You want your little one to have a great time in a first dance class. You have been looking at classes online but can't work out where to begin. They're all the same anyway, right?
Well sadly not, there is a huge variety of dance classes for preschool children, and choosing the right one is vital to your child enjoying the experience.
Number One
Make certain that you can go with your child for their first few classes so that you can see how the teachers deal with the children, and what goes on in class. Most importantly make sure that you are not being asked for large sums of money before you have had a chance to decide if this is the place for you.
Number Two
Look for a class that will hold your little ones interest. An hour long class may seem like value for money but in reality small children will only absorb information for a certain period of time. We want them to come away from a class excited to do more next week. Look out for ongoing reward schemes and small incentives in class.
Number Three
What progress can your child make? Does the dance teacher have older students? If so what are they studying and what opportunities do they have for examinations and performances. Is there an opportunity for them to train to teach when they are older?
Number Four
What qualifications and experience do the staff have? Now we aren't just talking about their dance qualifications here. Do they have a First Aider? Do they hold current DBS certificates? How long have they been teaching? and how many teachers are present in a class?
Number Five
Consider the ongoing cost! Ask about not only the lesson prices, ask what the children paid for costumes for their last performance. Ask about the cost of Examinations and extra lessons. Ask about the cost of uniform and dance shoes, and whether or not they are supplied through the dance school.
Don't be shy in asking these questions, they are thing you need to know if you are going to arm yourself with information. Your dance teacher should be readily able to answer any of these questions.
Most importantly, find a dance class that fills your child with excitement each week. If little ones learn to love attending dance class, they learn to love dance.