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| Choosing
the best dance studio to serve your needs can be complicated,
especially for novices. Proximity is not necessarily the
best factor in choosing a studio. As a parent and/or student,
the following guidelines created by Dance Expressions
Unlimited - Tyngsboro can help you make an informed
decision. |
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THE STUDIO’S PHILOSOPHY
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Does
the studio provide a comprehensive
DANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM?
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Does the studio emphasize
dance competitions in favor of proper technique and/or
sequential learning?
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Do the programs
cater to everybody - regardless of age, size,
and talent?
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What makes this studio unique?
Dance
Expressions Unlimited is
committed to providing a quality, comprehensive dance education
program for the serious and recreation dancer. First and foremost,
we strive to impart a love of dance and joy of movement in
our students. Classes are disciplined, non-competitive, and
nurturing to enhance and encourage progress and development
in our students.
FACULTY
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Does your specific dance teacher
have proper training in the genre s/he is teaching?
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Does the teacher have a college
degree in DANCE?
Most dance teachers do NOT as many teachers are former student
assistants. Teachers with at least a Bachelor’s Degree
in Dance have the most current teaching methods (pedagogy)
and resources available at their disposal.
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What kind of background does
the teacher have: a) teaching, b) dealing with children,
c) performing?
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Does the dance teacher still
perform and/or take classes to stay current and maintain/improve
his/her dancing and teaching techniques? Keep in mind that
not all teachers are great performers and vice-versa. Many
great performers/professionals are terrible teachers. A
good dance teacher AND good performer is ideal.
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Does the dance teacher have
any unique qualifications? For example, a Registered
Dance Educator (RDE) is a member of the National
Registry of Dance Educators. It is an honor to be an
RDE because that means the teacher’s teaching
methods have been tested and evaluated and found to be of
superior ability. Just being a member of a “dance teaching
club” doesn’t guarantee a great teacher.
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Does the dance teacher teach
what they are truly qualified to teach? You wouldn’t
want a ballroom teacher to teach ballet, tap, or jazz; nor
would you want an inexperienced student teaching the younger
students. Teenagers may be qualified to demonstrate skills
in class, but should not be left in charge of a class of
15 children with no adult supervision. What if there were
an emergency?
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Does the dance teacher have
patience in dealing with students? The youngest children
(1st grade and under) are the hardest to teach.
Audrey Wetterwald, Director and Teacher at Dance
Expressions Unlimited - Tyngsboro, is a Registered
Dance Educator with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance.
She has Teacher Certification K-12 and has taught dance in
the private sector as well as in private and public school
systems. She still performs and takes dance classes of all
genres regularly. She has MANY students who are pursuing careers
with various dance companies and individuals throughout the
U.S. Teachers are trained by Audrey. Angela Ryan, Teacher
at Dance Expression Unlimited also has a Bachelor
of Fine Arts Degree in Dance. She performs and takes dance
classes regularly to keep current with styles, techniques,
trends, and choreography.
QUALITY OF TEACHING
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Is the dance teacher
caring, knowledgeable, patient, and willing to work with
EACH student?
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Does the dance teacher
have a working knowledge of anatomy?
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Does the dance teacher
provide a disciplined, encouraging, and FUN learning environment?
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Does the dance teacher
inspire, motivate, and instill a joy of movement in his/her
classes?
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Does the class have
a moving spirit?
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Does the dance teacher
encourage individual expression?
CLASSES
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How large is the class?
Large classes cannot not be concerned with the growth and
development of EACH individual child. Small classes mean
more dance space and, more importantly, lots of individual
attention.
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How are students placed
in class - according to age or ability? The younger students
(1st grade and younger) can appropriately be placed according
to age. However, school-aged students need to be placed
in class according to ABILITY and age. School-aged children
placed in class solely based on age results in classes with
different degrees of ability. Then the teacher has to decide
to teach the class geared for the beginner, the intermediate,
or more advanced level of the class. At any rate, someone
in class is neglected.
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Does this dance studio
offer a comprehensive dance program (i.e. ballet, pointe,
tap, jazz, and modern)?
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Does this dance studio
offer a variety of classes for children AND adults? Is there
a comprehensive ADULT PROGRAM with a variety of levels?
Studios with a variety of levels of ballet, tap, AND jazz
classes for adults are a RARE FIND!!!
Dance Expressions Unlimited offers a
variety of classes in the disciplines of ballet, pointe, tap,
jazz, modern, acro, and creative movement. There is a comprehensive
adult program with 3 levels of tap, 3 levels of jazz, and
ballet classes. Class size is limited to 12 students
and students are placed according to ABILITY and age. Emphasis
is on the growth and development of each student.
TECHNIQUE
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Does the studio have technique
classes through the majority of the year? Or does the studio
start working on recital or competition routines before
Christmas? Studios stressing the importance of technique
will have more talented and skilled dancers as opposed to
those who rehearse recital and competition dances for months
and months. Most of the time, students who rehearse and
rehearse and rehearse can only perform those rehearsed dances
proficiently - but they lack the technique to DANCE - they
can only perform the various “tricks” involved
in those rehearsed numbers. Emphasis should be on DANCING
and the individual growth of EACH dancer, not drilling a
competition or recital piece.
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Is there a logical development
from the 3 year old class to the 4 year old class to the
5 year old class and so on? Do you see the more challenging
skills performed as the student gets older? There should
be a logical progression from age group to age group.
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Is the class time appropriate?
The older a student gets, the longer the class should be.
School-aged children (2nd grade and up) should no longer
do combination classes as they are ready to delve into the
technique of the dance more thoroughly (technique should
NEVER be ignored!!!). For example, 9 year olds should not
be taking a 1 _ hour long combination class of ballet, tap,
and jazz. There can’t be any emphasis on technique
and development with only a half an hour for each discipline.
They should have hour long classes for tap and jazz, and
at some point a 1 _ hour long class for ballet.
Dance Expressions Unlimited focuses on
technique and the growth of the students, not on competitions.
Audrey, a former judge of dance competitions, doesn’t
believe in the competition circuit as it fosters negative
competitiveness among studios and ultimately among dancers
within the same studio. Dance Expressions Unlimited
prides itself on creating well-rounded dancers who can DANCE
and express themselves, not rotely execute a certain sequence
of movements that have been practiced for months and months.
Class lengths are appropriate to the level of the class.
ALUMNI and STUDENTS
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Does the dance studio have
any alumni pursuing careers in dance - Performing? Teaching?
Choreographing? Other related fields?
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Does the alumni have
careers in the various disciplines of dance - ballet, tap,
jazz, modern? Or are they mostly working in one genre? A
well-rounded dance education program should have alumni
in the various disciplines, whereas a ballet school will
have predominantly ballerinas.
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Based on this knowledge, is
this dance studio a predominantly ballet, tap, jazz, or
modern school? You ideally want to find a dance studio that
is proficient in all areas.
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Do any current students perform
in other venues other than the annual recital? For example,
does anybody audition and perform in local Nutcracker productions?
Does anybody participate in master classes taught in the
area? Is there a resident company?
Audrey Wetterwald has MANY former students
pursuing careers with various dance companies and individuals
in the U.S. - in the ballet, tap, jazz, AND modern disciplines
of dance. Audrey, herself, still performs regularly and takes
many classes to maintain, update, and improve her dancing
and teaching. She has hosted master classes with professionals
in tap, ballet, and jazz and has a performing company.
FACILITIES and POLICIES
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What kind of floor does
the studio have? Is it suitable for all styles of dance?
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What is the viewing policy?
Generally speaking, parents should not watch youngest students
dance on a weekly basis. Their attention span is too short;
distractions are plentiful. “Observation days”
should be at the discretion of the teacher based on the
level of the class, the skills presented, and the maturity
of the class. School-aged students are able to remain focused.
Why not “show off” what they learn by having an
open door policy whereby the parents can view the class
at their leisure. A dance teacher should be proud of accomplishments,
achievements, and the growth of the individuals AND class.
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Is the director of the
studio organized? Does she keep the parents informed?
Dance Expressions Unlimited has
two stage-sized dance studios with sprung wooden sub-floors
and Rose Adagio Marley floor on top suitable for all forms
of dance including tap. There is a comfortable waiting area
with an observation monitor so parents may watch both rooms
at the same time. Monthly newsletter and current bulletin
boards keep parents informed and up to date.
For more information call us
at: (978) 649-2022
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