To become a good dancer, how you train and where you train are very important decisions you must make carefully. A good dance studio tends to provide instruction, structure, and a community where dancers can align. Aside from that, there are numerous other reasons why a dancer will want to attend a good dance studio.
It is exciting, healthy, and a sure way to meet new people. Whether you are a novice who just wants to dance as a hobby or a professional dancer eager to pursue dance as a career, a good dance studio is a necessity. Dance is renowned as a great form of exercise.
It can be done with others and this makes it a more viable and enjoyable way to burn calories and keep your body in shape. It also helps to increase your blood flow, strengthens bones and lungs, and also increases muscle tone. Also, note that being in a dance studio with others has numerous social aspects. It helps you meet others with similar interests.
Local dance studios indulge novice students who just want to have fun or stay fit. The classes are not always long – maybe around 45 minutes to an hour – and you can attend them on your own schedule. Regular attendance is also not a requirement and their costs are not so exorbitant – around $50 a month for a weekly studio.
If you are interested in taking dance classes, you will have to invest your time into finding the perfect dance studio, especially since you will be spending lots of time there and you want a studio that will help you achieve your dreams.
Top Attributes of a Good Dance Studio
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Affordable Cost
Very good dance studios with experienced educators will need to charge enough to maintain a professional facility. Howbeit, a good studio should be affordable for potential students. To know a good dance studio, find out their tuition rates, costume prices, recital fees, competition fees, required dancewear, and any other fees that the studio may charge so that you will fully understand what you will be expected to pay.
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Inviting and Encouraging Atmosphere
One of the best attributes of a good dance studio is an inviting and encouraging atmosphere. It simply entails that the staff and instructors in the dance studio are supportive and welcoming, and they are willing to invest their time to help you or your child feel relaxed and confident.
A good dance studio should have an exciting atmosphere where students encourage each other to do their best. If you’re looking for a dance studio, make sure to ask for a tour of the facility. Take your time to look around and see if you feel comfortable at the studio before signing up.
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A Well-Maintained Facility
This one is a no-brainer, especially since a good dance studio will also need to be a well-maintained facility. It more or less entails that the studio is clean, organized, and boasts of all of the necessary amenities you need in a studio.
Dance studios usually have special dance floors, designed to absorb the shocks from jumping, lunging, and other maneuvers, protecting dancers’ joints from injury. Ask about ‘sprung’ or ‘floating’ floors, and avoid places with ‘normal’ or ‘concrete’ flooring.
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Policy On Uniform & Dress Requirements
While not every dance studio will mandate students to wear a uniform, remember that dance studios with uniform and dress requirements tend to exhibit a level of structure that benefits dancers. Note that dancers, more precisely younger ones, can be easily distracted.
Ensuring that everyone is wearing the same leotards, tights, and shoes reduces distractions and lets everyone (dancers + instructors) focus on what is paramount, dance. In addition, dress codes can improve confidence and create cohesiveness.
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Safe Environment
Aside from caring and being attentive to the physical well-being of students or dancers, a good modern dance studio should be able to care for the emotional and mental well-being of dancers. Note that dance is an activity where people can easily become discouraged if they feel they are not at the same experience level as their peers.
Dance instructors and staff in a good dance studio should genuinely care about the dancers. Check to see if the dancers or students in the studio are excited to attend and if they come out feeling good. It’s ideal for dancers to leave a class feeling exhausted. However, constant feelings of discouragement or sadness are not good.
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Experienced and Qualified Instructors
Indeed, this is another quality of a good dance studio. Note that having experienced and qualified instructors is a must for every result-oriented dance studio. As a dancer, you will want teachers who are passionate about dance, who can teach effectively, and who boast of numerous years of experience in the field.
Before settling for any dance studio, ensure to find out as much as you can about the instructors to gain a better sense of their dance styles, backgrounds, and personalities. A good dance studio should be home to dance instructors with exceptional talent spanning decades of experience.
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Good Student Placement
Most often, dancers in dance studios are grouped by age, ability, or a combination of both. However, good dance studios will never hold back a dancer based on their age or let them advance based on it.
Note that a combination that allows dancers to be in a challenging environment with their peers is a good attribute of a good dance studio. With small class sizes, dancers can genuinely obtain the more personalized attention they deserve, and the instructor can also have better control of their class.
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Wide Range Of Dance Classes
This is another top attribute of a good dance studio. A good dance studio will have numerous dance classes. Note that some students will prefer ballet or jazz classes, while some will want to try hip hop, tap, lyrical, and contemporary styles of dance.
However, regardless of your preference, even if you are looking to expose yourself or your child to different genres, a good dance studio should be able to offer a wide range of styles to choose from.
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Considerable Class Length
For a younger dancer, 45 minutes can be a great class length. Howbeit, as dancers get older, it becomes very necessary for the dancers to invest more time into learning and retaining information. This is especially true when more than one genre is included. At that point, an hour or more will be necessary to make a very meaningful impact.
However, by the time dancers attain third or fourth grade in school, combo classes are no longer possible. Each genre will require adequate class time for substantial training. Ballet classes at the intermediate and advanced levels will need an hour or more to complete a proper class.
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Additional Performance Opportunities
A good number of dance studios tend to have an annual recital irrespective of whether they compete. Having the opportunity to be on stage and perform is a very vital part of a dancer’s training. It is true that whenever a dance student performs they tend to immediately improve.
Note that at that point, the dancer is testing the skills and abilities they have acquired through the performing process. Dance is a performing art, and although classroom time is paramount, students need and will genuinely benefit from the demands, excitement, and reality of what it entails to perform in front of an audience.