1. Teacher Credentials - These days, literally anyone can open a dance studio. Did you know that? It's true. They do not need to know anything about dance. They do not need to have experience. They can open a studio, go on youtube, and learn combinations, and "teach" them, and cause major injury to your children.

Dance, very much like any other study, needs to be taught by an expert, and mediocre dance training leads to injury (and if you follow my blog at all, you know that's basically my biggest goal in life is to prevent injury).


How do you find a good teacher? Look at their credentials. Have they trained under a well known school? What certifications or degrees do they have? Were they performers themselves? Do they have copious numbers of dancers with braces, tape, and ice? How many of their students go away to summer intensives, or place and win scholarships at competitions? What is their retention rate?

2. Studio's Goals - You need to make sure your student is in the right atmosphere for them. Does your son want to be the next Baryshnikov? Does your daughter want to compete professionally and be on TV? Do your kids want to have fun, experience dance, and hang out with their friends? Talk to the studio owner and teachers about what you want, and what your child wants. Your studio owner will help you figure out if this is the right place for you to be, or will be able to give you recommendations on a better location for your child's study.



3. Trial Class - Have your student take a trial class. Most studios offer a trial class for between $0-$25. Look at how the teacher gives corrections; are they based on alignment of the body, or more artistic adjustments? Does the teacher ask students to repeat steps done incorrectly, or do they give a correction and just move on? Does the teacher give a correction quickly off-hand, or do they stop and ask a student to work through the mistake? Do they use positive or negative reinforcement to teach?

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4. Parent Suggestion - Ask to talk to some of the other parents in the studio (a good time to do this is while your student is doing a trial class). Ask them about the recitals, competitions, auditions, atmosphere, and customer service of the studio. You will know right away if it is the right place for you based on their answers and responses.

5. Read the good reviews, not the bad ones - I know this is a surprise, but let me tell you why; the kinds of people who write bad reviews on dance studios are the ones who get upset about stupid things, or got offended when studios don't bend the rules just for them. The people who don't write reviews at all are the ones who are not impressed.



The people who write good reviews are the ones that see their kids growing, changing, and glowing every time they come out of the studio. They are going to say to themselves, "I am so amazed about this studio, I'm going to spend 10 minutes of my busy life to write a review." Read the good reviews, and look for the reasons why the parents like the studio. Decide if that is what you're looking for.

...and don't listen to the haters. They are usually the ones who don't read their e-mails.

If you have any questions or are having a hard time deciding which studio is best for you, feel free to contact me! I love answering questions!



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