It’s Not Just Dance Learned at a Dance Studio!
New parents ask what Dellos’ expectations are of their students and when they should expect advancement to the next level. With many years of experience watching young performers mature under my tutelage, my answer is always the same… ‘each child learns and takes something different from their training in the classroom.’ Some students take dance specifically as a doctor’s recommendation for scoliosis or toed-in feet. Others find it an activity that encourages exercise and physical fitness. A small percentage of our clientele express the desire to prepare their children for the professional entertainment industry. Others chose dance as a recreational sport or seasonal activity like soccer, softball and swimming. It’s easier to design an ‘individualized class schedule’ for a student based on our knowledge of the parent�s intent of enrollment. After a personal tour, the family gets a more vivid picture of Dellos’ goals through our inspiring facility and prior successes as Arts educators. Then we ask about your particular goals for your child…
If a mom requests a dance class that’s just ‘fun’ for her daughter, I explain that it’s the discipline learned in the classroom is far more important than the steps taught. Dellos graduates and their mothers continue to thank me for the ‘life lessons’ their children learned during their years of involvement at Dellos. Time-management seems to head the list…learning hope to cope with project and homework deadlines intermingled among required dance rehearsals and long competition weekends. Children learn from a very young age that unless their homework is done and grades are up to par, dancing will have to take a back seat. Consequently, the dance team member that misses repeated classes or rehearsals due to parental punishment has to suffer similar consequences from the choreographer. This cause and effect encourages and reinforces the importance becoming a more diligent scholar, prioritizing time, school commitments and homework-study accordingly.
In addition to time-management, additional skills learned include patience and perseverance. Waiting ones turn, watching others perform and standing quietly in line require patience of the young child. Constructive criticism followed with positive encouragement, pushes the dancer to keep trying and working harder, persevering through physical or mental obstacles. Through the demonstration of proper body alignment and execution of each step, the students are given the proper perspective of what is expected of them. The ranking of a dancer’s skill level is best achieved by comparing individuals of the same age, similar stature, and length of study.
When looking into a dance studio or dance program, you should ask about the instructor’s qualifications and take the time to sample various classes offered before making a final decision. Instructors have different ways of getting their material across, with one personality possibly being better suited to your child than another. Ask your child what he or she wants. Do they want to try a hip-hop class requiring less technical-discipline or a ballet class with stringent dress code specifics? When conversing, ask your child how do you think you did? rather than, what did the teacher say? Sometimes we unfairly compare our children to others, not realizing or taking into consideration that some children are born with the natural tools to excel when others have to work much harder to achieve the same results. If we would all accept and adopt this attitude, our children will advance at their own pace and merely on their own desire to do so!
Happy dancing!
