library lady Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 Hi all, My daughter is 11-1/2 and has been at the same school in for 8 years. It has a great reputation and good "name" but most of the other students at her level are pretty mediocre. The artistic director and her teachers think she's really talented and I suppose I've been pretty happy with the teaching (the adminstration is a mess but that's another story). One of her past teachers whispered in my ear that perhaps I should look around to see what else is out there. I'm willing to look but any advice as to what we should be looking for? I feel like I'm going blindly into this...I'm stymied here! Thanks in advance for any thoughts... Quote Link to comment
Clara 76 Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 It sounds like she really needs to be in a situation where all the kids look like her and dance like her. The motivation factor alone will help her improve, and usually places like that have stellar training. You could be looking at residencies like Harid, NBS, or Kirov. Or, just a really, really well known school, like Draper or CPYB. There are many, many more though that I haven't mentioned, simply because I can't remember them all!! Take a look at the Pre-Pro Schools Forums, and Residency Forums, and I'm sure you'll find the information you're looking for. Quote Link to comment
Arizona Native Posted August 7, 2008 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 If you are in New York State, there are a number of good programs. How accessible they are to you depends on where you live. An important way to evaluate programs is to visit classes at your child's level. Quote Link to comment
concerned parent Posted August 7, 2008 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 We were in your situation not long ago. My DD was in a school with a great local reputation but it was just a recreational dance school. Some of the characteristics we looked for are whether the school follows a syllabus and whether they have a track record of turning out professional dancers. We switched to a school that has both of these characteristics, plus is taught by someone with over 30 yrs experience. There was a big difference in the quality of teaching between schools. My main regret is that we didn't make the move sooner as now my dd is trying to catch up to the level she should be at. Quote Link to comment
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