What To Look For in a Dance Studio

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Opinions on the characteristics of a good dance studio or school abound. In previous posts I have outlined what I feel are important qualities to consider when assessing where you are currently or potentially studying dance.

How to Conduct Oneself as a Professional – Part II

This is a continuation of Part I of How to Conduct Yourself as a Professional which dealt with leadership, positive attitude, and work ethic. Generosity When I think of someone that displays ultimate professionalism, I see a person who is generous with their gifts, generous with their time, and generous in spirit.  This person is [...]

How to Conduct Oneself as a Professional – Part I

What does it mean to conduct oneself as a professional? Someone that is consummate professional in their career and in their life is essentially a strong leader.  Years ago I was the drum major for my high school band (Yes, I know my geek quotient just went up but I wear it proudly).  In preparation [...]

Dance Where?… Dance Here!!

Just thought I’d let everyone know about a new dance blog/community that’s entered the scene called DanceHere. The blog has already featured some great and informative posts which seem to have a similar focus to my mission here at Dance Advantage. I want to support sites that produce quality information for an internet audience. This [...]

Censorship in Salt Lake?

I just came across this article from the Salt Lake Tribune in Utah. I found it interesting and was wondering if any of you had opinions. Do you think the school was correct in pulling the number, citing that it was not appropriate for a family show? It would probably be important to see the [...]

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

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.

Bullying in Dance Class

What does a bully look like? We tend to picture a bully as a big, tough, boy that picks on those smaller or younger than himself. However, there has been a lot of discussion lately within educational circles about bullying and we are slowly learning that bullies come in many forms. Although dance can foster [...]

Teaching and Exploring the History and Evolution of Dance

A student in ballet cannot learn the art in isolation and no one can know what great dancing is without seeing examples of it. Not only can the dancer not be separated from the dance, she also cannot be separated from the history of dancing, from the line of dancers and teachers leading to her. [...]

Fostering Artistry in Young or Beginning Dancers

I came across a new blog, Design Dance, that coincided with something I’ve recently been thinking about. The blog is for a dance school in Chicago that has a mission to offer classes that not only teach technique but also create an environment that encourages the young artist. Let me just quote a bit from [...]

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, [...]

Finding Quality Dance Instruction – Deal-Breakers

When researching dance schools or studios, there are certain things I consider, instruction deal-makers. Here I will investigate the possibly more controversial deal-breakers: An instructor is consistently condescending and sarcastic, frequently uses put-downs or yelling to get results, or is insensitive to safety and health/weight issues. Classes appear out of control – little ones have [...]

Finding Quality Dance Instruction – Deal-Makers

Image via Wikipedia 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 [...]