Whether you got inspired after watching Dancing With The Stars, World of Dance, or simply got inspired after watching a good TikTok video, you decide it’s finally time to strap on your dancing shoes and sign up for official dance lessons. You look for dance companies near me, because let’s face it, everyone wants convenience in their lives. A hundred Google answers pop up on your screen, and it is now your responsibility to sift through the list and narrow it down to one. Lord knows you cannot pick the first one you see because, despite the Google rankings, you have to do some background research to dig up some dirt on the dance company. How do you go about that? What are the factors to consider while trying to select the perfect one? What are some of the tips to keep in mind while selecting a dance company in your city? Here are they.
Your Key Focus of Dance Style
Before even typing out “dance companies near me,” it is time to do some self-introspection. Find out what you’re looking to gain from these dance lessons and what your key area of focus is. For instance, if you want to learn Salsa or Rumba, or contemporary: the choice is yours, and the list is endless. After you’ve narrowed this down, search again to find dance companies that are reputable or highly trained in the form of dance you wish to study. This will narrow down your list by half, at least. The questions you need to ask yourself before looking for a dance studio are: Are you looking to lose weight at a Zumba class? Are you training to be a professional dancer? Is this a fun post-work activity for you? Are you looking to improve your social dancing skills?
What are the Teachers Like: Personality & Qualifications?
The next step is sizing up your faculty and finding out how qualified they are (this usually goes before personality). After all, you want a professional teacher who knows what they’re talking about. First off, review the overall dance faculty in the entire company. Find out how long they’ve been teaching, their areas of expertise, if they have any experience performing in productions (which is a big bonus), how often do they teach (once or twice a week?), have they trained students for competitions, and such. After you’ve found out their professional prowess, it’s time to find out how they treat their students. Are they drill-sergeants or are they caring and understanding? Many people are comfortable with a little bit of tough love interspersed in their teaching, but others aren’t. So this is a subjective choice. Ask around, check their Facebook page, look for reviews in general, and find out what they’re like, and what the environment is like!
Is It Out of My Budget Range?
One of the things you’ve definitely thought of before typing out “dance companies near me,” is the cost factor. In your head, you’ve done some rough calculations of what this might cost you, so you have a ballpark. Note that the cost of dance lessons vary greatly from company to company, also depending on the city you live in. Based on location, reputation, the number of classes, dance style, and more, the cost can either skyrocket or be less than you’d anticipated. The importance of cost also weighs down on your key focus- what you plan on getting out of this. For instance, you’d be willing to pay a little extra if you’re training to be a professional dancer, versus trying to beat social anxiety while dancing.
Use Social Networking to Find Out More
Once you’ve done sizing up the results from your “dance companies near me” Google search, it’s time to talk to people. Talk first to local dancers you know of. Chances are they’ve attended more than just one dance class in their life, and have been doing so at a young age. Take suggestions from them and find out if there’s any company you should stay away from, based on your preference. Try going to some of these studios, and ask them if you can sit and watch for a while. Remember, there’s NO shame in this. If visitors aren’t allowed, that’s fine, because some of them don’t want to disrupt the class. But others offer open classes to help you understand the culture and environment of the studio, which is a big plus.