Help me pick a dance studio for my 4 year old!

[wellyes]

I know there are a lot of moms who have had kids in ballet/tap. I'm hoping for some insight. I have a choice of two well-liked dance studios for my daughter. This is for casual, recreation dance (obviously - she's 4). I know it doesn't matter much. I'm not expecting to foster a competitive or professional dancer, and even if I did, I doubt it would matter for a preschooler. But, still, I'm a BBB mom which means I can't help but analyze these decisions!


Studio 1:
Very strict. Nice people, just serious about dance. Parents not allowed to watch (except for kids who are too distraught to participate early on) - I am not worried about safety, there are multiple instructors in every class. Rather formal instruction. Recitals feature classical music. Students have become professional ballerinas. DD is taking summer lessons there now, and they absolutely wipe her out - she's exhausted afterwards. I think this is a GOOD thing, she is building stamina!

Slightly worse schedule & a little further away.

Studio 2:
Community oriented and has a competition dance team. TV cameras allow parents to watch all instruction from the lobby. Recitals are rather loosey-goosey, but, kids also participate in 2 parades and 3 non-recital shows throughout the year. So I'd have a lot of chances to see DD perform (and also more costumes to buy....)

Very convenient in terms of schedule & location.


So right now I am leaning towards Studio 2 because I'd like to see DD perform!! But my brain tells me Studio 1 is the wiser choice in case she ends up really liking dance longer-term. Wise BBBers, help me out!

[elbenn]

Why not go with #2 now, and if your DD loves dance, you can switch to #1 later.

[TwoBees]

Why not go with #2 now, and if your DD loves dance, you can switch to #1 later.

:yeahthat:

[mom2binsd]

I would go with #2 at her age she will still learn but it sounds like a lot more fin too!

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk 2

[maestramommy]

Why not go with #2 now, and if your DD loves dance, you can switch to #1 later.
:yeahthat: That's what I did with Dora. Started her in a place that is really more for music theater with dance classes. Switched her this year to a more dance studio. They have a competitive dance team for the advanced kids, and have more strict uniform codes, esp. for dance recital. BUT they are still pretty easy going on the little ones.

[brittone2]

We started with a summer drop-in class last year when DD was 4. That was pretty relaxed, and there were usually only 3-4 girls so I thought we were getting a pretty good deal because of the small class size. It was a nice intro. THe studio was more like your studio #2-more relaxed. It ventured a little more into creative movement, which I am okay with, but I often felt like most of the class was stuff I could do at home. She enjoyed it, and enjoyed hanging out with the girls in her class. But yeah, summer drop in was perfect for getting her feet wet. No big commitment, more relaxed studio, and DD fell in love with it. She also showed me she was able to focus and really get something out of the class, which I was curious about. I wanted her to have fun, but it was nice to see that she was able to attend to the teacher, behave in class, etc.

We moved to a different studio that is more serious. Part of that is that it is only 10 mins away or so, and has a very solid reputation. We will continue there I think. She learned a lot this past year in pre-ballet 1, knows all of the proper names of steps and so forth (didn't get as much of that at the other studio). DD is pretty serious about dance, LOL. It is a more intense environment overall (not necessarily at DD's level, but the school as a whole). They do the Nutcracker and an end of year recital, but things are just more formal, structured, etc. overall. Shockingly, DD and I like it though. I thought I wanted more relaxed, but I do actually really like this place overall.

Both places had strict dress codes, although I doubt the first place would have really done much about it. Our current studio is definitely strict on leotard and tights color, hair back, etc. but that doesn't really bother me.

A lot also IMO comes down to the individual *teacher* regardless of the studio. DD's teacher was very good, but the other pre-ballet 1 teacher is more bubbly and just seems to enjoy it more. DD's teacher was also very pregnant for a good part of the year this year, so understandably that didn't always help her "pep" level. There is yet another teacher I think DD may have this coming year, and I'm really excited about her, as she filled in once for DD's class. She's a dance major at a large university, very bubbly and high-energy. All of that to say there can be a good bit of variation in personality, etc. I also know most ballet people will say you should be sure the facility doesn't push skills that aren't developmentally appropriate onto young kids, which is something to watch out for with teachers if you don't feel confident in their ability to teach young children appropriately.

My good friend has DDs that dance at a university's weekend program. No "recital" with big costume and all of that, but an end of year performance, which I think is nice (no big cost, no decision about makeup or not, etc). The quality of instruction is excellent (friend was a very serious dancer in high school and trained a LOT, so she is picky), and yet the environment is relaxed. It would be an hour drive for me though, so not going to happen. That would be my ideal, TBH.

[Corie]

Why not go with #2 now, and if your DD loves dance, you can switch to #1 later.

I agree.

[AnnieW625]

DD1 went to a school like #1 mainly because I didn't want to deal with receital costumes and such and I wanted something that was optional. The school puts on an amazing Nutcracker, which is completely optional. When she first started going to ballet there was an observation deck so you could watch the kids, but a picky parent complained about it and had it shut down. For the last year it didn't really bother me that I couldn't see her. She was potty trained well by then and would just exit class if she needed to pee. She didn't really need me there at the end (which was part of the reason for the observation deck so the teacher could point out the 3 yr. old who needed a bathroom break).

With all of that aside I do think that the strict nature of even pre ballet for a 4 yr. old kind of burned out my DD1 (or it was her perfectionist nature) so I have decided that with DD2 I will most likely just start her in dance at 5 yrs. old and just do one year of pre ballet 5 and then continue onto childrens level 1 if she wants.

Overall I really enjoyed the experience DD1 had there (and I think she did as well) and I would definitely go back as long as a specific teacher who I thought was awesome for pre ballet 3 is not teaching the 4 or 5 yr. olds (she is really too strict with them; she would get rather cross if they had to use the bathroom, which IMHO she shouldn't have, they were under 5, come on). The teacher definitely makes the class, but also a well run dance studio is worth it's weight in gold as well.

[wellyes]

Interesting, thanks all. I had thought about sending her to #2 for now, #1 later. My concern is that she wouldn't transition well because, if the studio is any good at all, she'll surely get attached to the teachers and staff.

A few more specific questions....

... studio 1's class for 4-5 year olds is ballet and tap, while studio 2's class is ballet and jazz. Which would you prefer? I can't really imagine 4 year olds doing a jazz routine.

Maybe it doesn't matter. Someone once told me that dance lessons don't really do much prior to age 6. I don't know if that's true. But it is freeing to think I can't screw up at this age, because it's all just for fun!


It ventured a little more into creative movement, which I am okay with, but I often felt like most of the class was stuff I could do at homeIs Creative Movement a thing? Another local studio only offers a "Pre-ballet, Rhythmic Movement and Creative Movement" class for kids under 5. I didn't really understand that. Perhaps it just means "pre-tap and pre-jazz".

[brittone2]

Interesting, thanks all. I had thought about sending her to #2 for now, #1 later. My concern is that she wouldn't transition well because, if the studio is any good at all, she'll surely get attached to the teachers and staff.

A few more specific questions....

... studio 1's class for 4-5 year olds is ballet and tap, while studio 2's class ballet and jazz. Which would you prefer? I can't really imagine 4 year olds doing a jazz routine.

Maybe it doesn't matter. Someone once told me that dance lessons don't really do much prior to age 6. I don't know if that's true. But it is freeing to think I can't screw up at this age, because it's all just for fun!

Is Creative Movement a thing? Another local studio only offers a "Pre-ballet, Rhythmic Movement and Creative Movement" class for kids under 5. I didn't really understand that. Perhaps it just means "pre-tap and pre-jazz".

At the 2 studios we've been at, "creative movement" is geared toward 3-4 yo and is less focused on names of steps, etc.

DD's class is 4-5 yo, and is "pre-ballet 1." They do learn steps and names of steps (although honestly I think about 1/4 of the girls have any clue about this. DD eats it up though). They do some barre work, they do some creative movement stuff (play with a parachute, practice leaping over a "river" made of a big blue scarf, twirling with a flower in their hand, etc.), and the last 15 mins (of the hour long class) are tap. They don't do tap in the recital. There are preballet classes without tap at our studio (just 45 mins of ballet), but we just got the schedule for next year and all preballet 2 classes include 15 min of tap.

The girls in dd's class like making noise with their tap shoes, and I think they'd all prefer tap to jazz for that reason ;) Mostly so they can clonk, stomp, clap, and slap with their feet ;)

[AnnieW625]

.... studio 1's class for 4-5 year olds is ballet and tap, while studio 2's class is ballet and jazz. Which would you prefer? I can't really imagine 4 year olds doing a jazz routine.

Maybe it doesn't matter. Someone once told me that dance lessons don't really do much prior to age 6. I don't know if that's true. But it is freeing to think I can't screw up at this age, because it's all just for fun!

Is Creative Movement a thing? Another local studio only offers a "Pre-ballet, Rhythmic Movement and Creative Movement" class for kids under 5. I didn't really understand that. Perhaps it just means "pre-tap and pre-jazz".

I think my daughter would have enjoyed tap, but her class was just ballet. Jazz seems to be present at the studios with dance teams, that is how it is in my area.

You are right ballet does become more serious at age 6, but they are learning more as well. In pre ballet 3 it was more movement, but they still did classical stretches, and learned how to do simple steps like positions 1 and 2 and a pliet (sp?). In pre ballet 4 they learned two dance routines (one for the Nutcracker, and one for the spring performance of Sleeping Beauty) and while a lot of it was just movement there were still a lot of ballet basics involved as well.

Another studio I was somewhat interested in for DD1 where a school friend's sister goes has creative movement classes for pre ballet as well and I think those are just fine if you really want to start out in a less structured setting. I kind of wish I would have known about this place first, but I don't really regret the pre ballet program DD1 did at all.

[babybell]

Not a ton of BTDT, but tap is awesome. I think because it's so rhythmic it also helps with musical development (since it's audibly rhythmic, unlike ballet or jazz, IYKWIM).

[Seitvonzu]

i *heart* the place that lucy takes dance. it was really lucky because one day she said "i want to do dancing again" and the next day i took her and signed her up :) (she'd done "creative movement" at the community college, and we couldn't watch, so i was simply not aware if it was something she wanted to pursue or not)

i'd seen a place in the downtown of the town we live in and i thought "that's as good as anywhere" after i signed up, i thought "i should have looked at the other options," and everything seemed about the same to me. less formal until about 6, then two routes-- pre-professional (a serious dancer track) and more "open" style (for fitness and fun). my child's coordination is ...err... lacking? she's cute and tries and is bizarrely perfectionistic. when i said "we're not looking for professional dancing, my child is NOT coordinated" the girl at our studio said "oh, none of the kids are coordinated at this age." uh, right. ;) but that made me smile and i immediately signed up!

we're now on our 2nd session and really enjoying it-- 3-4 year olds are in "petite ballet." they use classic ballet terms, do some barre work but also work through some of the moves/stretches through pretending to be super heroes or butterflies. they end the class with a "reverons" (sp?) dance which changes after a couple classes (the teacher is really good at mixing the fundamentals with imagination/pretense). for my child i love that it's 45 minutes of COORDINATION practice! so important!

we love the teacher we've had in the last 2 sessions (miss sam). she is warm and so sweet with the girls, but also quite firm. she does NOT let the little girls get away with things and really brings out the best in them.

this summer things are a little different-- more of a mix of dance styles (ballet/hiphop/tap/modern/jazz) and we can go up to FOUR times per week (it's totally open sessions). there are going to be several different teachers (but we'll definitely try to hit fridays because that's when our beloved miss sam takes her turn).

at 5 the kids switch over to "ballet foundations." then at 6 is "elementary ballet." there is a pretty strict dress code and they are given a leotard per level (to ensure uniformity). we are pretty happy so far. (though i'm really curious about how this summer stuff is going to work)

[wellyes]

Argh. So I asked DD a couple times, and she consistently says:
- the place she's going now (more serious, less play) is good but "too tiring"
- she only wants to do tap

Only the more 'serious' studios offer tap to kids her age (4).
Maybe I should just let her stomp around in her tap shoes around the house.....