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4 Things Parents Should Know
When Choosing A Dance School

1. Size does matter.  Class size, that is.  The smaller the class, the more personal attention is available to each student.  This attention is important to their self-esteem, enjoyment of the class and dance training.  The fewer students the teacher has to evaluate during class, the easier it is to immediately correct potentially injurous and habit-forming technical mistakes.
    
   Our class sizes are age -appropriate and definitive.  We stick to them without hesitation because, although we end up with lots of waiting lists, we know that the students who are enrolled in our classes are getting the best possible experience and an appropriate amount of attention.
    
   When evaluating a school, look for dancer-teacher ratios as follows, but also consider the six of the classrooms and the age and experience of the teacher.
    
   

   4 years olds	8:1
   5-7 year olds	10:1
   8-13 year olds	12:1
   14+ year olds	14:1
   Advanced Classes	18:1

2. Dancers need to perform, but not too much.  Dance is a performing art.  It follows that dance students should perform.  However, too much emphasis on performances can allow students to fall into the trap of "learning a dance" rather than "learning to dance."  In situations where performance is over-emphasized (where students spend the entire school year working on "the routine"), students often feel pressure to compete with their fellow dancers, and parents feel pressure to come up with performance-related expenses or volunteer hours.  On the other hand, performance experience is valuable and should be available.  When treated with the right combination of professionalism and educational focus, performing becomes an exciting, confidence-building, manageable experience.
    
   Our students are invited (not required) to perform in one annual performance held at the MATC's Mitby Theater in May.  Dancers do not begin to work on the choreography for their class' dance until February, and even then work on "the dance" is limited to no more than 1/3 of the class time.  The rest of the class continues to focus on building technique and general knowledge about the dance form.  Our Spring Performance is designed to be short, lively presentation that welcomes, but does not require, parent involvement.  Although Performance Week is more hectic than the rest of the year, our parents tell us it is manageable (often even enojoyable!) and well worth the effort.
    
   For students who would like more performing experience, look for a school that offers voluntary (no auditions required) participation in a student dance company, such as our own A Step Beyond Dance Company.
    
   
3. When you need help or have a question, you should be able to talk to a live person.  Many school try to cut expenses by not having office staff.  When you need assistance, your only option is to leave a message on an answering machine and hope that someone will call you after classes are finished.  In many cases, no one is available while classes are in session to help students with problems (needing bands-aids, to use the phone, finding a lost mitten) or to answer parents' questions, except for the teachers, whose primary focus should be on giving each of the student quality dance training.
    
   Our office is open (with a live person answering the phone!) Monday-Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We have desk coordinators on staff during all classes to assist students and parents, leaving our teachers free to concentrate on preparing for and teaching their classes.
    
   When choosing a school, the efficiency of the office may not seem like a top priority (of course you are more concerned with the training and teaching your child is getting), but the efficiency and availability of the office staff directly effects the quality of the teaching your child will receive.
    
    
   
4. Parents are people, too.  And little brothers and sisters.  And Grandma, if she is in town for a visit.  Many dance schools have a "drop and shop" policy meaning that they discourage parents from entering the school and waiting during their child's classes.  The waiting areas of these schools are often tiny and uninviting, if they exist at all.
    
   For your child's sake, look for a school that encourages and welcomes parental involvment and conrn.  A friendly, spacious (well, relatively speaking.  Please understand that the majority of space needs to be reserved for instruction) waiting area with entertainment for little sibs and observations windows into the classrooms (ours are one-way so the dancers aren't distracted) does a lot to allow you to be part of your child's dance education.
    
   Many of our parents do, in fact, "drop and shop" and that's fine too, but we welcome parents and siblings at our school.  Although our waiting room has periodically been compared to Grand Central Station, we believe the occasional pandemonium is a confirmation of the idea that ours is a true family business.  We enjoy getting to know each of our families and watching them getting to know each other.  We know that your involvement in all apsects of your child's life is vital to their happiness and success and are pleased to work with you in that effort.
    
   Appropriate flooring (sprung wood with a non-slip marley covering), a clean facility, qualified teachers and safe instructional practices should exist without question in any dance school.  However, since dance schools are not regulated in any way, we encourage you to ask questions on those issues as well.
   
   Good Luck and Happy Dancing!

6 Ways To Get The Most
Out of Music Lessons

These guidelines will help you to have a successful, rewarding experience learning music.

These are practical tips our music faculty have discoverd from their experiences both as students and as teachers.

1. How Young is Too Young?  Starting at the Right Age.
   Adults can start any instrument (including voice) at any time.  Their success is based on how willing they are to commit to practicing.
    
   For children, starting at the right age is a key element to their success.  Some people will tell you "the sooner, the better" but this attitude can actually backfire and be a negative.  If a child is put into lessons too soon, they may feel overwhelmed and frustrated and want to stop lessons.  The last thing you want to do is turn a child off music just because they had one bad experience that could have been prevented.  The following are some guidelines we have found to be successful in determining how young a child can start taking specific types of lessons.
    
   3-4 year olds
   Preschoolers love music.  However, at this age private lessons do not work, as the child has not yet experienced the formal learning environment of kindergarten and does not have the reading and counting skills necessary for formal music training.  If a preschooler has a strong desire to start music lessons, try a game-oriented group class designed to give preschoolers a foundation in music basics that will be helpful in leter private lessons.
    
   Private Piano
   5 years old (in Kindergarten) is the youngest age we will start children with private piano lessons.  At this age children have begun to develop longer attention spans and can retain material with ease.
    
   Private Voice
   Middle school age is the youngest age for private vocal lessons.  Due to the physical nature of voice lessons (proper breathing techniques, development of the vocal chords and lung capacity) the younger body is generally not ready for the rigors of vocal technique.  For children younger that 12, our faculty is looking into organizing a children's choir (ages 7-12) to teach them how to use their voices properly in a fun, relaxed environment.
    
   
2. Insist on Private Lessons when Learning a Specific Instrument
   Group classes work well for preschoolers and in theory.  However, when actually learning how to play an intstrument, private lessons are superior since each student can learn at their own pace.  Additionally, the individual can be the primary focus of the teacher, as the teacher does not have to divide his or her attention.
    
    
   
3. Take Lessons in a Professional Teaching Environment
   Learning music is not just a matter of having a qualified teachers but also having an environment which is focused on arts education.  In a professional school environment, a student cannot be distracted by TV, pets, ringing phones, siblings or anything else.  With only 1/2 hour of hour lesson time per week, a professional school can produce better results since the only focus is learning music.  Students in a school environment are also motivated by hearing peers who are at different levels.  In a school, the lessons are not just a hobby or side-line for the teacher, but a responsibility which is taken very seriously.
    
    
   
4. Make Practicing Easier
   As with anything, improving in music takes practice.  One of the main problems with music lessons is the drudgery of practicing and the fight between parents and students to practice every day.  Here are some ways to make practicing easier:
    
   Time - Set the same time every day to practice so it becomes part of a routine or habit.  Generally the earlier in the day the practicing can occur, the less reminding is required by parents to get the child to practice.
    
   Repetition - For a young child, 20 or 30 minutes seems like an eternity.  Instead of setting a time frame, use repetition.  For example, practice this piece 4 times every day, and this scale 5 times a day.  The child does not pay attention to the amount of time they are practicing their instrument, but knows if they are on repetition number 3, they are almost finished.
    
   Rewards - This worked well for both children and adult students.  Some adults reward themselves with a cappuccino after a successful week of practicing.  Parents can encourage children to practice by granting them occasional rewards.  In our school, we often use star stickers.  Praise, however, tends to be the most coveted award.  There is just no substitute for a pat on the back for a job well-done.  We also realize that we are all human and sometimes have a week with little practicing.  In that case, there is always next week!
    
   
5. Use Recognized Teaching Materials
   There are some excellent materials developed by professional music educators which are made for students in a variety of situations.  These materials have been researched and are continually upgraded and improved to make learning easier.  These materials ensure that no important part of learning the instrument can be inadvertently left out. If you ever have to move to a different part of the country, qualified teaches and institutions will recognize the materials and be able to smoothly continue where the previous teacher left off.
    
   
6. Have Fun!
   Music should be something that you enjoy for a lifetime.  Try not to put unrealistic expectations on yourself or your children to learn too quickly.  Everyone learns at a different pace, and the key is to be able to enjoy the journey.

Free Reports

• 4 Things Parents
     Should Know
     When Choosing a
     Dance School
 
• 6 Ways To Get
     The Most Out of
     Music Lessons