It's almost back to school... And therefore, the eternal question that arises, should I take my dance classes in one or more studios?
In a perfect world, a single dance studio would satisfy all dancers' needs by offering a wide variety of classes, exceptional teachers and flexibility. However, there are many reasons to consider dancing at multiple studios, but what are the pros and cons?
The pros or cons of dancing at multiple schools include exposure to different dance genres, types and styles of teaching that can strengthen dance skills. Disadvantages range from scheduling issues, confusion in dance terminology, and cost.
It is important to note that dancing at multiple studios may be viewed differently depending on the commitment required by the studios in which you take classes.
For example, many studios offer weekly drop-in classes or a series of classes in which the student does not commit to continuing to attend the class unless they have paid to do so. There are no competitions, no recitals to participate in – classes are intended primarily to help adult and professional dancers maintain their skills between work. There are very few downsides to this type of course, and this model is not the one discussed in this article.
This article is mainly aimed at young dancers who are signing up or planning to do a gala or competition with a dance school.
Contractual obligations
If you're reading this article and you have a contract with your dance school because you're on a competition team, you probably won't be allowed to dance at another studio. You may find that many other studios will also not allow you to dance with them if you have committed to another dance school, per their own policy. I would say read the article anyway as it may give you insight into what you are missing, or not!
The benefits of having the opportunity to dance at multiple schools
1. Exposure to different teachers and pedagogies
Young dancers can benefit from training with several dance teachers. This allows students to be exposed to a variety of personalities and teaching styles and has a direct impact on their dance skills, as well as their emotional development and independence.
Many teachers teach using different programs and techniques, which allows dancers to be exposed to new ways of thinking and learning.
2. Just like a summer intensive, but it's all year round!
All dancers understand the benefit of dancing in multiple locations, which is the very reason why dancers are encouraged to travel during vacations, to experiment with new teachers offering different experiences, techniques and skills.
Summer intensives are not just occupation options, because as children grow up and decide that dance is more than just a hobby for them, these experiences become an essential condition for their progress and to their improvement.
Having the opportunity to travel to a new city or country and learn from new teachers are invaluable experiences for dancers.
Dancing in different studios can provide the same experience and opportunity throughout the year.
3. Access to more dance styles and classes.
Sometimes a dance school focuses on one style or area such as ballet and that could be why you chose to attend that studio. But you may want to learn other styles that your school doesn't teach.
Being able to attend classes at another studio can mean access to styles and classes that you might not be able to access otherwise.
4. Access to more advanced classes and teachers.
Some professional ballet schools also offer partnerships in which a teacher stays at your dance school. This sometimes makes it possible to attend internships and classes at their school several times a year.
Many dance teachers encourage these kinds of opportunities for their students because the programs are quite difficult to access.
5. More courses means gaining mastery faster!
Becoming a great dancer takes hours and hours of practice. The dancers you call talented don't become talented by taking one or two classes a week. They become talented by training, especially from the age of 12, every day of the week.
There is a theory that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master something. And while many professional dancers will tell you that you'll need to continue working on your technique every day to master it, reaching their level takes commitment and hard work.
Therefore, if you are passionate and want to reach an elite level, you can choose to take classes at two studios in order to train more often.
6. You meet more people and make more connections!
In the next downside section, we talk about how being in two studios can be socially difficult. But it is not always this way and when you are welcomed into both studios it can be a wonderful way to form connections and friendships in the dance world which can come in handy at any time, Because sometimes it all depends on who you know.
The disadvantages of dance in many schools
1. Dance Terminology Confusion – Different teaching philosophies, curricula and dance pedagogy.
But that's not how they do it in the other studio!
For young dancers, it can be especially difficult to understand that there are different ways of teaching and learning the same thing, especially in dance.
In ballet, certain arm and foot positions may have different names depending on the program or pedagogy you are taught. The Ceccetti Ballet program, for example, names the position of the arms when they are lowered and rounded in preparation as 5th low or 5th down. This same position in many other dance streams is called differently.
This can be confusing for young dancers and frustrating for their teachers as well. This is a major concern for many teachers and a very valid reason why they may have a studio policy prohibiting their students from dancing anywhere else. This can make it seem like your teacher is holding you back by doing this.
But for most young dancers whose brain is still developing much of its reasoning skills, this policy is intended to ensure that he/she is able to focus on his/her progress and not be held back or mentally retarded by different names, labels and ways of doing things.
A simple example is the teaching of mathematics in schools. Many parents feel unable to help with math homework because they don't want to teach their children math poorly. In reality, they are not teaching their child badly, just differently and at the root of the problem, the parent does not want their child to learn differently, in case they get confused and it causes problems for the child. school.
Although not exactly the same, not everyone can cope with changes and differences like these and so dancing in different schools that use different languages and teaching methods can sometimes not not be beneficial when trying to gain mastery.
2. Divided loyalties!!!
Depending on the age of the dancer, dancing for multiple studios can be extremely difficult to manage! Each studio has an identity and a set of rules.
When you dance at another studio, you may be seen as an outsider – never truly belonging to either studio you attend because your loyalties are divided.
3. Having to buy and own two different sets of dance equipment or uniforms!
You'll also find that uniforms differ from studio to studio, which means additional costs for you.
This can include things like leotards, shorts, tops, and even booties if a studio only uses a certain brand. A full tracksuit and bag are also requirements for some dance studios.
For the parent, this also means washing more clothes and having to make sure the right uniforms and clothing are ready and available on the right days.
4. Different studios, different expectations!
Depending on the dance styles practiced at each studio, the expectations required may not be too difficult to manage. For example, if they do ballet at one school but hip hop at another, it's pretty simple to make sure you show up to ballet looking sharp.
But the two studios will have different policies on many topics such as photos, social media, fundraising, etc. And many of these expectations will sometimes not really affect the child but rather the parent.
For example, if both studios expect you to fundraise or be active on their private Facebook page or if you are expected to volunteer to make props or help come to the gala time. As a parent, you really need to understand what you're getting yourself into!
5. Schedule overruns and conflicts!
It is important to ensure that the need to dance at multiple schools is great enough to add an additional location so as not to overwhelm your schedule.
Being organized and knowing where and what day you need to be there is extremely important.
As a parent, it's important to think about what support you have around you to be able to keep this running smoothly on a weekly basis. What would happen if you weren't able to maintain the routine for a few weeks?
6. Fees for two studios!
It's important as a parent to think about the costs of dancing in two studios! Not only would you be paying for two different uniforms, but there are also separate fees to consider for each school.
Costs such as photos for each school, gala fees and the fact that you will pay double for costumes are another possibility to consider.
It is important to remember that many dance schools offer their students discounts once they reach a certain number of hours or classes at their school, as well as discounts for siblings and much more .
If you split your time between two studios, you'll most likely miss out on these perks and end up paying full price for all of your classes!
7. This can create an awkward situation with your dance teacher!
Finally, teachers like to be proud of their students' results. They essentially run a business and when students succeed, they use their examples to promote their school, teaching methodology, and courses to encourage more students to join their studio.
When they have students that are not just their own, it becomes a tricky issue for them. Are you their student or one from another studio?
If they talk about your accomplishments, will that encourage other people to also attend multiple schools, which could actually cause them to lose business if students end up leaving them altogether?
Their mission is not only to teach dance but also to retain and recruit students so that they have a profitable business and can continue to teach dance!
Take the time to find the best option
Applying to multiple schools is not an easy decision to make and depends on your needs as a dancer.
As long as you are not under contract with just one school, take your time to determine the best situation with a dance studio, or several, where you can flourish for years.
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