(image copyright: Jeremy Leslie-Spinks)
“Dancers are allowed, even encouraged, to remain children forever.”
— Twyla Tharp
Children adore dancers, especially at Christmas, with performances everywhere and special matinées for audiences bursting with delirious little people. Many dancers are not very old themselves, perhaps with younger siblings, nieces and nephews, and of course some dancers have started families of their own. Whichever way it works, dancers and children are never far apart — just look at the crowds of excited ballet kids and their parents, clustering round the stage-door after the show.
Among all these, there will be some who’ve never danced at all, seeing ballet for the first time, now completely enthralled, and suddenly desperate for ballet classes. This is where parents need to plan wisely and generously. If your pride and joy wants to dance, you’ll need a school. There are books, and even self-help DVDs, but to learn to dance properly, you really have to find a good teacher in a good school, and that’s not always easy.
The styles and types of dance are almost limitless. There’s classical ballet (the best foundation for all other dance forms) Modern Dance, contemporary, tap, jazz, break, street dance, hip-hop, popping, locking, crumping, musical theatre, national dance, folk dance, Scottish Country Dancing, Highland, Irish, Bharatanatyam, French-Canadian gigue tap, Kathak, Morris, Indonesian, tribal, traditional Chinese, Belly-dance, Lancashire clog, Oriental and hundreds of others, not to mention the countless types of ballroom, Latin, disco and other social forms.
“I got started dancing because I knew it was one way to meet girls“. — Gene Kelly
To confuse things even further, there are also a great many dance schools, and some of these are better than others. Before you choose a particular school, you’ll need to check some very important details. If you want him or her (or indeed you yourself) to learn classical ballet properly and safely, find a school that follows a recognised method, with a syllabus and properly qualified staff. There are several internationally recognised organisations (the Royal Academy of Dance®, The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance, The Cecchetti Society and many others); these work to a plan of instruction for any given age and level, and students take examinations. This allows students, parents and teachers to monitor progress in the syllabus, an impartial, objective guide to teaching quality.
“It is not so much upon the number of exercises, as the care with which they are done, that progress and skill depend“.
— Auguste Bournonville
The school’s premises and access routes must be safe and secure, and the entrance controlled and checked at all times. The studios should be clean and well-lit with (ideally) a sprung floor, adequate ventilation, and ample changing facilities and toilets, maybe even the luxury of showers, for each gender. There should be somewhere for safe storage of clothes, valuables and belongings, and the premises must be constantly supervised. The dance space should be safe and uncluttered, without pillars or other obstacles, and all cables, props, electrical equipment, sharp edges and other potential dangers must be kept out of the way of dancers and students. Proper heating and temperature control are essential — no draughts or air currents. The studio floor must be clean, without splinters, slippery patches, uneven surfaces or other hazards.
There should be a foyer for parents and visitors, entirely separate from the changing-rooms and the studios. There must be compliance with fire and safety regulations and child-protection laws, and the school’s insurance status and staff qualifications must be available on request. There must be adequate first-aid facilities, and at least one staff member present with first-aid training.
Class sizes must not be too large to allow for individual correction and help (a dozen or so students in a class should be the maximum – possibly slightly more for very young children). Classes should be long and frequent enough to allow and encourage progress (at least an hour, and longer is better).
“Toe dancing is a dandy attention getter, second only to screaming“.
— Agnes de Mille
One very important characteristic of good schools is their approach to pointe-work. Every little girl who loves the idea of ballet will eventually want to start dancing on her toes, and the school must manage this transition very carefully. A child’s skeleton is vulnerable. Pointe work should not even be considered until she is about twelve (and sometimes a lot later) when strength, technical ability and bones have developed sufficiently to bear the load and meet the physical demands. To start pointe work too early is dangerous and counterproductive, and can cause deformity, injury and lifelong skeletal problems. Schools which allow this (through ignorance or eagerness to please) are damaging their students in a way which amounts almost to child abuse. Furthermore, children who have not been properly prepared look dreadful on pointe, tottering and staggering about off balance, with bent knees and agonised expressions. If you see this happening in a school which you are considering, find a different school.
“Pointe work is the end result of slow and gradual training of the whole body, back, hips, thighs, legs, feet, coordination of movements and the ‘placing of the body’”. — Celia Sparger, Anatomy and Ballet: A Handbook for Teachers of Ballet
There should be an atmosphere of mutual respect and constructive dedication to the job. Once a year or so, parents should be invited to watch class. (Normally, in order not to disturb concentration, no-one except teachers, accompanists and students should have access to the studio space). A clearly-stated school policy must regulate filming or photography of students, and must be enforced to protect vulnerable individuals. Schools should ask permission, using a legally valid consent form, if they want to use pictures or videos of students for advertising or on the internet. Street shoes should never be allowed into the dance space room, nor should pets, as they may cause an allergic reaction.
“Art is the only way to run away without leaving home“.
— Twyla Tharp
Ideally, students need opportunities to perform in public — most of the best schools organise regular student performances or recitals, to display their talent. Dancing in a real show is wonderful beyond any child’s wildest dreams – ballets, musicals, opera or pantomime, maybe even television. Performing onstage in the school show or with professional artists is an unforgettable thrill. Children remember it for the rest of their lives.
“You can imagine me as a kid, growing up in redneck Texas with ballet shoes, tucking the violin under my arm. I had to fight my way up“. — Patrick Swayze
If you’re satisfied that all (or even most) of these criteria are being met, this may be your school, and the adventure can begin. However, if you’re not happy with something you see, don’t accept it. Years of adventure and delight, and a lot of memories are hanging on this choice. If necessary, find a better school, even if it’s further away or more expensive. Always aim high – it’s worth it in the long run.
© Jeremy Leslie-Spinks
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