Dancing is a great extra-curricular activity for kids and teens. For some dancers dance can become more than a hobby and going to college to study dance becomes their goal and dream. College offers a dancer not only a variety of training opportunities but also career options. But if you’re interested in studying dance at college, you will also probably be wondering how much it will cost!
Do you have a child that takes dance classes or is about to? If so, did you know that there is an enrollment fee to pay at the beginning of each dance year? But why do we have to pay these fees? What do they go towards?
If you’ve ever wondered why dance lessons are so expensive, you’re not alone! Many people receive their dance studio invoices and gasp – I know I have! Which is why I thought it was a good idea to find out where all my money was going.
Typically, a beginner ballet class for young children will last between 30 minutes to an hour, depending on age. Dancers will learn a combination of creative movement skills, fine and gross motor skills, and classical ballet steps.
Tap dance is making a comeback lately, with movies like “Happy Feet”, tap being featured on popular shows like “So You Think You Can Dance”, and viral videos from tap artists such as Syncopated Ladies. With its origins in African and Irish cultures, tap dance evolved into a unique art form that is beloved all over the world, and you can find classes for all ages and levels at dance studios.
If your child has ever been mesmerized by “The Descendants” or won’t stop singing along to “Hamilton”, chances are you’ve got a musical theatre fan on your hands! Whether they want to be the next big star or just want to dive deeper into the wonderful world of musicals, signing your kiddo up for a musical theatre dance class might be on your mind!
If you’ve got a kid who is cooler than you’ve ever been, hip hop class might be right up their alley! Good hip hop classes stay on the pulse of what’s popular in current hip hop culture, while paying homage to the founders and movements that created the styles that make up contemporary hip hop.
If you are a parent of a dancer who is in the midst of choosing colleges, then you will know how much researching, preparation and planning has gone on before an actual dance audition for a college even occurs!
If your dance mom college audition experience for your dancer is anything like mine, you will see yourself on the end of a video camera (or your phone) filming video auditions, or video pre-screening auditions which are followed up by an in-person audition.
If your dance college audition experience is anything like mine, your dancer will pick about a dozen colleges, some with in-person dance auditions, some with video auditions, some requiring classical ballet variations, some requiring a self-choreographed solos, some requiring written essays, some requiring interviews, and all with different timelines. So how do you prepare for all that???