Beginners Guide to Dance Lessons -
5 things every parent should know Before Choosing A Dance Studio

If most dance studios seem to have qualified, friendly teachers, experience teaching children and a big show at the end of the year, aren't they all pretty much the same?  Does it really matter which place you decide to enroll at?  Yes.  There are 5 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.  Here are the 5 main things that every parent should consider before deciding on a dance studio for their child.
 

1.  Can I observe classes, will I know exactly what is going on in the classroom?
Some schools only permit parents to observe classes once or twice during an entire dance season or not at all.  We allow parent observations at any time during the dance year.  Depending on the dance room, parents can either view classes through large, one-way view windows or via flat screen monitors anchored to the walls - and parents can view the class at any time.  This is also a way to ensure there will be no interruptions or distractions within the classroom to give the students the best education possible.  You can rest assured your child is in the best of hands at our facility, check in whenever you like.
 

2.  What kind of flooring will my child be dancing on?
Dance is a very physical activity and the flooring your child is dancing on should be specifically made for the impact of dance.  A special floor helps prevent injuries and reduced stress on the muscles and joints of the body.  At ATD we use only high quality wood laminate floors that lay on heavy duty foam padding or Roscoe Dance floors for our dance areas.  

“Roscoe Dance Floors are special hardwearing floor coverings designed for dance, studio and stage use. Produced in rolls it is a complex vinyl construction incorporating a strong mineral fiber interply and a firm foam backing.  The surface is produced from a hard-wearing vinyl and its formulation focuses on the demands of dancers.  The result is a slip-resistant floor to reassure performers and a predicable surface to give confidence to dancers for demanding choreography and movement.   The firm but lightweight foam backing helps to protect against hard sub floor.  It can be laid on any hard, smooth surface, e.g. particle board, hardwood, terrazzo, concrete, vinyl tile, etc.” –Roscoe Dance Floors

 
3.  Is the school conveniently located and is parking easily accessible?
We are conveniently located in the Gordon Ranch Shopping Center (next to Leslie’s Pool Supply).  Gordon Ranch is centrally located in Chino Hills. We have over 50 parking places at our facility - making parking extremely convenient and easy for our families.  We have 5 large dance rooms, a larger room specifically geared for our competition dancers, a homework room, and a comfortable spacious waiting area.  All of our rooms are air conditioned.

 
4.  Are there combination classes or are the classes specifically geared to a single subject?
Combination classes are great for young students (ages 3-5 or 6) who need constant change in order to keep their attention span and interest in the class.  That said, when students reach the age of 6 (with experience) or 7 the focus of one subject is the preferred method of a quality dance education.  A quality class should consist of at least 15- 20 minutes of warm ups,  technique, and combinations or routines to end the class.  Classes at ATD are geared this way to keep the best and safest possible education for our students in mind.  Unfortunately, some schools choose to have students take 1 hour combination classes and may be warming up just in time to change their shoes!!

 
5.  Is Customer Assistance readily available at the school?
In many schools, the teachers or the owners are busy teaching classes, doing the administration, and answering questions during class times. By trying to do two or three tasks at once, their class may suffer. The teacher may be pulled from the classroom for customer inquiries or issues, or the school may have no office staff available if the teacher is in a class. To have a smooth experience, especially for parents of first time students, it is important to choose a school that can assist you with any questions or concerns like scheduling, tuition, recital questions or costuming, even if your child's teacher is busy teaching a class. Our school has knowledgeable office personnel on staff during class hours everyday until 8:00pm so you will always be given immediate assistance.