Stop Searching for the Perfect Dance Studio. Do This Instead.
She Has to Start Somewhere.
Stop. Stop searching. The more you search, the more time it’ll take for your child to step foot into a dance class.
I get it. You want to find a dance studio in your area that’s the perfect balance of education and safety. My mom went through the same thing when I was a little girl.
She ultimately found a studio 2 towns over that wasn’t part of the dance competition world. She wanted me to focus more on the art and culture of dance. The Dance Moms environment was not on her docket.
As a result, my dance education bloomed. I became a teacher and an award-winning choreographer. It was important to me to create the same environment I grew up in - an encouraging and nurturing one.
Save yourself from the endless Google and AI searches. They’re a recipe for headaches. Facebook groups? They push you down into a deep-dug hole of people you probably don’t want to associate with.
Do this instead: start your daughter’s dance education at home. If you haven’t found the right dance studio for her yet, there’re TONS of resources out there to get her started.
As a dance teacher of 15 years, you’d be surprised at how much quality lives on Youtube. Look up tutorials on Youtube for kids. Watch professionally filmed Ballets.
Kids learn by watching and by osmosis. Does your daughter copy what’s on TV? You have everything you need right at home and right at your fingertips.
Here are my top 3 Ballet movies for you to watch:
The Nutcracker (1993 with Macaulay Culkin as The Nutcracker/Drosselmeier's Nephew).
Leap! (2016, animated film).
Ballet Shoes (2007).
The best part about starting their dance education at home? You can learn with your child! It’s a short, great way to spend time with your daughter (or son) if you’re a busy mom. Learn one dance step or technique a day for 15 minutes. That’s it!
Your child can learn at their own pace, one step at a time. Build one ballet or dance step on top of what she learned yesterday. Review, Reuse, Learn New. Small steps make a BIG impact.
If you feel lost on your dance Youtube search, here’s a video to get you started without all the search and picking hassle: https://youtu.be/wmzTjCTCaxc.
I made it specifically to go along with my children’s book, Bella the Buck-Toothed Ballerina, but why not share it with everyone who might need it?! All you need is a flat floor, the will to learn, and a screen.
Now, where do you start? What are the first dance steps your child should learn? Here are a few that pop up in every genre of dance:
The OG 5 Ballet Positions.
Every genre of dance uses variations of the 5 Ballet Positions. Both arm and feet positions are used, but let’s start with feet without overwhelming you.
First Position: Make a “V” shape with your feet. Toes are out to the corner of the room while the heels stick together.
Second Position: First Position but with the heels shoulder or hip-width apart. Equal weight should be on both feet.
Third Position: First Position, but one foot is slightly in front of the other. The front foot’s heel is nestled in the arch of the back foot. Equal weight should be on both feet.
Fourth Position: Here we are with feet apart again. This time they’re vertically apart instead of side by side. It's easiest to describe 4th position by transitioning from 3rd. Take the front foot from 3rd position and slide it out in front of the other. Put equal weight on both feet. The distance between the feet should be about the same as 2nd position (shoulder or hip-width apart).
Fifth Position: Feet are closed for this last position. Fifth position is similar to 3rd, but instead of nestling the heel of the front foot into the arch of the back, your heel meets the big toe instead. Let’s say the right foot is in front. The heel of the right foot meets the big toe of your left foot. Equal weight is distributed between both feet.
Plié.
(Pronounced Plee-ay). This french word simply means: bend. Bend the knees with the feet in a position. The space between the knees should create a diamond shape.
Relevé.
(pronounced REL-IH-VAY) means to lift. From a plié in any position, the heels lift off the ground so the dancer is left standing on the balls of their feet. All 5 toes remain on the ground with equal weight distributed between both feet.
Feel free to refer back to this blog post or check this one out for a more detailed description of dance terms! That linked blog post also gives you a little taste of what dance class is like.
For more tips, personal dance stories, and to never miss a blog post, sign up for my newsletter. Finding the perfect dance studio for your child doesn’t have to be part of the madness of life. You can make it sweet right at home.