How parents can support their dancers, part 1.

As part of our #TipTuesdays on Facebook, we are doing a series of posts on how parents can better support their dancers (in addition to the wonderful acts of driving them to class, paying for tuition, etc.). Here is last weeks’ post:

It’s #TipTuesday! This one is for parents per fan request and will be addressed over several weeks. How can a parent support their dancer? Do your research and educate yourself. Their is a ton of info online for parents of dancers. Let’s look at studio selection. Choosing a studio just because it is the closest or cheapest is not the way to go. Unfortunately, anyone can open a dance studio, there are no certification requirements, so you need to investigate carefully. You are entrusting your child’s body to whomever you choose so choose wisely. Does the studio have a sprung floor? this is an absolute must. You wouldn’t let your child learn gymnastics on a concrete floor with no mats, so don’t let your child dance on one either. This can cause joint damage, stress fractures and other serious injuries and sometimes permanent damage. Next, look at the director/teachers. They should have studied not only dance but pedagogy as well at a reputable school. They should have had a performing career. They should also be involved in some sort of continuing education to keep up on the latest trends and teaching techniques, injury prevention, etc. Most of all they should love working with children. With that said, not all dance teachers with a degree or professional dancers with a great career make good teachers. Some of the best teachers are ones who struggled and had to work extra hard to become dancers.
We want your questions and feedback, so please ask/reply in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!

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