The time has come to choose a dance school in Calgary. The good news is that there are a lot of great places to choose from! But doing so requires some research from your end to ensure that you are picking the school that suits you best. You may have already started your search by typing “dance school near me” into the google search bar, hoping to populate the best results right off the bat.
This is a good place to start. However, when you are searching for a dance school, you'll need to keep a couple of key things in mind.
Location
How far are you willing to drive, or have your parents drive to classes? The location of the dance studio is almost always going to influence your decision. Spending money on gas driving for hours every week, will likely not be your first choice. This is why typing “dance school near me” is a great way to narrow down your initial search. Google will populate the choices that are closest to your location and thus have the least commute times.
Sometimes, if the studio is extremely well-rated, or comes with some of the best teachers in the country, you will be willing to spend the extra time and money to drive there, however, we suggest keeping the search as local as possible. If you are looking for a dance studio in SW Calgary, check out Dance Spectrum.
Experience of Teachers
Finding a studio that is near you, will ultimately be a great fit but you will also want to consider who the instructors are for each individual dance school. How many years of experience do they have? Have they taught at other studios before this one? Do they have a background in dance personally or professionally? These are questions you can answer by looking thoroughly at the bios on the studio's website. You can read through and get to know the teachers before you even reach out to them, which you can do if you have additional questions or concerns.
Doing this preliminary research will help you narrow down your search and help you find the best fit for your dancing needs.
Environment
Whether you are a beginner or a competitive dance athlete matters significantly when searching for a dance studio near you. You will want to elevate your choices based on the environment that they offer to their students to ensure that it will be a good fit for you.
If you are just entering the world of dance, you'll likely need teachers that have more patience and have worked with younger students before. The environment you should look for is one of comfort and encouragement. On the other hand, competitive dancers may look for a different environment in a dance school. They will want to be pushed and challenged in a way that many beginners find intimidating. Look for studios that offer competitive dance and do your research from there.