Every season we evaluate your dancer in every style of dance they take against our curriculum. When we see that they have mastered their level we announce their promotion on our website. We do this a month before the end of the season, and then again the weekend of our show. We know dancers work hard all season and recognize that sometimes in the last month things can really snap together. If your dancer missed a promotion and wants to move forward please encourage them to speak with their instructor about what skills they need to master in order to make the second wave of promotions. There is no guarantee that will happen but to ask shows their instructor commitment and dedication. We love that!
Promotions do not necessarily happen every season or every year. Promotion will happen when your dancer has mastered skills and that looks differently for every dancer. Artistry is difficult so our recommendation is to take one class per week more than the level your dancer is enrolled in. Doing this can expedite their mastery in that skill level. For example a level 2 ballet dancer should be taking three or more classes per week. This is also true for other styles of dance including jazz and tap. In the last year we have worked hard to add more non-performing technique classes in order to help our students reach mastery sooner.
Performance is another factor that will affect your promotion. Much like the final exam at the end of a college semester, performance is a dancer's opportunity to demonstrate mastery in the most obvious way. While hard work during the season is important, performance teaches special skills such as teamwork, resilience, the ability to improvise or recover gracefully, stage presence and showmanship. Typically we see our dancers confidence level soar after performance, not because they have proven what they can do to you, but because they have proven it to themselves. This is irreplaceable. While you do not necessarily have to perform in every style you take to promote, you do need to perform. We also offer other performance opportunities outside of our recital.
If you have questions about our evaluation and promotions process or about anything that goes on at the studio please do not hesitate to reach out. We are always excited to share our beautiful and proven method that has gone on to create professional dancers at companies both domestically and abroad, instructors, and hopefully someday future studio owners.
Dance can be a slow and steady process with no instant gratification and this is one of the reasons we love it. We understand that in today's instant gratification society this can become frustrating for dancers. We ask you to trust the process and the incredible know-how of our instructional staff. Celebrate promotions, but also celebrate the milestones along the way that are just as important. Consider that sometimes promotion means starting over in a room with dancers more advanced than you and the emotional resilience needed to cope with that is being considered for your dancer. Keep in mind that not promoting can often leave you as the most experienced dancer in a room which has benefits as well!
Enjoy the journey and just keep dancing!