DanceStage.com Creator, Colby’s Long And Winding Road

Colby is 22 years old and grew up in Palmer, Alaska. He’s got a passion for dance, interests in business, web-design, and sports. Like many young dancers, he’s got a lot on his plate as he tries to define his career and who he is. I believe I first encountered Colby on Twitter and he’s always been professional and courteous. His path in dance and (I hope he won’t mind my saying) in life has been somewhat indirect. While it’s awesome to see a driven and focused career materialize, the truth is, most dancers I know have traveled a long and winding road. So, I thought it would be interesting to represent that and talk with Colby on the blog.

When did you start dancing, Colby?

I started dancing at the age of 13 because my sister was dancing at a studio and mentioned high school girls! [laughs].

Girls… Check! What about dance or the process of learning motivated you to continue?

I noticed right away it was what I really loved to do. I stayed with the same studio for about four-and-a-half years, studying in ballet, tap, jazz, and a little bit of breaking. The more I danced the more I enjoyed using it as an outlet for my emotions and to release all of my energy, whether it was to relieve anger, or to relieve the stress of my next test coming up, or just a pick me up if I was having an off day.

My motivation to continue was fueled by the ever increasing challenges and the fact that I was tackling those challenges successfully. My confidence continued to grow the more I danced. Also, attending a few live performances of professional companies and just seeing this whole new culture intrigued me.

Did you have support as a young man in dance?

I have always been and always will be supported by my family. I’m very blessed to have all of them. When I became a freshman in high school it became very difficult because I joined the high school cheer team too. This was in a smaller town where guys didn’t really cross that plane at all. I was given a hard time by a lot of people that were supposed to be my friends. Some of it was even worse than just minor teasing. At one of the football games I had a potato thrown at me while I was cheering. Needless to say, I found out who my true friends really were. The further I got into high school the more it became “ok” but in the beginning only my close friends and family really supported me. Actually, to be honest not many girls had a problem with it. It was mainly just the guys that did.

You had a full scholarship to study dance in college but, after a year, left to join a pre-professional company. What about the college dance experience was not what you expected?

The training wasn’t as well-rounded as I had anticipated. The program’s focus was jazz and ballet. A good thing, but I was expecting a more balanced variety. Even though they had hip-hop and tap classes, they were at a beginning level. That was a bit of a disappointment as those happen to be my favorite.

There was also more drama than I expected, things seemed disorganized at times. To their credit they had a whole new staff but we were offered only two weekends of performances for the whole year.

All in all, I wouldn’t give up that experience because good or bad, every experience helps you grow. College helped with technique. There was a more personal atmosphere than I had envisioned. There was good talent which helped me to push myself harder. There was time to focus on my dancing completely. When you are not in college and working, you never get as much time as you want.

In what ways did training with a company suit you better?

The pre-professional training broadened and is still broadening my views on hip-hop culture. Everyone in the company was putting their free time into what they loved so there was less drama (more professionalism). The training and performance opportunities kept us pushing the limits of our potential. Sharing your love for what you do with an audience, hopefully inspiring or entertaining them – that’s what it’s all about.

Putting It Together

Colby’s primary project right now is DanceStage.com, a social network for dancers. I’ve contributed some of my posts to DanceStage.com (which I rarely do). They sit among some really useful articles, as well as contests, and other features which we’ll chat more about below…

Tell me about DanceStage.com and what prompted its creation.

The idea for DanceStage started while I was in college. As I researched for dance assignments, I had the thought that things would be easier if there was a collection of info on dance all in one spot. I told a few friends, we partnered and off we went on it. They have since had to bow out due to time constraints or personal reasons, so I have managed to start taking it on myself. The goal is a social network that is a dancer’s one-stop shop, but I have to build it one step at a time. So, I’ve started with the social network and I am building from there.

Social networks have exploded in the last two years. What has been most difficult about carving out a space online?

The difficult thing about carving a space online is you have to constantly evolve as the internet is constantly evolving. Another hurdle is becoming recognized. You could have the coolest site in the world but if nobody knows it’s there it doesn’t do anyone any good. You just have to be dedicated and persevere long enough to get your name out there.

You’ve partnered with Showstopper to present the Future Stars of America contest. How are winners chosen?

At each Showstopper regional they take the highest scoring group and give them DanceStage’s Future Stars of America award. Their video then gets uploaded to the site and they are a contestant. Once the season is over and all the regional winners are up, DanceStage’s selected judges narrow it down to a top five. These top five are reposted and the members of DanceStage can vote on their favorite video once a day for a week. At the end, the video with the most votes becomes our new Future Stars of America winners. Showstopper has been great to work with and very supportive.

You have a section for classifieds, a forum, users can create customized profiles, and you’ve added new articles. What’s next, what can users look forward to?

DanceStage will soon be coming out with a whole new look. I will be tightening up the features already in place and adding new ones. It will be a great change and I am excited for it. That is my primary focus right now. Some features that are in the back of my mind for the future are a dance history section, a more customizable profile, maybe some interactive games, more contests (small and large), hopefully an online store (for DanceStage apparel and other items), and when the new site comes out I will have a Suggestion Form on every page so that I can deliver what the users want.

Okay, big question. Do you have any thoughts for other 20-somethings trying to make their way?

For anyone trying to establish themselves, I would say do what YOU feel is right for you. Don’t let other people persuade you. Sometimes they are doing it to try and protect you or help you, but only you can decide what is best for you. Whenever I have a decision to make, I call my mom, my dad, a sister or two and ask a few friends. I am very family oriented. My parents did a great job raising me and my sisters had a large impact on me as well. I take into consideration their different perspectives to make my choice. Then I decide, given all these different points, what is the best option for me. Not everything I’ve chosen has been the easiest but I regret none of the choices.

I also can’t say enough for working hard. But not only work hard, work smart. Back in high school, we trained less often than the teams we competed against so my coach used to say that, instead of just working harder, we had to work smarter to make our time more valuable to us than their time was to them.

Thanks Colby!

Do check out DanceStage.com and their YouTube channel, where you’ll find those Future Stars of America entries.

Have you taken your own long and winding road in dance?

Tell us about it in the comments!

First of All — A Chat with Prix de Lausanne Winner Emanuel Amuchastegui

Anyone that has followed the careers of ballet dancers for the last 30 years recognizes that the annual Prix de Lausanne is a big deal. Since 1972 the international ballet competition has helped launch the careers of many of ballet’s brightest stars including Ethan Stiefel, Julie Kent, Leanne Benjamin, Carlos Acosta, Alessandra Ferri, Alina Cojocaru, and Christopher Wheeldon. Since its inception the goal of PDL has been to identify, promote and support young talent. Over 60 prestigious schools from around the world are associated with the event which accepts video entries from dancers aged 15-18 who are not yet professionals. From these applicants only a few are selected to convene during the snowy month of January in Laussanne, Switzerland to be judged during a dance class and stage performances of selected variations. Though all participants have the opportunity to audition and be seen by companies and school directors, the candidates are whittled down to a small group of finalists from which individuals are selected to receive scholarship for one of PDL’s partner schools or companies.

Receiving a record 226 applications from 36 countries, 2010 was a year of firsts for those involved in the Prix. Of the 81 chosen to travel to Lausanne, 43 young men were in the majority – something that has never before occurred in the competition’s history. Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy sent three students. Liao Xiang was among the twenty finalists, Aaron Sharratt placed 5th, and for the first time the Academy had a first-prize winner in 18-year-old, Emanuel Amuchastegui.

Amachastegui was fourteen when he began his training on scholarship with teacher Sandra Racedo at Villa Carlos Paz, Córdoba, Argentina. In 2006 he went to the big city, Buenos Aires, to join the Teatro Colón school and Julio Bocca‘s school. That same year he became part of Bocca’s Company and toured all over Europe and Argentina. Then in 2008 he arrived in Texas to study at Houston Ballet’s Academy, becoming part of the pre-professional company, Houston Ballet II, in 2009. At the Prix de Lausanne, he performed a classical variation from August Bournonville’s La Sylphide and a contemporary solo, Caliban, from Cathy Marston’s The Tempest. In addition to winning PDL’s top prize, Amuchasetgui also brought home the “Audience Favorite” award. In the wake of his win, Amachastegui was kind enough to answer a few questions about his experience at the prestigious competition, his training, and his life outside of dance.

Congratulations, Emanuel. I’m sure you are still riding a current of excitement since your win at Prix de Lausanne. Can you describe what it has been like for you?

It has been an incredible experience! I learned so much from all the teachers and also from the other competitors.

You were one of three PDL finalists from Houston Ballet’s Academy. Obviously they are doing something right. If you could choose only one attribute of the school that accounts for your success (and the success of your peers), what would it be?

I will say “passion” because that’s what all the teachers put every single day into classes and rehearsals. Also the students have to give every day in order to improve and get results.

Were you nervous in the preparation for or during the competition?

Actually I wasn’t nervous at all. I was very comfortable. I think it’s because I wasn’t there to win, it was more like a window for me to show myself and to meet different teachers, experience different cultures and strengthen my technique.

It must have been incredibly rewarding to have your parents present in Switzerland. I read that you had not seen your father in over a year. How important has his support of your ballet career been?

He always supports me in everything, same as my mom. They both were there for me and respect the decisions I have made. I’m very glad because I know that there are some people that don’t have such support from family and it’s really important. It makes me happy knowing that they are there and that gives me the strength to keep pushing and follow my dreams.

It’s been said over and over what a gracious competitor you are. This, in addition to your performance, was likely a factor in your selection as Audience Favorite. What would you say to those who feel intensity in competition means having a ruthless attitude toward others?

I don’t know.. that’s a hard question. I think I am always myself, that’s the way I’m am and I think that always brings the best out. I never felt competitive with the other dancers, overall it was very nice energy at the Prix. Maybe the answer is to be yourself and learn from others and from your own errors.

You are known, among other things, for your ballon in jumping. This was evident in the classical variation you performed in competition. You seem to have a natural talent for achieving “hang-time” in a jump, but we all know even natural abilities must be refined. Has there been an image or instruction given to you along the way that made a big difference in your jumps?

Well, I never knew that I could jump that much! [laughs] My teachers were always there and they just know what to say or what to do in order for me to give 100% every rehearsal. But I think that when I dance with my heart, everything else disappears and I am able to do things I never thought I could.

Do you have a preference for either classical or contemporary?

The Bournonville style goes well with my body. I focus a lot more on my contemporary because it has always been my weakest style. Since it’s something I have to work hard at I always enjoy it and try to do my best. When I started ballet it was because the magic of dance (that moment when I’m on stage and it’s just me dancing, it’s magical). Dance makes me forget everything else and be in the moment. I try to express that to the audience and I think when I achieve that, when the audience receives all that I am feeling in that moment on stage, it is beautiful. The classical is easier for my body and I really love it too, but with the contemporary I can show myself.

During the probably very limited time you have when you are not studying at HB’s Ben Stevenson Academy or dancing with HBII, what do you enjoy doing?

I love cooking with my roommates! Watching a movie and having fun. Going out with my friends it’s something that on the weekend is always a goal. Also I spend a lot of time talking to my family and friends in Argentina.

What is next for you now that the competition has ended and you have emerged a prizewinner?

Well, I don’t know yet. But I know how hard I’ll work and how much passion I’ll put towards dance. Of course dancing abroad means missing my family, but dancing is what I love to do and they are all supportive of me and I’m the happiest person knowing that.

---

Prix de Lausanne broadcast much of its competition online this year, including a behind-the-scenes video blog. You can view Emanuel Amachastegui and other participants at prixdelausanne.tv. Houston Ballet’s blog also provided an insider’s peek at the competition via guest-writer, Shelly Power who serves as associate director of Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy and was selected as one of nine judges for this year’s Prix. You can find her six-post series here and don’t miss her heartfelt final wrap-up of the competition.

Watch Amachastegui’s Classical Variation on YouTube: Part 5 – 0:12

Contemporary Variation on YouTube: Part 9 – 1:15

The timestamps for Houston Ballet Academy’s other finalists can be found here.

Streamlining Competition Registration with DanceSignUp.com

Twitter is a great way to discover emerging websites, services, and businesses within the dance world. It was on Twitter that I first encountered DanceSignUp, a web-based application designed to bring together dance competition organizations and dance studios to simplify many of the tasks that are cumbersome when it comes to competitive events, like registration, scheduling, payments, and communication. (Click here to visit DanceSignUp on Twitter) A lot of work goes into preparing for competition season. So, with a sneaking suspicion that you might be interested in something that could help streamline the process, and because I see a lot of potential in this this newly developed site, I chatted recently with Bret Robertson. His design company, Honu Studios, is responsible for bringing DanceSignUp to life.

Bret, you are a web designer and developer. Do you dance, too?

I’m proud to say I don’t dance, and if you ever saw me try you would be proud that I don’t dance either. My wife does hula and my business partner Brian and his wife took a dance class over the summer. Overall, we enjoy watching much more than we actually participate. We have a respect and appreciation for those who dance and dedicate themselves to the craft.

What has been like to find yourself in the “world of dance?”

It really amazes us how large the dance community is. Whenever we mention DanceSignUp to someone we’re surprised how often the response is “Hey, I used to compete” or “I’m a teacher”. We think it’s great that many are so enthusiastic and willing to share their passion for the art form. We’ve met some really great people, thanks to social networking sites like Twitter, who have been really encouraging and helpful with great advice and a wonderful spirit. We look forward to meeting more, as we feel like we’ve just started to scratch the surface.

Even I feel sometimes that I’m scratching the surface of a very large community, one which I’ve observed has grown tremendously online since I began Dance Advantage a year and a half ago. The culture that surrounds dance training and education, in particular, is broad and varied. Competitions are currently a big part of that culture, which brings me to your project and how it serves the dance community.

In a nutshell, how might the competition registration process improve for dance teachers and studio owners who register for competitions through DanceSignUp?

The biggest improvement is centralized management, everything is in one place.

Studios maintain only one roster of students for all the competitions they want to sign up for. Age eligibility is automatically calculated as are routine prices, so there’s no math involved! All registrations, schedules, and payments for every dance competition are kept in one place. There’s no longer the need to copy or print off each registration form for each routine then try and remember where you put each one six months ago when you registered. We also make it easy to change a routine in case a dancer gets hurt or needs to be swapped out, there is no need to call or email the competition.

Finally, we make payments for studios, groups, individuals, and competitions really easy. We’re using Amazon’s Amazon Payments service. The great thing is that most people already have an Amazon account so there’s no need to open a new one. Plus, neither DanceSignUp or any competition sees your credit card information. Amazon is known and trusted and completely PCI compliant. If the issue of a refund does come up, they can be issued just as easily in full or in part by the competition back to the studio’s account.

Without actually exploring your application, it can all sound pretty complicated. Let’s see if I’ve got this right. Studio owners/teachers can add students to a single roster (complete with details on their age). Then when registering for whichever competitions are of interest, dancers can easily be pulled from the roster to routines which are then submitted for registration. And studios pay the competition’s fees through Amazon, all from DanceSignUp. You must be charging a service or convenience fee, right?

No, teachers/studios don’t pay anything to use DanceSignUp. They only pay competitions to register routines within the application.

We do charge the competitions a small fee for each transaction. A transaction can include one or more routines. We looked at two pricing models, subscription and pay-as-you-go. Ultimately since dance seasons don’t last the entire year the subscription model didn’t seem too practical being that there are months where registrations may not be submitted. With pay-as-you-go small or large competitions have a level playing field, neither pay anything until they have registrations coming in.

I have had the opportunity to explore the site, and one of my favorite features is the “Coming to Your Area” section which appears on a studio’s dashboard when they login. Can you tell me more about this?

Sure, the “Coming to Your Area” section shows a list of upcoming dance competitions that will be hosting events near you. This is a great way to learn about new competitions, maybe sign up a few small groups, and check them
out.

The cool thing about this feature is that it levels the playing field, so to speak. It gives the smaller competitions a chance to compete with the larger ones. Now, we understand that there might competition and politics in the dance world. Naturally, you have large competitions and small competitions, large studios and small studios. It can seem like an uphill battle for smaller competitions to get their events out in front of studios and for smaller studios to make their mark at larger competitions. With “Coming to Your Area” there are no large or small competitions, just competitions.

We’ve talked about the advantages for studios but what are the benefits for competition organizations that get involved?

The benefits for competition organizers are numerous. The biggest of these are the savings of time and money. We eliminate the need for paper since everything is online. We’ve even done away with the need for Copy and Paste. On the registration side, you will no longer have to deal with illegible faxes, or attached email PDF’s coming in from all over the place.

Payments are handled securely and immediately online and give studios or individuals the option to pay with any credit card. No merchant account is needed, competitions only need an Amazon Business account. All payment records are kept for reference along with current event and season totals. Routine scheduling is quick and easy, routines can be sorted and ordered by any criteria. So if you want to view Small Group routines only, you can. Once scheduled and posted the schedule is completely online and available to studios, teachers, and parents. We’ve even formatted the schedule for mobile devices like the iPhone® so that it can be followed in real time during the event.

Finally, we understand that event programs are a fun keepsake but often are a pain to produce; especially when last minute changes come in and a deadline is looming. To remedy this, we’ve created the ability to export an event’s schedule that can easily be imported into your page layout application like Adobe InDesign or given to your graphics person.

For brevity’s sake we’ll just stick to these, but there are numerous small benefits and advantages, and many more in the works.

Speaking of what’s up your sleeve, I’ve got some other stuff going on at the site too. I’m pretty sure I saw that you are offering desktop wallpapers on your blog. What other fun things are you planning to add to the site?

“Fun” can be subjective; we find code fun, so for us it’s all fun. We do offer desktop wallpaper which is hopefully more fun than code; it’s just our way of expressing our creativeness and giving back to the dance community. We’re planning on offering a new wallpaper each month and would love to hear from the dance community through picture submissions. Otherwise we’ll have to resort to pictures of us dancing. Details can be found on our blog about how the images will be used, how credit will be given, as well as where to send them.

We’re also thinking about doing some giveaways, maybe something like a discounted fee event. And also bringing in some guest blog posters to write about what’s happening in the dance community.

Above all, I’ve found DanceSignUp easy to use. Like other familiar “Web 2.0″ applications, there’s a drag and drop feature and cool little windows pop up. Studios can also subscribe to a competition’s season feed, which means they can sort of “follow” them to easily discover when new events are added. Plus studios and competitions have their own profiles. They can “see” each other in a way that perhaps isn’t possible when dealing with a paper trail or other online registrations. Do you envision this going further? Will studios and competitions be able to rate or talk about the different venues? Will there be opportunities for teachers to offer feedback regarding competitions? Interact profile to profile? Hmmm, am I getting ahead of myself here?

We absolutely envision DanceSignUp going further. It is a web application which means it’s web-based software so there’s no downloading or updating that needs to take place on the user’s end. Consequently, updates can happen frequently, at any time.

Without giving too much away about our future plans, I can say that venue comments or ratings has been discussed and has a good possibility of showing up in a future update. One upcoming feature that we’re excited about involves enhancements for the judging process itself (for example more immediate posting of scores, and the upload/download of judges notes, as opposed to the old cassette tape system). In an effort to keep the application focused and simple we don’t have any plans to integrate any “social” features. Mostly because there are sites that do that already.

The site is fully functional right now but just went live in September. I’m sure you are looking for feedback from studios as well as competitions. Sign up is free so it’s easy to go in and look around. Can folks contact you with feedback or get support?

Absolutely, we’re completely open to feedback and looking for companies to collaborate with on existing and potential features. We’re constantly tweaking and adding features which is why we look forward to hearing from our users. We want to talk with competitions and studios. We want to find out what they want and need and build off of that.

Support is offered in several ways. Once you have an account we have a support ticket system that allows users to submit requests directly. We also have a growing library of help articles and screencasts that will walk a user through step-by-step how to do something. Finally, we have a special Twitter account to announce software updates and system status.

---

As I mentioned, DanceSignUp is brand new. There are advantages for both competitions and dance studios to use the service but organizations from both sides have to come to the party. Currently, Bret and the folks at DanceSignUp are making connections and spreading the word. You can be a part of that by sharing the site with colleagues and competitions. I encourage you to visit DanceSignUp.com and have a look around. If you have thoughts or suggestions, you can contact Bret via the site or simply leave comments below.

Vote in the Global Dance Contest 2009

Sadler’s Wells, a top venue for dance in London, created a contest to search for new talent to perform live on stage. A team of judges has selected their favorite 10 videos from all the entries received and who wins is up to you! Vote for your favorite clip now by following the link below!

You can take a look at all the entries received here.

The prize for the Global Dance Contest 2009 is an expenses paid trip to London, including transport and accommodation costs to perform live on stage in January 2010 at Sadler’s Wells Sampled, and a cash prize of £2,000.

Sadler’s Wells – Global Dance Contest 2009

Role Reversal: What are the Pros and Cons of Dance Competition

Today, I’d like to hear from you! I know that many of you compete or enter your students in competition. Competition is a topic of discussion among many dancers, teachers, and parents and I’d like ask my readers,

What are the pros or the benefits of competition in dance? And, what are the cons or negative aspects?

I realize that many have strongly held beliefs and opinions on this subject. It is perfectly alright to express these opinions, however, I ask that you remain respectful to those that hold differing opinions. Thanks, in advance, for your participation!

The Back-to-School Teach-a-thon is here!!

Read more

Art or Not? — Musings on Dance, Art, and Entertainment

A Time to Dance recently featured a post titled “What is dance and what makes it art?.” In the post Maria asks a lot of questions (of herself as much as her readers) that relate to the divides between what we consider art, entertainment, dance, and not dance. I recommend you read her post. She provides some excellent YouTube examples to get you thinking!!

One of her commenters, Anna, offered a great quote in her post that I want to share:

“I recently read somewhere that entertainment tells you what you already know and art is about what you don’t know.”

She also described dance as a “gigantic container.” I appreciated that too because it suggests that dance is unlimited in its appearance and objectives.

Art vs. Entertainment

In my view art can be entertaining and entertainment can be artistic, but it is sometimes hard to say when one crosses the line into the other. This may largely depend on an individual’s perspective. Sometimes the setting (on a respected concert stage, with imaginative lighting and costumes, and even a name with credibility on the program) has fooled me. As if in disguise, this art is actually presenting me with “what I already know.” Alternatively, I’ve been deeply affected in the past by something I guessed would have been “merely” entertaining. It’s always a pleasant surprise to find I’ve learned something about myself, about others, about the world, and so on. But, again, this takes us back to the subjective nature of classifications. Something that is revealing or revolutionary to one may be familiar territory to another.

Though art and entertainment do not have clear delineation, successful (or good) art usually blends these two modes of expression. If a choreographer (artist, or entertainer) sets out only to draw attention with spectacle, to water things down trying to appease the masses, to rely on cliché,  the dance comes across as a series of tricks without substance. This can occasionally be entertaining despite a lack of subtance – seeing humans do amazing things can be fun, for instance. However, I think we have a threshold of tolerance for this. Perhaps increased exposure to that which operates above this baseline is a factor. (i.e. Is it less interesting or harder to stomach that which seeks nothing more than to entertain?) Likewise, I would say that some may have a low tolerance for art on the other end of the spectrum, perhaps finding it impossible to learn or discover if there is nothing within the dance that is familiar, relatable, or something we “already know.”

Aesthetic Principles and Critique

Because art/entertainment lines, aesthetic principles if you will, are different from person to person, group to group, and sometimes alter over time, it’s easy to begin to exert your principles on others in the form of snobbishness or exclusivity. I’m guilty. But, sometimes “watchdogs” of an art form – those that are critical when our art is too “entertaining” or our entertainment too “artsy” – are needed to keep the makers of dance (be they classified as artists or entertainers) reaching and striving and creating.

What is Dance and What is Not

Those that dance or move have always, and are continuously, expanding what seems possible for the human body. That means delving into gravity defying, jaw-dropping spectacle at times. Remember, at one time a dancer on pointe shoes seemed revolutionary. Humans strive to reach beyond what’s come before.

I’m not sure that something can cease to become dance if this was its aim or goal (no matter how much we push its boundries and mix it with other things). However, there are occasions that someone starts out with one thing (gymnastics for example), infuses it with dance elements, and then re-labels it dance. Would you take a dance, add a bit of martial arts to it, and then call what you are doing martial arts?

In conclusion, I’d just like to remix that initial quote a bit. What do you think?

Dance art seeks to expand the already giant container of dance, to push or blur our notions about dance or movement. Dance which is entertainment oriented often stirs up or remixes what’s already in the container.

What makes something art? What makes something entertainment?

What is your threshold of tolerance for either?

How can you tell when something is dance and when it is not?

Have you ever been surprised or confused by labels in dance?

Finding Quality Dance Instruction – Middle Ground

I come from a small town and have taught in some small cities where dance studios struggle to maintain integrity and keep their business (or non-profit) afloat. Access to educated and experienced dance teachers is sometimes minimal. Below, I’ve listed some circumstances that occur in dance studios across the country. They are not absolute deal-breakers, but potential students should proceed with caution and armed with knowledge and awareness when such situations are present.

• Combo classes. Many say to avoid them altogether. However, they can be useful for exposing younger children to complimentary styles of dance, or providing an introduction to ballet for children who may not choose ballet as their one dance class per week. However, if combo classes are offered for anyone over 8 years old, this shows signs of an à la carte philosophy on dance training. Dabbling in dance this way often results in an unsuccessful and incomplete education. If a student wants to pursue many dance styles and still become proficient, they need to put in the time, something combo classes don’t provide.
• To many, following a ballet syllabus is extremely important so as not to confuse students (not all ballet is the same). However, basic technical principles should serve the recreational student as long as there is consistency within the class, or students are made aware of how the codified techniques differ should they encounter a need for this information.
• A proper dance floor is extremely important to the well-being of the dancers. Dancing on anything directly over concrete subflooring is unacceptable as a long-term situation and instructors must demonstrate precaution for the sake of their student’s bodies in the interim. For the sake of their student’s bodies studio owners should recognize if their current flooring is sub-standard and have a plan in place (fundraising or otherwise) to improve their situation. If they don’t see it as an issue (and they may not if it’s not hurting their business), move on. The same goes for studios that are too small for full-grown students to fully extend their arms and legs, setting up patterns and habits that will be hard to break later. In a perfect world no studio would open with sub-standard flooring. However, if the school is otherwise providing quality education, I consider this area middle ground. Ask questions and make it known that this is important to you. There is a flooring solution out there to fit every space and budget.
• Student teachers are a deal-breaker for some. As a teen, I assisted experienced teachers at my studio for three years before taking over my own classes, and the students were once-a-week students between 6 and 9 years old. Was I really prepared to have my own class? Maybe not, but I worked hard, took care in what I was doing, and learned an awful lot that prepared me for things to come. Therefore, I think a student assistant/teaching program certainly has value. Some guidelines to consider: Preschool classes are best taught by someone with experience in the classroom management of dancers this young. Also, teachers too close in age to their students can cause disciplinary problems. Again, students as teachers are not ideal but a school that is closely monitoring and evaluating their student assistants and teachers on a regular basis may be fostering tomorrow’s educators.
• Age alone is not a reason to move dancers to the next level of dance. In a setting in which students are taking only one or two classes per week and not attempting to learn advanced skills like pointe work, difficult turns, or leaps, advancing by age is not a deal-breaker. Otherwise, I would avoid any school that blindly moves up or holds back dancers because of age, or concedes to class-placement simply because someone requests to take class with a friend. If the school has clear ideas about what their curriculum includes and methods to assess if a student is ready to move on, subjectivity can be reduced and complaining minimized. If a school cannot point to reasons why they have advanced a student, they leave themselves open to question and speculation.

• 

  Image via Wikipedia

  There are those in the dance world that consider competitive dance studios a red flag in quality training. However, it is my opinion that competitive schools can, and some do, offer quality dance education. Be wary when, like performance, competition becomes more important than the training itself. I’ve witnessed, too often, superficial rivalry, tricks, costumes, and medals replace the reward of cooperation, hard work, self-improvement, long-term goals, and mastering a craft or art form. It is a fine line to walk, and a studio that chooses to compete must take extra care to ensure that students’ appreciation of dance does not depend on the thrill of winning alone. When their winning days are over, the 99% of students who do not become professional dancers still play a major part in the advancement or decline of the art through their support. And if winning and sport was all it meant to them, their dedication to dance may falter when the incentive is gone.

Please remember that when looking for the studio or teacher that will suit your needs, it is important to shop around, armed with questions and knowledge. I’m always surprised that students and parents spend so little time choosing a dance school (many dancers spend more years at a dance studio than they will a college). Dance instruction is an investment of time and money, and you don’t want to waste either. The guidelines you’ve read here about quality instruction are no more than my educated opinion, offered so that you may thoughtfully consider the topic for yourself.

What are some of your experiences? Do you disagree or agree with some of my opinions, or with my assessment of deal-makers/breakers? I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Finding Quality Dance Instruction – Deal-Makers

People don’t usually open a studio or attend a dance school if they don’t think it is a quality product being offered. However I’ve found that those in the dance world have strong opinions about what is or is not quality dance instruction. I consider myself a pretty diplomatic person and I try very hard to see things from all angles. Therefore, I’d like to stick to what I consider the deal-makers and breakers of a dance education relationship. Some may think I’m being too nice and others may argue I’m expecting too much. Either way, please try to have an open mind and consider the points I’m trying to make. After all, it’s just an opinion.

“Deal-makers”- qualities students should expect to find at an institution or business that educates/trains dancers:

• Ballet and other traditional dance forms have a clear and appropriate format. For ballet students older than seven, this means a full session at the barre, followed by work in the centre and across the floor. All dance styles should include a warm-up and cool-down period.
• The teacher offers individual attention, correction, and help by breaking down new or difficult movements for beginners or young dancers. With more advanced dancers, teachers may expect students to have more skill in picking up movements quickly and may spend less time explaining, however, teaching a class still involves refining all details of the movement. Just leading the class without offering input or corrections is rarely helpful to a dance student.
• There is focus and attention given to the upper body, including arms, head, and face even at beginning levels.
• The instructor has an understanding of anatomical terms and their application to dance and explains and shares this knowledge with the class.
• The students and teacher move well, are pleasing to watch (students with a solid foundation can make even new or difficult movements less awkward), and are dressed neatly and appropriately.
• Praise, encouragement, and humor – all positive reinforcements, are used frequently but not indulgently in class.
• Dancers are encouraged to be expressive in their movement and facial expressions without forcing plastic smiles, to listen and understand the musical or rhythmic aspects of the dancing.
• Instructors ask the students to use critical thinking in their classes. This means that they are regularly required to analyze, deduce or problem solve to come to a conclusion about something rather than simply regurgitating an answer.
• Students are encouraged in, or given regular opportunities to view dance performances, observe or participate in master classes, learn about other art forms, and reach out or volunteer in their community.

Look for these attributes when researching, observing classes ,or touring a dance school. When seeking out instruction, don’t just join the studio with the largest ad. Arrange a time to observe or even sample classes, talk with the owner and/or instructors, and ask questions. Do all of these things before making your choice because sometimes observation will reveal more than speaking with the owner, or visa versa. A studio interested in your business will make time for potential customers, however, approaching a studio owner right before performances or recitals may not be the best time.

When looking for quality dance instruction, be aware that some studios spend a large amount of in-class time on rehearsal for a show that is months away. A studio’s best instruction should be on the menu at all times, performance or not. Occasional breaks from the routine class structure are important and sometimes necessary, but learning how to dance should always take precedence over learning a dance number.

Next up, deal-breakers and “middle ground“!

What other qualities do you consider “deal-makers?”