Q: Can I watch my child’s class?
A: We do not allow parents in the room to watch each week. This is because it causes distractions for the children and we want them to be concentrating on the teacher to instil discipline. Also, some children can be shy with lots of people watching them so would not develop their dancing in the way we want them to, or maybe not join in at all. However at the end of every term we do allow you to come in and watch 15 minutes of each of your child’s classes to see a little of what they have been learning. We also do shows and other performances throughout the year. Do not be surprised if some of the little ones don’t join in! It is very intimidating for them to have an audience when they are young but this gets better as they get older.
Q: Where do I buy the children’s uniform?
Ballet, modern and tap uniforms can be purchased from Chameleon Dancewear in Kettering or any other dance reatilers. Street dance t-shirts can be purchased from Miss Anderson. For the latter, please fill in an order form and hand it in with the correct money.
Q: Why does my child have to go to London for a dance exam?
A: Sometimes we send the children to the ISTD headquarters for their dance exams.This is when we only have a few groups ready to take the exam. An examiner will only come to you if there are at least half a day of exams for one particular type of dancing. We do not feel that it is fair to keep children back waiting for more children to be ready so that is why they may go to London. We have had feedback that it makes it more special for the children and can be a really memorable day out for them.However, your child does not have to do the exam so if you do not wish to go to London they can just move up to the next grade.
Q: Does my child need any special equipment if they are trying the class for the first time?
A: We always say let your child try the class first before you buy uniform, shoes etc. If they are coming to baby ballet please let them wear a dressing up fairy or princess dress and bare feet. If you do not have this then leggings and a t-shirt with a skirt over would be fine. Please let them bring a baby doll or teddy bear with them. For all other ballet classes leggings and a t-shirt with bare feet would be fine. For tap they can wear comfortable trousers and a t-shirt with any old flat smooth soled shoes you have that they can scuff around in. For street they can wear comfortable trousers and a t-shirt with any trainers or plimsolls.
Q: Why are the fees different amounts every term?
A: Fees are £3.50 per class. We then look at how many weeks are in the school term and work it out accordingly. Obviously some terms are longer than others so that will affect the price.
Q: How big are the classes?
A: We try and stick to maximum numbers in our classes to give the children the best possible training. For baby ballet this is 15 and for all other classes it is 20. However we do sometimes go over this in unforeseen circumstances such as a child who hasn’t been for a while who suddenly turns up again! Or a child who swaps days as their parents cannot make it at the original time any more. If this happens we do usually sort it out the following term by moving some children up to the next class.
Q: Why has my child not been moved up when other children her age have?
A: There are many reasons we look at when deciding who to move up. These include the child’s ability, class numbers, age, how long they have been in a particular class, and whether we think they would cope mentally and physically in the next class. It does not mean they are not as good as others, just that we think they would benefit more in their development to stay in that class a little longer. This may mean that their technique would be more secure when they do move up and would help them to move through the grades more quickly. We take the childrens development very seriously and we know what we are doing so please trust us!
Q: I am an adult who has never danced before. Is it too late to start?
A: NO! We just need to put you in a class which is suitable for beginners. The adult street dance class is suitable for all ages and adult tap group 1 is for beginners. Adult ballet is for all standards but is quite hard so i would suggest trying one of the others first to get your muscles used to working in that way and improve your fitness.
For any other questions please contact Miss Anderson on 07711 866346 or email [email protected].
