Back in the day, when I was a little boy, my mom would take me to watch her take class in Los Angeles from an older lady named Miss Frey. The studio was up a flight of stairs, and there were 2 small poodles running around. The dance floor had a hole in it and there were dust bunnies everywhere. Miss Frey had only one eye and she looked so old to me.
At the time, I couldn’t understand why my mom, and a lot of other great dancers, went to her for ballet class. After a while, I understood. A good teacher can teach you in an alley and still attract a lot of students. However, times have changed, and it’s probably best to have a beautiful, clean studio. The stigma about it is probably more off-putting but not necessarily a bad place to dance.
Other than the appearance, the biggest selling point—and the reason to go to a studio—is still the teacher.
A close second is a wonderfully sprung dance floor, which gives you the confidence to dance on it. You’re not scared that you might slip, etc.
What many don’t address, or even realize, is that most dance studios are echo chambers. Some sound absorption material would go a long way! If the teacher’s going to start a routine, they usually say: “Five, six, seven, eight, hit it!” If there’s an echo in the room, it’s difficult to know where the exact down beat is. So acoustics are important, too. If a room has too much echo, after a while, it starts to affect you. It’s fairly subliminal, and most places don’t even address the issue.
Tuition prices, location, nice atmosphere, and friendly people are all important factors, but here is the dance studio checklist in order of importance:
- Teacher
- Dance Floor
- Location
- Cleanliness
- Acoustics
- Vibe and Friendliness
