*Helpful hints for finding a dance studio*

•  "Are you paying for pretty?"

A professional dance studio will focus on one thing:  your child's continued progress in dance.  A lot of dance studios are very commercial in nature, focusing on fun and recreation rather than proper dance training.  Would you rather your tuition money go to plush couches and flatscreen TV's, or your child's dance education?  At CDC, although we do not offer the high-tech amenities that some studios do, we believe in using your tuition on our students and not their parents.  Afterall, this is a dance studio and not a gym, coffee shop, or office.

• "What does "teacher certification" really mean?"

Nothing.  While some dance teacher certifications are legit, most are not credible.  Bad habits learned at a young age are extremely hard to break, so you should make sure your dancer's teacher is qualified.  At CDC, all of our teachers either have degrees from accredited Universities, are professional or retired professional dancers, or both.

• "Why does it matter what kind of flooring is installed?"

Certain styles of dance can put stress on young bones and joints, and having the right floor is crucial to your child's development.  NEVER allow your child to attend a studio with a concrete floor.  Dance floors should be "sprung" or "raised" (raised and sprung are the same thing, basically meaning "floating" above the foundation of the floor) to prevent injury or harm to growing dancers bodies.  CDC's flooring is raised off the ground (concrete) 2 inches, a subfloor laid over, and professional marley (vinyl dance flooring) on top. 

• "Why are there no windows into my child's class?"

At most studios, you are not allowed to watch your child's class.  While at times it is necessary to close doors due to distractions, it should raise a red flag as to what is going on inside the classroom if you are never allowed to watch.  At CDC, we have an "open door" policy.  If you at any time wish to observe your child's class, you may.  Our largest studio, has windows that are open to the outside, so classes are always visable. 

• "But my daughter has done ballet for 3 years!  Why can't she go on pointe?!"

While young dancers may find pointe shoes "pretty" or "fun", it is not a discipline of dance that should be taken lightly.  A dancer's strength and ability determines their readiness for pointe shoes, not the number of years a dancer has been taking ballet.  An absolute minimum of 3 hours per week in a regular ballet class is required before pointe class should even be considered.  Serious injuries can result if a dancer's body is not ready for the demands of ballet/pointe.

• "Why was I charged $70 for a costume that fell apart?"

A lot of dance studios charge a "flat rate" for their costumes at the beginning of the year.  While costumes are sometimes expensive for what you get, you are probably paying too much.   At CDC, you will pay as close to cost as possible and never be slapped with hidden charges or fees. While we cannot control the product being sent by the costume companies, we do research all companies throughly before placing an order and take cost into consideration.

• "I can't see my child behind the 30 other dancers onstage!"

Chances are, the teacher probably didn't see him or her all year.  Class size is VERY important!  The fewer students in class, the more individual attention your child will receive.  Each dancer deserves proper instruction and corrections from the teacher.  At CDC all of our junior level classes are cut off at 10, beginning and intermediate at 12, and we will NEVER have more than 16 in an advanced level class.  Assistants are provided for classes that are large (to our standards) or closed (at maximum) to provide extra attention to each child.

• "What is "creative movement"?

Creative movement is basically an expensive babysitter for your child.  While teaching young children dance can be difficult at times, due to their lack of understanding appropriate behavior in a classroom, it can be done with the right teacher.  Children can be taught the correct terminology, and while imagination should absolutely be used, there is no need to replace vocabulary or have them simply play games.  In our 3-4 year old Junior Ballet classes, children will learn the basics of ballet, coordination steps, and appropriate classroom behavior (ie. waiting your turn), all while having fun in a relaxed atmosphere.

• "WOW!  This teacher teaches EVERYTHING!"

When you look at a studio's website, under their faculty, make sure a teacher is not listed as teaching multiple (more than 3) styles of dance.  If any teacher is listed as the instructor for Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Modern and Tap; you should not take your child there.  While it is one thing to be diverse, it is almost impossible to find someone who is proficient enough in all styles to be shaping young dancers.  We pride ourselves at CDC with having the most experienced faculty in his or her genre.  You will not find our instructors teaching multiple genres of dance because while we may have some knowledge of different techniques, we will readily admit that some styles are not our strongest.  While you may find some of us substituting a class that is out of our normal realm, we will never teach that class permanently. 

• "Why is my daughter not in class with Suzie?"

While dance class should have a certain aspect of fun and friendship, it should also provide proper training for each individual student.  Studios that base their classes on age and disregard level should be the BIGGEST red flag.  It is not uncommon to find a 4-5 year age difference in some of CDC's classes, because they are based on every child's unique ability.  A child that excels in dance, should not be held back (to a degree), or they may get bored and quit.  A child who loves to dance, but may need a little extra help or time, should not be pushed into the next level because there could be a serious risk of injury. 

• "I thought recital was the most important part of dance..."

Think about it:  Would you let a doctor operate on you before he went to medical school? Obviously no.  What about take a test on inverse functions before you took a calculus class?  No again?When studios begin their recital dances in September, the students have no idea how to do the steps yet, which is the same principle.  Dance is a discipline and technique MUST be taught before an actual dance can be learned.  It is not something that can just "be done", but takes a lot of practice and hard work.  At CDC we start our recital dances in January or February.  That way we can ensure that the students learned the steps and technique necessary to perform a dance.