Q: What type of dancing is best to start with?
A: From a purely technical perspective, ballet is probably best because it demands the most effort and returns the best technical development for the dancer. It also introduces the beginning dancer to serious music. Ballet takes a lot of concentration, discipline and effort however and may not be for everyone. Tap, Jazz, or even ballroom are other acceptable alternatives. Gymnastics and trampoline, while not strictly speaking dance, are also fun to start with. All forms of dancing compliment and reinforce one another.
Q: What age should children start dance lessons?
A: We prefer our students to be at least 4 years old. Many schools take them much younger. Some schools would take them directly from the womb if they could think of a way. Serious training usually begins at about 9 or 10 years old and is taken on a daily or at least several times weekly basis. Some very successful dancers have begun their training relatively late in life-- starting in their late teens, early 20s or even later. Their success is the exception, however. The quality of the training and the intensity of effort put forth by the student are both more important than the age at which training begins.
Q: Do you offer combination classes?
A: Yes but be advised combo classes have both advantages and disadvantages. The obvious advantage is that by allowing two types of dance instruction in a single class, one saves the cost of a second class and also the time involved in taking a second class. The disadvantage (which not all schools trouble to explain) is that one can spread oneself too thin. The student who studies, for example, tap and jazz in the same lesson, spends only half as much time on each type of dance as those who elect to take a dedicated class. (Actually it comes to LESS than half the time when one factors in the 5 to 10 minutes spent changing shoes, etc.) In our opinion, combo classes work best at the beginning levels. For the most part, we prefer to teach advanced students in classes dedicated to one type of dance.
Q: How often do you let parents watch their children’s classes?
A: We allow parents to watch as often as they want to. Our facilities are very spacious so crowding is seldom a problem. Parents are welcome sit in the studio and observe the class as often and as long as they wish. We also have a waiting room that is larger than the teaching areas of most other schools in this area and parents often choose to sit there so they can chat or do their own work, etc.
Q: Do you allow smoking on your premises?
A: No. We were one of the first dance schools in this area to discourage it. We did this over 40 years ago and lost some students at that time because of our position on that issue.
