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About Our Dance Program Director Tamra Bisbee teaches with a faculty of highly trained and caring teachers who are as concerned with you child's self-esteem and well being as with providing excellent dance technique and training. Our family-friendly waiting room allows ease when waiting for your dancer, and we have observation windows into each classroom so you can see your dancer's progress. A Step Above Dance & Music Academy's dance program begins in August and continues through May. Separate summer classes, workshops, and camps are also offered. When registering, students and parents receive an information folder and handbook containing our dress code, student code of conduct, special events calendar, and other important and helpful guidelines. Each spring, A Step Above Dance & Music Academy produces a public performance in a local theater, complete with costuming, makeup, scenery and lighting. Every student is invited to perform with his or her classes, but performance is not mandatory. Because dance is a performing art, performing is considered a major part of a dance education. Those who participate find it a truly confidence-building and exciting experience. A Step Above Dance & Music Academy also offers participation in "A Step Beyond Dance Company." The group performs throughout the community and at regional dance conventions and competitions. In addition to performance and dance skills, members of "A Step Beyond" learn to work together and develop a true team spirit. No dancer is ever required or asked to compete against a team member, and all team members are valued. "A Step Beyond Dance Company" membership does not require an audition, only the desire and commitment to dance and perform. Our office staff will happily answer your questions regarding the details of our educational programs, scheduling procedures, or administrative policies.
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 injurious 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 size of the classrooms and the age and experience of the teacher. 2-4 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 a 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 enjoyable!) 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 schools 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 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 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 affects 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 involvement and feedback. A friendly, spacious (well, relatively speaking) waiting area with entertainment for little siblings and observation windows into the classrooms 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 aspects 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! |
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We also offer an age-appropriate student-to-teacher ratio. Our smaller class sizes ensure safety and allow personal attention to each child. 
5901 Monona Drive
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