Dance Class Etiquette In Parent/ Child Classes
Teaching a tiny tot dance class takes a special teacher and to be honest, the younger the dancer, the more challenging the dance class can be to teach, especially when you add in the presence of a parent, grandparent, friend or nanny in the room. The teacher, the parents and the dancer want the best class possible that fosters a fun educational dance environment. In order for the teacher to be successful, here are a few good rules of etiquette for your child to get the best class possible.
(For the purpose of this blog, we will use the word parents to represent guardians, nannies, grandparents, etc.)
- If the class is a ‘parent participant’ or ‘parent participate as needed’ class…parents should do just that. Not only is this a special moment to share with your child, but the young dancer truly does need your love, support and guidance. This is true no matter how good the teacher is. If your dancer is little Mr/Miss Independent for a certain section of class, then great. Just remember to not distract them during the times that you are not directly participating by calling out their name, moving around them, taking lots of pictures, etc. As we all know, this age group is easily distracted when the teacher is trying so hard to keep them engaged.
- Not sure how to participate? It is a dance class...so feel free to get physically involved with your dancer. 🙂 The teacher will love this and greatly appreciate it! At this age, they need help with their coordination and movement. For example, depending on what the teacher is leading, feel free to physically help them turn or to keep their legs straight. The more you help your dancer, the faster they will progress.
- Remember that repetition is very important for this age group. So although the teacher will keep the class fun and exciting, it is normal, and needed, to repeat moves within the class.
- Repetition is key! Most dancers only attend class once a week, so spend time working on what they’ve learned in class at home. This will ensure that they’re progressing and memorizing.
- Take this time to be engaged in the moment. Put your cell phone away and only take calls if needed outside of the room.
- Arrive on time. It’s important that dancers feel part of the class from the beginning. If you are late, simply quietly enter the room and start participating in the class.
- Speaking of arriving late...if you arrive late to your dancer’s class, do not enter the room until you are completely ready to start. Changing shoes/ clothes should be done prior to entering the room to keep from distracting the other dancers.
- The teacher is trying to teach with music, tiny tots and adults in the room. We know their cuteness is impossible to ignore and it is hard to not laugh or comment with other parents in the room but there is a lot of natural noise already. Please be respectful of this and keep side conversations for after class.