As I said in my last post, this is a topic that I feel very strongly about. It really upsets me to see parents not exercise the same level of care in choosing a dance educator for their child (any extracurricular falls into this in my opinion) that they would exercise in selecting a mechanic for their car or plumber for their home. With that in mind, I don't think that parents are uncaring as much as uneducated about the difference. At least, I was initially.
1. Staying in a studio too long. In any educational process, students need change and the type of school they need will evolve over time. What may be the most suitable school in the early years of a child's dance training, will most likely not be a fit in five years. There are exceptions to these rules, and it is important that we as parents are doing a reality check with our children to make sure that their needs are being met. Ask the question--is your child still being challenged? Does the school's alunmi achievements align with your child's goals? Is your child the best in the school--not a good thing? Does your child feel like they have to work harder to achieve their goals in that school or is it "okay" to skip a class here and there--APATHY ALERT.
I always tell my kids that my job is to help them get where they want to go, while keeping as many options open to them as long as I can. As we age, opportunities close off to us--for example, a girl who is 14 that wants to start Gymnastics has missed her chance to be an Olympic Gymnast. But, she may be able to learn tumbling and make the cheerleading squad. Our challenge as parents is to help them understand the realities before them and find the best way to achieve their dream whatever it may be.
2. Engage your child in discussions about their dance dreams. Does your child long to be on Dancing With the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, dance on a cruise ship, or take the stage at The Met, maybe they want to just make the dance team at school, perform in a school play, or go to medical school? Expose them to all the different opportunities in dance and life and see what piques their interest. Once you know their goals, do your best to get them the training that will help them achieve that objective but not prevent them from achieving a different kind of dance dream if they change their mind.
3. Develop a training plan. I know it sounds over-the-top, but it's necessary and it's an essential tool in evaluating your current studio. Aspiring dancers train at the same level as elite level athletes. Elite level athletes have training plans for achieving their goals. I would encourage you to work with your child, and his/her coach to come up with one. If the coach is not available, see if there is a mentor that you can work with to come up with a plan. An older/former student who has achieved the goal that your child is pursuing. I will write more later on what a training plan should look like.
4. Safety. From time to time, dancers get injured. Unfortunately, this happens. But, look at the school's overall injury rate. If there are a lot of injuries occurring in class proportionately speaking, it could indicate, training deficits. Perhaps the flooring is improper, maybe children are not shown the proper muscles to engage when working at the barre, in some cases, students may be asked to execute technique without the proper physical development. All of these should be of paramount importance to a parent. Professional dancing aspirations aside, our knees, hips, ankles, and backs need to last us a lifetime. Don't let somebody expose your child to unnecessary injury. Don't be afraid to ask about injuries and injury prevention. If the studio is completely lost with that question, that would suggest that it is a topic they do not actively consider. They definitely should.
5. Teaching Methods and Styles. What are the teaching styles at the studio and perhaps more importantly do they mesh with your child's learning style? Are the teachers nurturing, loving, disciplined, structured, sticklers for details, aloof, negative, do they lavish praise or do they give it like a special dessert served with a celebratory meal. All of these methods work. Some, in my opinion, are more effective than others. Some work better with young ones, other methods work better with teenagers. What works best with your child? Does the teacher seem to have that capacity within his personality?
There is a lot more to choosing a dance studio. As I mentioned in my last post, choosing a studio is a deeply personal process and there are lots of elements to consider. I will continue to share them, but in the meantime, take some time and ask yourself how your studio measures up to these criteria. If they fall short, you may want to consider looking around and it may just be the justification as to why your child has been unhappy with their training. On the other hand, if most of these needs are met, you might still be unhappy...if that's the case, try to articulate what is missing. Can you find it in your current studio? Or, is it time to shop around?
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