Picking the Right Class for Your Child

Success in dance begins with a positive learning experience and the most important factor for long‐term satisfaction with your dance training is placement in the appropriate class.

Students must be the age stated in each class level by September 1 of the season, or enroll in the lower aged class. There are no exceptions to this rule, and here is why: A child's physical development can vary from year to year as their body changes and grows. Some children will seem to have an innate gift of musicality and/or coordination while others struggle with balance or timing, but the very next season the case may be reversed, and it has nothing to do with talent or training.

The one thing that is consistent with young dance students is the emotional and intellectual growth patterns defined by age. There is no such thing as an "advanced" dancer between the ages of 3 – 7, because the important skills developed at this stage (creative expression, musical awareness, and physical aptitude) cannot be measured by outward performance. The child who happens to be flexible, can remember steps, or has remarkable coordination will seem to have natural aptitude for dance, but it does not alter the fact that the work done in these preliminary classes is laying a foundation for future artistry as it prepares the mind and body for the technical training that will be introduced when the child is older and bones, muscles and mental prowess is ready for the challenges of concentrated dance instruction.

The child who seems to struggle in the formative years can often turn out to be the more progressive dancer later when their mind or body catches up. Trust nature to let the child develop at his or her own pace, then trust us to nurture the dancer within to become the best they can be.

All children are talented, but talent reveals itself at it’s own sweet pace. It is not uncommon for parents with mature and/or coordinated young dancers to want to push the student to higher levels, thinking a greater challenge will spur advancement, but the opposite usually occurs. If the talented dancer continues training, he or she will have to repeat the last youth dance education level because they will not be allowed to enter the classes for ages 8 and up until the body is structurally ready for concentrated dance study.

Repeating a level often leads to boredom, so the child who began as so very talented often ends up losing interest in dance. Please help us to nurture future dancers by being patient with the process and allowing your child to enjoy dance at every level with friends her own age. Trust that each class is designed to make dance engaging and fun, with age appropriate activities. Even the most talented young dancers will accomplish more in the long run by absorbing dance education at the pace it was designed to unfold.

In respect to childhood development stages, youth dance classes for ages 2‐8 is established by age.