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
September 26, 2008 By 5 Comments
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
September 26, 2008 By 5 Comments
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!!
June 26, 2008 By Leave a Comment
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?
May 28, 2008 By 1 Comment
Bullying in Dance Class
May 4, 2008 By 14 Comments
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
April 21, 2008 By 1 Comment
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
April 17, 2008 By 2 Comments
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
April 16, 2008 By 5 Comments
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
April 15, 2008 By 5 Comments
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
April 14, 2008 By 2 Comments
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 [...]
