 |  |
By Juannette Laforge, Dance Mom
When it comes to choosing a dance studio there are many things you want to take into consideration before deciding. With so many factors that go into the thought process it can be a little overwhelming. Not all dance studios are the same. I have been a dance mom for 8 years now and I am lucky to have found a fantastic studio, Center for Performing Arts Dance Studio & Acting School. We call it CPAM for short and they have become my second family. So, in today's article, I want to help new dance moms (or maybe you are already a dance mom, and you are unhappy at your current dance studio) choose a studio that will be your second home. Yes, it will be your second home if your son or daughter has a passion for it, but that’s a different article.
Questions To Ask Yourself & Your Child
There are things you want to ask yourself and your child before diving into searching for a dance studio. Depending on how old your child is some of the questions I’m about to go over may not pertain to them at this point.
- What kind of experience do you/your child want? Are they interested in being a part of something collaborative, where they can be a part of a larger production and make new friends? Do they want or prefer being the star of the show? These are great questions to ask if they are interested in dance and theater productions, that will be something you would want a studio to offer. For instance, CPAM has ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, pointe, improvisation, acting, voice, musical theater, and acrobatics classes. Classes are specialized in technique and meet weekly. Is your child competitive and interested in solos? Do they mind taking constructive criticism? Do they want to learn new ways to build on their strengths and techniques? These are great questions to ask if they want to be a part of a competitive dance team.
- What Dance Styles is your child interested in? Do they want to learn ballet only or do they want to branch out and learn other styles as well? So, if your child wants to focus exclusively on ballet then a dance studio like CPAM with ballet as their core style would be the best choice for you. Most dance studios have different dance styles. You just must figure out the styles you want to learn and go from there.
- Do they want to dance just for fun or do they want to take dance more seriously? Many studios offer recreational classes as well as training programs. Recreational classes are perfect if you and your child want to try dance out but are not sure if you are ready to commit, or if you want to dance for a fun, creative, and artistic way to keep your child motivated without the heavy expectations that competitive dancers would have. Most recreational students do perform in a recital at the end of the academic year and purchase costumes for each style of dance they are enrolled in. If down the road your dancer decides their passion for dance has grown and want to take dance more seriously, competitive dance would be the next step. Competitive dancers focus a lot more on dance fundamentals, increased training hours, and technique. I will talk more deeply about recreational dance vs competitive dance in another article.
- Do you and your dancer mind traveling, or do you want something closer? For instance, when I enrolled my daughter, AJ, in dance at CPAM, we lived only 15 minutes away. When we moved 30 minutes away we still made the commute because we love our studio. So you have to decide as to how far you are willing to travel.
Affiliated Programs
Now that you have a basic idea of what you want to do, it is time to start searching for a dance studio. You can start by searching online and seeing what each studio has to offer for classes and affiliated programs. Just to give you an idea as to affiliated programs beside your regular dance classes I will tell you what CPAM offers:
- Curriculums from Dance Masters of America, Acrobatic Arts and Dance Teacher’s Club of Boston: It is important for you to know that the quality of the class will be consistent with all teachers, all levels and in both recreational and competitive programs.
- American Academy of Ballet of New York City (AAB): Through this performance curriculum all of our ballet dancers learn basic through advanced variations of ballet from September through January of each year. Each ballet student partakes in the AAB Performance Awards to be tested and to achieve a certificate of excellence for each level, beginner through advanced. This program has also allowed dancers to take classes in New York at the Alvin Ailey Dance Studio with world-renowned teachers each March.
- National Council of Dance Teacher’s Organization of America (NDCA): This is a comprehensive Medal Testing Program focusing on Ballet, Tap, and Jazz. This program is offered to all students ages 8 to adult. So, if you want to take this program with your dancer you can. This testing system aims to give a proper background to the average dance student and the intended dancer. The technique and dances required will be given at six levels of progression starting with the Bronze Bar and continuing through the Gold Medal. Once you’ve passed all the levels you will be qualified as an advanced dancer and have the experience needed to become a qualified teacher.
- Dance Prism: Dance Prism is a company. Mary Demaso is the co-founder and artistic director. She teaches our ballet dancers once a week. Ballet students ages 7 to adult get the wonderful opportunity to audition annually for the company’s Nutcracker productions. You can choose to perform in the regional shows or if you are more serious you can audition for the touring shows, which are a total of 11 shows.
- Day of Dance: Founded by Avery Pelosi is two full days of dance workshops and showcases in an enriching and encouraging environment. The first day is a 4-hour workshop led by advanced dancers from CPAM and other dance companies. This event is a way for student teachers to gain experience while sharing their knowledge with younger, aspiring dancers. They learn fun combinations in various styles of dance. Friends and family are invited to the class demonstration and certification ceremony at the end of the day. Day 2 is the student choreography showcase. Founded in 2022 by Avery Pelosi and Michelle Michitson, where students can showcase their choreographic skills. There will be a panel of professionals that will be giving feedback to all dancers who present their choreography. Dancers are encouraged to enter routines in any style and size if it is the students' choreography or improvised. This is a great way to bring dancers out of their comfort zones and allow them to experiment with movement to challenge themselves creatively.
Teachers
It is crucial your dancer be trained by professionals even if your child is just in it for recreational dance. The dance studio you choose should have teachers who have adequate dance experience, especially when it comes to ballet because ballet is the foundation of all dance styles. Not only should teachers have years of training and performance experience they should also have continued education such as college degree in dance, dance certification or diploma. Ask how teachers keep track of dancers' progress and how they make students accountable and guide them on their dance journey. A great dance teacher doesn’t just teach their knowledge of the art of dance and technique, they teach a dancer dedication, discipline, determination, patience, professionalism, build on dancer's strengths, improve on their weaknesses, and fuel a dancer's passion for dance.
Safety
When it comes to dance injury is a risk just like any other recreational sport. With that in mind, you want to make sure the dance studio you choose makes a great effort to ensure dancers are dancing in a safe environment. A creditable dance studio will have a specially constructed dance floor. Dancing on concrete, VCT, laminate, bamboo, plywood, and tile, can send a shock through a dancer’s ankles and knees potentially creating injuries. A proper dance floor will be a sprung foam subfloor and a vinyl (Marley) dance floor. This type of dance floor will protect dancers from injury, fatigue, soreness, and their overall health and well-being.
Follow Juannette’s Dance Mom Journey: https://youtube.com/@juanette92571?feature=shared
Center for Performing Arts Website: https://dancestudioma.com/
Email: Info@dancestudioma.com
Phone: 978-258-4547
YouTube: @centerforperformingartsdan566
https://www.youtube.com/@centerforperformingartsdan566/videos
Instagram: @dancestudiocpam
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanceStudioMa/
