for?

How do I know I will receive quality instruction?
It’s always important to make sure that your child’s instructors are qualified. A “qualified instructor” should be a dance-trained adult with experience working with children. To cut costs, some schools have other students running classes. While these girls may appear to have fun with the students and keep them busy, they are seldom trained or qualified as dance instructors. Dance instructors are not licensed in this country - anyone can claim to be able to teach your child to dance. Look for someone who has professional dance training, holds a degree in dance, education or a related field from an accredited college or university, or is a certified member of such national organizations at Dance Educators of America. Any of these is a good indication that the instructor knows what to teach, when to teach it, and how it should be taught. A good school will follow a carefully designed syllabus of instruction in the teaching and well being of its students.

What is the school’s end of the year performance like?
An end-of-the year performance is important! It gives a dancer valuable stage experience, as well as the opportunity to use what they’ve learned during the year. Dance is, after all, a performing art! The year-end performance should be designed to compliment your child’s classroom training, though - not replace it.

Is the presentation age appropriate?
Music, costuming and choreography should all be reflective of a student’s age and ability level.

What should I look for in a dance facility?
A quality facility will provide a clean, neat, and safe environment and offer amenities such as a comfortable waiting area, full-length mirrors, sturdy ballet barres, adequate restrooms, and changing rooms. The single most important thing you should consider about a facility is the type of floor that is used. One of the best ways to enjoy dance safely is to select a school with floating floors which are specially designed to reduce fatigue and prevent injuries. The surface of the dance floor is also an important factor. A vinyl-composite “marley” floor is accepted worldwide as the best surface layer for ballet because of its non-slip feature. A solid wood surface is seen as the most ideal surface for other disciplines such as tap and modern dance.

What Can I Expect for Customer Service and Assistance?
A studio that offers good customer service and assistance should have regular office hours and regular office staff in addition to the faculty teaching classes. Information about policies, costs, payment options, performance schedules, etc. should be clear and concise and offered in written format as well as communicated verbally.

Southern New Hampshire Dance Theater is committed to providing our students with solid dance training in a caring and nurturing environment. We offer a complete curriculum ranging in classes for the pre-school student to the pre-professional dancer. Programs of study include our highly successful Early Childhood Dance Program for students ages 3-6, our Enrichment Program for recreational dancers and our Intensive Program for serious students. Our college educated, professional faculty are affiliated with Point Park College, School of American Ballet, Boston Ballet, Boston Conservatory, Butler University and Regional Dance America.

Southern New Hampshire Youth Ballet, SNHDT’s affiliated performing company, is a member with performing status of Regional Dance America Northeast, part of a national organization of pre-professional dance companies.