| Things to consider: What Do You Want For Your | | | | necessarily mean lower teaching standards. |
| Child? (or yourself)? | | | | *** Size of classes: for the beginning levels (i.e., |
| What does your child want from ballet? Would tap | | | | younger children) there should not be classes over |
| dancing, karate, hip-hop or jazz be a satisfying | | | | approximately 15 students without a teacher's |
| alternative, or does it have to be ballet? Ballet is a | | | | assistant, or the students will not get much |
| traditional, technical form requiring commitment | | | | individual attention. |
| and discipline. Sometimes it isn't fun! Ballet shoes | | | | *** Hard Floors: floors set directly over concrete |
| and pointe shoes can be challenging. But many fall | | | | have no give, thus creating the potential for injury |
| in love with this demanding and traditional dance | | | | from falls or repeated landings from jumps. This |
| form. | | | | creates stress and wear and tear on on delicate |
| What will you look for if there are several studios | | | | developing joints and soft tissues. Sprung floors |
| you can check out? The following tips about the | | | | are the best, which is wood on wood supports. |
| basic requirements to good, safe, ballet teaching, | | | | *** Body style favoritism in teachers: this can be |
| will be helpful to parents searching for a good | | | | devastating to your child's self-esteem. Any body |
| dance studio. | | | | type can learn, and benefit from ballet classes. |
| A ballet regimen can be used for a weight loss | | | | This also applies if you are an adult looking for |
| plan, a childcare outlet, health maintenance, or | | | | classes, beginner or otherwise. Ballet endows any |
| relief for a troubled teenager. It takes a special | | | | physique with grace, strength, and fluidity of |
| love, and can fulfill many requirements of the soul. | | | | motion. Unfortunately the professional world of |
| Many ballet teachers, in glamorous and famous | | | | ballet is affected by fads of body shape just like |
| settings, or small and out of the way regions, | | | | high fashion. Children studying any kind of athletics |
| work just to provide an outlet for this broad | | | | should be encouraged to appreciate themselves, |
| spectrum of our needs. Some are experts at | | | | and the wonderment of their human body and |
| teaching pre-pointe, many are not. | | | | their abilities, just as they are, and just as they |
| *** Locations and appearances: professional dance | | | | are not. |
| studios tend to be in older buildings, which have | | | | *** Professional ballet training requires very |
| large rooms with undivided spaces, and sprung | | | | specific physical attributes. Some teachers will |
| wooden floors instead of floors set over | | | | praise a student's classwork relative to the assets |
| concrete. A teacher trained in a professional | | | | they were born with. This leaves all others left |
| school would choose such a place over a newer | | | | behind. A good teacher will teach towards every |
| facility in a fashionable district with smaller rooms | | | | student's actual efforts, concentration, and |
| and a concrete floor. If the neighborhood is safe, | | | | physical progress, be it made because of, or in |
| don't judge a a studio by its lack of "chic". A | | | | spite of, their physiques. |
| teacher who chooses an older, low-rent district | | | | *** Corrections and teachers' attitudes: a |
| studio may be providing pupils with safer flooring, | | | | teacher's positive attitude is essential. Difficult |
| better musical accompaniment, and the luxury of | | | | routines can still be enjoyed, as they produce |
| smaller classes. If premises have been built | | | | accomplishment. Every student should be |
| especially for dance studios, the best amenities | | | | corrected in every class, and every student |
| are likely in place. | | | | should be noted when improvements are seen. A |
| *** Music: today's economy will not allow all | | | | demanding but compassionate person produces |
| teachers to have live piano accompaniment. While | | | | the best results. |
| definitely preferable, it will be reflected in the fees | | | | The technical details of good teaching is - well - |
| you pay. Recorded music for classes does not | | | | technical! More guidelines to come in future articles. |