When it comes to choosing a dance studio that is right for your family, there are a lot of things to keep in mind!
Here are just a few major ones and we include how Sunflower State Dance stacks up to this and why we are unique in this way.
Facilities- is there a waiting area of parents? Do they have the proper equipment and flooring? Is the building in a safe location or do they have safety measurements in place? Is the location easy for you to get to and to get to on time?
At Sunflower State Dance our facilities are state of the art and equipped with at or above industry standard equipment. Our flooring is sprung marley vinyl. Proper dance floors are something that can be easily over looked when looking for a dance studio, but it is the number 1 thing that can help prevent injury, aside from having educated instruction. Our mirrors have been installed by local professionals and our ballet barres are the top of line. We are located of K-10 and E 23rd. We always have a front desk person on staff and if we are not able to monitor people coming in and out of the door, we always lock the front door for safety purposes. Our lobby has ample room for parents to wait during class. Coming soon! We will have a live stream of classes broadcast of tv monitors in our lobby area, so you can see how your child is doing without interrupting the learning environment.
Instructors- do instructors hold degrees in dance or have professional experience? What certifications do the instructors have?
At Sunflower State Dance all of our instructors hold degrees in dance, are obtaining degrees in dance, or have years of professional experience. All of our staff are Youth Protective Advocates in Dance Safety and Wellness certified, which includes successfully passing a background checks, over 20 hours of education of best practices, and CPR, First Aid, and AED certified through the American Red Cross. We believe education is key to having great instructors who can in turn inspire and teach the next generation. You will never find minors teaching at Sunflower State Dance. We do however have student teaching assistants help with some of our younger classes. This is a training program for older students who wish to one day become a dance teacher or work with children in some capacity.
Attire- is there a dress code or uniform? What is acceptable attire? What approach does the studio take when it comes to costuming?
At Sunflower State Dance we have a dress code which includes for ballet, tap, modern, and jazz classes a leotard (any color), tights (ballet pink, black, or nude), and skirts are optional. For hip hop classes are attire is athletic clothing such as leggings and a t-shirt. All shoes must be purchased from Sunflower State Dance. Not all dance shoes are created equally. In order to protect our speciality flooring we require all dance shoes to be purchased and fit by us. Proper fit makes the world of a difference when it comes to developing the proper muscles. No bare midriffs are allowed and no booty shorts without tights on underneath.
We take a conservative approach to costuming. You will see tasteful and age appropriate costumes. We want our dancers to feel comfortable on stage so they can dance their best and feel beautiful!
What kind of dance studio?- are they a competition studio, recreational, ballet studio etc?
At Sunflower State Dance we have a performing company, that is not competition based. While competitions are one way to gain more performance opportunities, going into our 2022-2023 season we decided to Trash the Trophies to create our own performance opportunities that better align with our beliefs and vision as a studio, and that is to create a wholesome family-friendly environment that focuses on technique based dance. We are excited to show our students that there is much more to the dance world than competition, by creating meaningful opportunities to perform on stage, by sharing their talents with the community, and by being impactful young leaders. Check out more about our performing company HERE.
These are just a few main points in choosing the right dance studio for your family. Most often you can find out this information from the dance studio website. Any website or social media page should be a great first look at any studio. Remember all dance studios try to put their best foot forward on both their website and social media pages, so if something doesn’t meet your expectations on there, then they are probably not the right fit.
Also if not listed on the website this is a chance to ask any questions on pricing. Pricing is important but remember like with many other thing quality might go up and down.
Another great way to try out a studio after preliminary research is a trial lesson. Most studios do new student trial lessons at a minimal or free cost. This is a great way to see the facilities in person and have your child see if they like the class. At Sunflower State Dance we offer new student trial lessons at no cost. Check out www.sunflowerstatedance.com/new-students to schedule a class with open availability.
Resources, source material, and further reading:
https://danceparent101.com/dance-class-near-me-school-studio-how-to-choose-the-best/
