How To Choose A Ballet Teacher



Posted: Friday, December 08, 2006

by
http://www.balletshoesandpointeshoes.blogspot.com/

Things to consider: What Do You Want For Your Child?

What does your child want from ballet? Would tap dancing, karate, or jazz be a satisfying alternative, or does it have to be ballet? Ballet is a traditional, technical form requiring commitment and discipline. Sometimes it isn't fun! But many fall in love with it.

What are your needs? Must the studio be close to home, near the public school, within walking distance, or could you go to the best ballet studio you can find? What will you look for if there are several studios you can check out? The following discussion of the most basic requirements to good, safe, ballet teaching, will be helpful to parents searching for a good studio.

A ballet regimen can be used for a weight loss plan, a childcare outlet, health maintenance, or relief for a troubled teenager. It takes a special love, and can fulfill many requirements of the soul. Many ballet teachers, in glamorous and famous settings, or small and out of the way regions, work just to provide an outlet for this broad spectrum of our needs.

Locations and appearances: professional dance studios tend to be in older buildings, which have large rooms with undivided spaces, and sprung wooden floors instead of floors set over concrete. A teacher trained in a professional school would choose such a place over a newer facility in a fashionable district with smaller rooms and a concrete floor. If the neighborhood is safe, don't judge a a studio by its lack of "chic". A teacher who chooses an older, low-rent district studio may be providing pupils with safer flooring, better musical accompianment, and the luxury of smaller classes. If premises have been built especially for dance studios, the best amenities are likely in place.

Music: today's economy will not allow all teachers to have live piano accompaniment. While definitely preferable, it will be reflected in the fees you pay. Recorded music for classes does not necessarily mean lower teaching standards.

Size of classes: for the beginning levels (i.e., younger children) there should not be classes over approximately 15 students without a teacher's assistant, or the students will not get much individual attention.

Hard Floors: floors set directly over concrete have no give, thus creating the potential for injury from falls or repeated hard landings from jumps. This creates stress and wear and tear on on delicate developing joints and soft tissues. Sprung floors are the best, which is wood on wood supports.

Body style favoritism in teachers: this can be devastating to your child's self-esteem. Any body type can learn, and benefit from ballet classes. This also applies if you are an adult looking for classes, beginner or otherwise. Ballet endows any physique with grace, strength, and fluidity of motion. Unfortunately the professional world of ballet is affected by fads and fashions of body shape just like high fashion. Children studying any kind of athletics should be encouraged to appreciate themselves, and the wonderment of their human body and their abilities, just as they are, and just as they are not.

Professional ballet requires some very specific physical attributes. Some teachers will praise a student's classwork relative to the assets they were born with. This leaves all others left behind. A good teacher will teach towards every student's actual efforts, concentration, and physical progress, be it made because of, or in spite of, their physiques.

Corrections and teachers' attitudes: a teacher's positive attitude is essential. Difficult routines can still be enjoyed, as they produce accomplishment. Every student should be corrected in every class, and every student should be noted when improvements are seen. A demanding but compassionate person produces the best results.

The technical details of good teaching is - well - technical! More guidelines to come in future articles.

Dianne M. Buxton is a graduate of the National Ballet School of Canada. She taught there for several years, and also taught at York University and George Brown College in Toronto, and at Harvard University.


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Dianne M. Buxton was led by her career teaching professional ballet dancers, to write about dancing in pointe shoesl, muscle stretching exercises, dance/sports nutrition, and the mind/body connection. She is published at Ballet Shoes and Pointe Shoes and Health Nutritional Supplements. (no personal information is collected if you click on these links).
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)
» left by G. Bernstein
from West Hills California 5 years 30 days ago.
Dianne Buxton's article was informative and right on the mark. It is obvious she commands the drive, the talent, the knowledge of Ballet and the compassion of a great instructor. Thank You Gail Bernstein
» left by Lakshmi
from Boston, MA 5 years 5 days ago.
I'm a teacher and student of classical Indian and Middle Eastern dance. I've tried to put together similar notes for faraway friends who ask me the same question relative to ethnic dances. I found this article helpful and a great clarifier of some of the aspects of good instruction that I've been trying to describe to those who ask me. This is really great advice - even when you look for not-ballet dance classes!
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