DANCER PLACEMENT

We are interested in a dancer's age, but we are excited when we know their ability.  Everyone learns at a different rate.  There is no passing or failing in dance,  it is  common to have classes with mixed ages so that dancer's abilities match.  In the Junior, Intermediate and Senior, levels dancers may expect to spend more than one year completing each designated syllabus level.  This is not uncommon.  Regular attendance is very important.  Studio Faculty meet regularly to discuss dancer's progress and/or placement. It is our policy to offer appropriate opportunities to every child.  Placement decisions are derived from many years of teaching experience. Often a child is placed in a particular group or class where he or she will feel confident, in order to promote the development of self-esteem. Some dancers who are placed in a higher level become discouraged, only to lose their passion for dance. Others respond to the challenge of being in a class with dancers who are more proficient by pushing themselves to work harder. Placement is highly individual and the factors that go into the decision are complex.   We  keep a close eye on our classes as to maintain the standard of the class.

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• In every class level, there will be dancers at the top, middle and bottom of the ladder.  EVERY POSITION ON THAT LADDER IS ESSENTIAL TO YOUR DANCER’S GROWTH.  Dancers will spend considerable time on each rung.

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• THE BOTTOM RUNG:

• When a dancer is new to a group, the adrenaline is pumping and the heart is racing. New information is being received at lightning speed. A Dancer is inspired by those around them and they struggle to keep up.  When he/she tells you about their class, in the car ride home, he/she likely says: "It was hard." or "I felt challenged." That's all fine and good, we remember his/her body is not strong enough yet to execute the skills properly, so while our Dancer thinks he/she is working at an advanced level, he/she is really just skimming the surface.  There is nothing wrong this that - it is how learning takes place.

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• THE MIDDLE RUNG:

• In time, the syllabus begins to look and sound familiar. The shiny newness of the class is starting to fade. Repetition sets in. This is where we see work ethic play a big part. Successful dancers will dig their teeth in and work to master the skills through repetition. Mature dancers will understand that it's not enough to skim the surface. Dancers need to execute the skills correctly and that means doing them over and over again, taking their corrections, week after week. It means understanding the mechanics, not just going through the motions. This can be very hard for dancers.  We encourage our Dancers while watching then carefully. If we feel they are ready for the next level we are quick to make the move.

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• THE TOP RUNG:

• This is where we expect dancers to refine the details of the skills they are learning. By now they should have the strength, flexibility and muscle memory to execute skills in a safe and correct manner. Time to stand in the front! Time to be the leader! Time for the teacher to have you demonstrate! The unfortunate reality is that many dancers and parents are in a rush to skip over this rung. They want the immediate gratification of a "promotion" to a new level. This is a mistake! Imagine how Dancers are cheated if they are promoted too soon! Not only do they miss the chance to refine their movements but they miss the confidence building experience of being a leader in their class and the successful feeling when the syllabus feels comfortable.  We never want to put our Dancers in a place where they are unable to give us what is expected - the successful feeling of accomplishment is our goal.