Top 7 questions to ask when choosing a Dance School in McAllen and Mission

Are all dance studios in McAllen & Mission the same?

There are 7 main things that can make a huge difference in the quality of instruction your child receives and the overall enjoyment and experience of being involved with a dance program in the mcallen and mission area. Here are 7 things that every parent should consider before deciding on a dance school or dance studio for their child.

1. How often do you Participate in Dance Competitions and Conventions?

The dance studio and dance school industry has moved toward a highly competitive experience. Many dance studios focus on having competition teams that practice together to enter into local, state and national competition events. By focusing mostly on competitions, young dancers spend time learning “a dance” rather than learning “to dance.” At Royal Dance Center, we do focus on a competition team. Instead, we offer the opportunity for our young dancers to participate in high quality conventions and training that helps them fulfill their passion for dance and equips them for a professional career in the performing arts. RDC is the official host to Moscow's ballet in their nationally acclaimed ballet the Great Russian Nutcracker and other professional dance ensembles that give students an opportunity to perform frequently at professional venues. We also offer a plethora of age appropriate, professional performing and learning opportunities for all of our students in addition to regularly scheduled classes.

2. What is the Quality of Dance Education?

Dance education is not unlike academic education. It requires the skill of highly qualified and motivated educators and administrators to teach and get the most out of a student by way of a well developed, age appropriate curriculum.

Most dance studios rely on the skills of teachers to create curriculum, choreography, structure and guidelines for individual classes, which results in an inconsistent standard of education across the board. There may be some highly qualified teachers who yield excellent teaching results alongside less experienced teachers who require additional guidance. This usually creates a two-tiered educational structure, where the most advanced students receive the best training by the best teachers and the less serious students receive the less favorable training by less experienced teachers.

In order to maximize the learning potential, all dance teachers on faculty should follow a unified, well developed syllabus created by dance education specialists. All dance faculty should participate in continuing education and training throughout the course of the year on teaching principles, learning styles, safe dance practice and content. Dance faculty should meet regularly with the administration to discuss the progress of each student to ensure their development and success. Our school has department chairs for each genre of dance to ensure maximum success along with a dedicated Academic Director who oversees the school wide curriculum and manages the educational needs of each individual student. We also have a dedicated and separate Artistic Director who oversees the artistry and performance needs of individual students to ensure a high level of professional performance work.

3. What type of certifications can the Dance School Offer students?

Most dance studios that only teach dance routines and choreographies are not focused on academic achievement, profesional techniques and a structured curriculum. Most of them operate without any sort of certification or dance program support. This does not benefit your child, for the same tuition you pay in a regular dance studio, your child can get a certified dance diploma for every level your child reaches in a formal curriculum that will be recognized world wide. At Royal Dance Center we are active members of Dance Educators or America and we follow the professional curriculum and syllabus of the Royal Academy of Dance in London U.K, where we are also certified members.

4. What Type Of Floor Is Used?

Dance is a highly physical activity that requires jumping and elevation, which can put stress on bones and joints. Most dance footwear does not provide the proper cushioning support to reduce shock to the joints and postural alignment of a dancer. One of the best ways to prevent injury is by choosing a dance school with a professional “floating floor.” A floating floor is a dance floor that rests on a system of high-density foam, to absorb the shock of jumping. A high-density foam base is superior to a “sprung” floor, which usually consists of a wood structure built on the regular floor.The top layer of the dance floor is also an important factor. A vinyl composite “marley” floor is accepted worldwide as the best surface layer for professional dance. Facilities such as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Royal Academy of Dance in London, England, and Riverdance – The Touring Show, all use marley floors as their dance surface.

A marley floor allows dancers to slide, with a degree of “controlled slip”, but is not slippery so there is less risk of slips and falls. Very few studios use professional marley floors because of the expense involved. Tap classes should be taught on a wood floor surface on top of the sprung sub floor. Fewer and fewer dance studios are opting to provide proper wood flooring for their tap dance programs. At Royal Dance Center we have both types of professionally accepted dance flooring.

5. What Is The Performance Philosophy?

Performance is a element of performing arts education. Most studios only put on one year end recital. The recital is usually a string of individual class dances that follow a theme and require costumes for each dance number. Oftentimes, more advanced students perform to mature song choices and wear costumes that may not be appropriate or acceptable for young children to see or experience. At Royal Dance Center we focus on performance preparation and teach technically correct ballet and dance.

Check out what the basic philosophy of the studio or dance school is. Is the number one goal to teach people to dance? Is it to teach people to dance technically correct? Is it to teach people to enjoy dancing and do it correctly? Is it to make the studio owners look good at a competition with students who do well? Is it to support the competing professionals in the studio and ensure they are advancing? Is it run as a profitable business? Is it a combination of the above? All you have to do is ASK – and then LISTEN to the answer.

LISTEN to hear the answer and then compare the philosophy that is stated with the way the business is operated and with the answer you have to your question of what is the most important element in your dancing. Ensure that somewhere in the philosophy of the studio you find the element you determined was important for you.

6. Can I Get Immediate Assistance And Service?

In many studios the teacher or the studio owner conducts classes and manages the administration. By trying to manage two jobs at once, the students may be affected as the teacher uses class time for customer service issues, or the studio may have no customer service available if the teacher is in a class. To have a good experience it is important to choose a studio or school that can assist you with details like costumes or schedules, even if a teacher is occupied in a class. Our dance school has office hours with administrators on hand from 4 p.m.-9 p.m. on week days, so you can get immediate assistance.

7. What is the atmosphere/environment of the studio?

Is the physical setting of the studio pleasing to you? Does it make you feel comfortable that your child will be dancing there? Is it located in an easy to access location? remember you will be traveling often for dance classes.

Sit back and enjoy the setting of the studio, look around at the surroundings and observe the "atmosphere" of the studio. Ensure you feel good when you're there.

Do the owners/teachers make you feel comfortable and welcome on a consistent basis? Are students treated equally – fairly? Is everyone, no matter what size, or shape, or age, or color treated equally by all the management? Check it out – it matters in the long run.

Another issue, do the owners encourage a good attitude towards all other studios? Do they support the dance community as a whole?

The choice of any individual to attend other classes or participate in other functions should not mean that the individual should be treated any differently than anyone else. People are still people – no matter where they work or where they choose to take their dance training. Courteous treatment of all people, acknowledgment that you know someone, saying "hello" is not a form of treason or disloyalty to your own dance school

– it's COMMON PEOPLE COURTESY. What is the attitude of the studio you attend?