ballet school

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  1. Understanding Level Placement at a Ballet School

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    Young dancers dream of the day they make their debut as the Sugar Plum Fairy or Cavalier in the Nutcracker and amaze audiences with their dazzling skill. The road to center stage is not an easy path however, and students must work their way up class by class. For students who are serious about their ballet training, level placement can be a touchy subject.

    ballet students being taught in a level placement classPhoto by: Metropolitan Ballet TheatreDancers want to progress quickly and can feel impatient when they are not advanced, so it is important to remember that it takes a long time to become good at ballet!

    Being asked to repeat a level can be frustrating, but it is almost always in the best interest of the dancer. Here are some valuable points to remember in your ballet study:

    • The teacher is always acting in your best interest. Your teacher wants you to be successful, progress steadily and become the best you can be. There is a reason you were placed in a specific level, even if it is not the class you feel you should be in.
    • Age. This can be a major factor, particularly for girls. In general no matter how talented the student is she will need to wait to begin pointe until the age of 11. Young girls who advance very quickly will not have the physical maturity to begin pointe work (starting pointe before the growth plates have closed can cause lasting physical injury and damage). This means that a young student who moves up in level quickly will then need to be held back because she is not physically ready for pointe. In the long run it is usually better for a student to stay with her age group until age 12; otherwise she may need to repeat a level multiple times until her body is physically ready for pointe work.
    • Class leaders. Within every level there will be a variety of talent, or in other words weaker and stronger dancers within a class. At certain points in your training it is important to be both! Being the weakest in class can motivate a student to progress more quickly. However strength and repetition are crucial to developing a strong technique– it takes time to become an advanced dancer. Sometimes you can learn the most as the strongest dancer in the class and prove to your teachers and directors that you are deserving of opportunities/casting.
    • Repetition. Even professional dancers go back to take school level/basic classes in order to fine tune their technique. It is impossible to be perfect at ballet- technique is a constant study. A dancer can never do too many pliés or tendus!

    It is fairly common for students who have been asked to repeat a level to became quite discouraged. However in the end these students usually make steady and sure progress and end up on par with classmates who moved up earlier. Sometimes these students even end up doing better in the long run.

    As a teacher it is a tough decision to hold a student back rather than promote him/her in level – it is usually because the student has not yet achieved a particular goal. This does not mean the student is not talented or gifted (sometimes the student has incredible potential actually).

    The decision is always based on what the faculty feels the student needs to achieve… the student may be weak in just one particular area and once he/she corrects the problem can then advance very quickly.

    advanced ballet students in classPhoto by: Jennifer Zmuda

    There is always something you can learn in ballet, even at the lowest level. A good teacher will help you progress no matter the class. Be open to corrections and pointers even if you are not in the class you’d like to be in. The best students are frequently those who can absorb information and apply it in their dancing. In the end if you are concerned about your class placement ask to meet with your teacher- being informed is never a mistake!

  2. Enrolling Your Child in Ballet Classes

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    Summer is flying by, which means it is already time to think about enrolling your child in after school activities for the upcoming year.  Ballet provides great physical exercise and also instills confidence, teaches discipline and artistry and helps young students develop coordination and imaginative thinking. Many schools begin enrolling for the Fall semester during the summer months, so now is a good time to look into finding a ballet program to meet your needs.

    Enrolling Your Child in Ballet Between Ages 3-6

    Little girl ready for balletFor the youngest dancers (ages 3-6) classes are usually referred to as Creative Movement or Pre-ballet and are one hour in length; at this age strict ballet technique should not be a part of the curriculum. Children will learn to dance to different tempos and understand rhythm while focusing on simple coordination.  These classes involve imaginative games as well as creative thinking and should be fun for your child! Children should not yet be dancing at the barre or focusing on “turnout” (external rotation of the legs and feet).  Your child should be excited to go to class and have positive feelings about his/her teacher– if not consider looking into another class or studio.

    Ballet Classes for Your Child Around Age 7

    Enrolling your child in ballet classes at age 9Once a child reaches age 7, more formal instruction begins.  Classes become more disciplined and children learn a series of exercises that are repeated in every class (plié, tendu, dégagé, etc.). Classes typically increase in length to 1.5 hours for children at age 8 and usually meet 2 to 3 times per week.  In general, students should not begin pointe work until they have studied a minimum of three years and are at least 11 years old in order to avoid injury and future problems. Most studios require a dress code for classes- typically pink tights and ballet slippers with a certain type/color of leotard.

    When considering which studio will best meet the needs of your child, there are several factors you may want to consider:

    • Is the studio affiliated with a professional company?
    • Are the school or faculty certified/accredited by a respected organization (American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum or the National Association of Schools of Dance are two good examples)?
    • What is the word of mouth within the community?
    • Are there performance opportunities (i.e. The Nutcracker) for your child?
    • Is the time commitment appropriate for your schedule?

    After you have considered these points you will be ready to enroll your child in ballet classes!

     

  3. Choosing Your Child’s First Ballet School

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    If your young daughter or son have expressed interest in taking ballet classes, now is the time to start looking for ballet schools!  If you aren’t quite familiar with dance, this may seem like a difficult task.  Here are some tips to help you decide and hopefully narrow down a few options.

    • Cleanliness and Quality of Facilities. One of the first things you may want to consider is the quality of the facilities.  Most schools would offer or have no problem giving you a general tour of their studios.  While the studio doesn’t need to look state-of-the-art, you want to make sure that its a safe and inviting setting for your child to take classes in.
    • Professionalism and Qualification of Faculty and Staff. While it may take a couple weeks to get the full feeling of the faculty, the first impression should at least leave you feeling good about enrolling your child.  Not only should the staff act professional around both you and your child, but they should generally have a positive attitude in the way they teach.  Also, take a moment to read up on the teaching faculty to see their experience level and make sure you feel comfortable with what you see.
    • Variety of Classes Offered.  Especially when they are young and starting out, it is a good idea to introduce your child to many different types of dance.  Who knows, maybe they will end up enjoying Jazz more than Ballet?  Or possibly Tap?  Even if ballet ends up coming out on top, they will have still gained quite a bit from these other dance forms since they all revolve around the discipline of learning a specific technique.
    • Young Girl Student in BalletPerforming Opportunities.  Most schools will have an end of the year show and possibly more throughout the year.  Performing on stage is the end result of taking classes.  Without school performances, it would be like enrolling and practicing baseball every week, but never playing a game!  The ability and exposure at a young age can benefit your child in a multitude of ways in the future, even outside of ballet.  It takes a lot of courage to go out in front of a large crowd and doing so can help build confidence.
    • Number of Students per Class.  While this becomes increasingly more important as students reach their teens, an overcrowded class is no good as a young student either!  If you feel the class is too large, say 30 students, then that may not be a good fit and your child may be easily overlooked.  If the class is 30 with 2 teachers, that’s a different story, but most classes are taught by a single teacher.
    • Tuition. Everyone’s budget is different and it’s important to make sure you find a school that fits within your own.  Ballet may end up being just a couple year activity that your child enjoys but decides to move on and pursue other fun things.  Should that happen, you don’t want those few years of classes to leave you with a bitter taste.

    Remember, They’re Just Starting Out

    Whether it was your child’s idea or your own to enroll them in dance, remember that they’re just starting out and the main goal needs to be that it is fun for your child.  Not many children around the ages of 4-6 have a strong grasp on the idea of working hard toward a career.  If you push them too much in the beginning, it likely won’t seem fun and they may lose interest.

    Let them have fun when they’re trying it out and if you feel that they would possibly benefit from a school with better training, then you can start exploring options again.  We’ll discuss that soon in another post!