Being part of a dance studio can be an incredible experience. Dance classes are a great way to make friends, gain a skill, stay healthy, and have fun!  In order to get the most out of your experience there are a few things you need to know.

Dress Code– It is important for students to be dressed appropriately for dance.  Bulky clothing that is not tight makes it hard for the instructor to see if the student’s lines are correct.  If a student is wearing a big t-shirt it’s hard to tell if hips are straight or the abdominals are engaged.  Tights are also a very important part of dress code.  With shows like Dance Moms, and the new booty short and crop top “phase” it can be hard to know what is appropriate. 

 Tights are usually considered part of a dancer’s necessary tools. Why is this so?

Circulation and the prevention of injury to the veins and tendons are two the most important reasons. When putting steady pressure on feet and legs, students need all the support they can get to improve and support circulation in these areas.   Tights offer light compression that has been proven to improve circulation in the feet and legs.  Since a dancer’s livelihood depends on feet and legs, it makes sense to wear tights. Also body coverage is important, with the many moves we complete.

We also do not allow bare midriffs.  Self- image can make it or break it for a dancer of any age.  By keeping all students from showing too much skin, not only do we keep all dancers comfortable, we maintain integrity and self- respect for the body.

Please click (here) for a complete dress code guideline.

Attendance:

Being present in class consistently is the most important part of dancing.  The class is structured to progress week to week.   A typical class will build on material each week and by missing a week it can set the dancer back an entire lesson.  It’s also hard for the dancer to catch up on missed choreography.  A recital routine is put together a few eight counts each week.  Instead of learning five eight counts they may have to learn ten and that can be overwhelming.  While missing occasionally is ok, trying to be consistent is best.  Just like any other thing we do, the more we do it the better we are!

Please click (here) for our complete attendance policy.

Punctuality:

LA traffic is the worst!  We all know what it’s like to be rushing around and leaving at the last minute.  We ask that you do your absolute best to get here on time.  The warm-up is the most crucial part of class.  It is extremely unsafe to dance without warming up.  Our body’s well- being is very important.  Dancing on a body not warmed up is dangerous.  Aside from the risk of dancing without warming up, important skills are taught in the beginning of class. Strength, flexibility, and precision are all taught right from the start of class.  It can also be really disruptive to interrupt a class already in session by arriving late.  It’s extremely hard (especially with small dancers) to keep them focused and engaged.  Once the class is interrupted it takes a lot of important class time to get them back.  It can be very embarrassing for the student to enter late and draw attention. 

*Please try to be no later than five minutes late for class.  After ten minutes you will need to call and schedule a make-up class.

How to get the best dance education:

Ballet is the foundation to all dance.  The grace, strength, and skill of ballet take a lifetime of learning to perfect.  Have you ever felt like you wished you had finished something, or really gave something a better shot as a kid?  This can often be said about dance.  Our goal at Elite Dance Center is to make ballet fun so it’s enjoyable but challenging enough to get results.

We always recommend taking ballet and then adding to that with another style of dance.  If a student is only interested in something else, that’s ok too.  Jazz class can be a great alternative to ballet.  It still teaches technique, but is much more upbeat and exciting.   

The best technical forms of dance are ballet and jazz. Leaps and Turns is a great additive to those forms of dance.

Contemporary and Hip-Hop are usually a more open level style of dance.  This means that it’s much easier for dancers of different levels and experience take class together.  It’s also easier to take a class as a teen or adult and still catch on.  Contemporary at Elite is leveled off by age due to the emotion behind the movement.  We level all classes by age and level but hip-hop and contemporary are scheduled a bit broader.

Tap can be really frustrating and overwhelming if attempted at too difficult a level too fast.  It’s a very intricate dance form and teaches amazing rhythm!  Although not as popular as other dance forms, it should not be discounted! Tap Today!

Sometimes a student has to try a few classes or a few teachers to find what works.  Once the right class is found, it is good to stay consistent.  Just like playing an instrument, it takes time to master.  It’s unrealistic to expect to be amazing at anything right away.  Work hard and have fun!

How to move up the ranks at the studio:

While being on a team is fun, it’s also a lot of work.  The kids that are seen at shows with amazing dances and going to dance competitions have amazing work ethic.  What sets those students apart from an average student is the not only the hours put in but the drive they have in class.

Ballet cannot be emphasized enough.  It is mandatory to take Ballet and Ballet Technique to be on a team.  To move up a level in ballet, the skills in the current level need to mastered.  It’s ok to stay in the same level for a few years.  Just like reading….you can’t read bigger words until you can read the smaller ones.  Dance is its own language.

Ballet, jazz, leaps and turns, acrobatics, and contemporary are all required.  Most of the team students take six to seven classes a week.  They usually are not doing several other activities, they commit to dance.

Aside from the number of classes taken the best advice is to really give 100 percent in class.  The students that excel in dance are the ones that come to class on time, adhere to the dress code, and are ready to work.  When the exercises are hard they push through.  They understand why they work and as a group they push each other in a supportive manner.  Teaching mental strength to students is important.  They’re not allowed to quit when something is hard; it doesn’t take long before they learn their own capabilities.

They can’t be afraid to fail.  This is a hard thing to learn, but making a mistake or falling short of something isn’t a bad thing.  It’s how a student perseveres when a mistake is made that matters. 

Encourage your dancer to push through.  Making excuses for them to quit gives them a reason to quit.  Remind them that their best is good enough, and the more you do something the easier it gets.

Hard work and will never goes unnoticed.  A teacher doesn’t always want to work with the best dancer, just the hardest working one!