Five Things Every Parent Should Know
Before Choosing A Dance Studio

If most dance studios seem to have friendly teachers, mirrors, experience teaching children and a big recital at the end of the year, aren’t they all pretty much the same? Does it really matter which place you decide to enroll?

Yes! There are five main things that can make a huge difference in the quality of instruction your child receives, the amount of extra work and hassles the parents must deal with and the overall enjoyment and satisfaction of being involved with a dance program.

We hope this report will help answer your questions and give you the tools needed to make an informed decision about where to take your children for dance lessons!

1) How qualified are the instructors?
Dance is a powerful tool in any young student’s life. At SOTA we understand that dance students can perform as much as 40% better in school because of the tools they receive in their dance training. SOTA is extremely proud of the quality of instruction and offers some of the best teachers possible. Be it for a professional career in dance or a social and recreational endeavor, we take our teaching responsibility quite seriously.

Students learn disciple, focus, etiquette, physical activity, and best of all the enjoyment in achieving things that are difficult. These are powerful tools for anyone. We provide teachers with both professional performance experience as well as educational backgrounds. We provide all this in a positive and nurturing environment. Part of good dance teaching is the environment in which they learn, both physically and emotionally. SOTA works hard to provide both these factors by providing instruction that empowers the student to learn and excel in many aspects of life

2) What type of dance floor is used?
Dance is a very physical activity that requires a lot of jumping, which can put stress on bones and joints. Most dance footwear does not provide any cushioning or support, so the shock of dance movement can place a lot of pressure on the knees and back of a dancer. The best way to prevent against potential injury is by choosing a studio with a professional "floating floor". A floating floor is a dance floor that rests on a system of high-density foam, to absorb the shock of jumping. A high-density foam base is superior to a "sprung" floor, which usually consists of a wood structure built on the regular floor.

The top layer of the dance floor is also an important factor. A vinyl composite "Marley" floor is accepted worldwide as the best surface layer for recreational to professional dance. Facilities such as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Royal Academy of Dance in London, England, and Riverdance - The Touring Show, all use Marley floors as their dance surface. A Marley floor allows dancers to slide, with a degree of "controlled slip, but is not slippery so there is less risk of slips and falls. Very few studios use professional Marley floors because of the expense involved, and usually opt for a regular floor tile for a studio floor.
All of our studios at State of the Arts have floating floors that have over 3,000 high density foam blocks under the floor surface and a Marley top surface. Our special floors help reduce the risk of injuries and allow students to dance longer without getting tired.

3) What are the sizes of classes?
If the dance class has fewer students in it each child will receive more personalized attention, learn more and have more fun. With younger students it is easier for a teacher to maintain control over the class and make sure each student understands the concepts and instructions. Our smaller class sizes make sure that no fundamental concepts are being missed. A smaller class size also allows our teachers to ensure that students are not developing bad habits or improper technique.

State of the Arts Dance Center limits all of our classes (ages 6 and up) to a maximum of just 14 students per class. All our younger classes (ages 3 to 6) have a minimum of two instructors.

4) What are the"EXTRAS" required for the year-end Recital?
Most studios put on a year-end recital every year in a theatre. Students that perform in the recitals must have a costume for their dance number. Some studios may require parents to sew their child’s costumes, or pay extra and the parents must find their own seamstress to do the sewing. This can be inconvenient and frustrating for parents who are busy or can’t sew. Many studios use dance recitals as a profit center with long 3 and 4 hour end of year recitals. Kids may be in many dance numbers that require costly costume fees for each individual routine. You should factor in these costs when pricing out classes for one semester or for the whole year.

State of the Arts Dance Center has bi-annual professional style concerts. These concerts usually depict a theme, and all the children at every level intermix to perform a professional style show. We charge only one small costume fee that covers all the costumes your children may need for the show. We have several volunteer seamstresses to sew and alter the costumes if needed, so parents do not have to worry about any costume hassles. Often parents enjoy getting involved and if they sew, we can give their talent a pretty good work out. We take exacting measurements before we select the costumes so alterations are seldom necessary.

We also have yearly performing opportunities with our Annual Nutcracker Ballet. Each year we stage an elaborate and colorful production of the famous ballet, every young dancer's dream. With this production, costumes are the priority of the Westminster Ballet Theatre. WE purchase and keep all costumes and minimize the stress on parents and dancers.

5) Can I get immediate assistance and customer service?
State of the Arts prides itself on customer satisfaction. Our motto is "We can’t teach students who don’t want to be here". As well, parents are the main vehicle for dancers to get to their classes and it is important to us that our customers be satisfied. The studio is usually open at 9:00 am until 10:00 pm 6 days a week. If questions or concern arise we hope that our OPEN DOOR policy will invite you into our office to discuss your needs.

To have a good experience it is important to choose a studio that can assist you with details like costumes or schedules, even if a teacher is occupied in a class. Our studios have office staff on hand during all regular class times, so you can get immediate assistance. We have provided a family friendly lobby with a coffee and snack bar for the parents. Parents can watch their children’s progress on closed circuit studio camera connected to the two monitors in the main lobby.