| Important Things To Look For When Choosing A Dance Studio |
While there are some fine teachers who do not have a formal education, the better teachers are usually those who are college educated. In a college or university, the students not only are trained to dance but also are trained to teach. In addition, they usually take psychology and physiology classes to learn how to deal with the emotions of the students and to know which muscles are used in various dance movements. An improperly trained teacher can cause injuries that often do not show up until after a student has stopped dancing. At Turning Pointe, all of our teachers either have four-year degrees or are still in college. Most have degrees in dance performance or dance education.
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| A sprung floor is one that has an underlay of high-density foam blocks every six inches. At Turning Pointe, our floors are constructed in this manner. In addition, we have a special vinyl floor covering that is designed exclusively for use in dance studios. The type of floor that we use cuts down on the stress to the ankles, knees and hips and helps prevent injuries and fatigue to these joints. You are welcome to jump on our floors and note they are slightly "springy", yet firm, to allow for proper dance technique. |
At Turning Pointe, we have a regular system of preventative maintenance, and our maintenance and cleaning staff works daily to keep the studio looking new, clean and fresh. Often a studio will look dirty, tired and uninviting, but not Turning Pointe. |
| At Turning Pointe, we have one-way glass for parent viewing. From the inside of the classroom, the viewing window looks like a mirror so it is not distracting to the dancers to have the parents observe the classes. We sometimes close the blinds during classes such as when we are working on our recital dances. However, most of the time they are open for parent observation. |
| At Turning Pointe, we have professional office staff on duty Monday - Friday until 7:00 P.M. and on Saturday until 12:30 P.M. These staff members can answer your questions or get the answer for you and get back to you. Some studios use studio parents or even students to answer the phone, and it can be uncomfortable discussing personal business in some situations. It is also nice to be able to talk to a human being instead of an impersonal answering machine. We do have an answering machine in use when the office is closed. We keep the message current and always state our office hours so that you know when you can reach someone in person. |
| Turning Pointe is family owned and operated and we try to present positive images to you and your children. |
At Turning Pointe, we have an Annual Recital at the Lake Brantley High School Auditorium. We have four shows that last about one and one-half hours each. We try to have a good balance of numbers so that the performances are entertaining beyond the number of your own favorite dancer. Our lighting, scenery and music are professionally done, and we always receive many compliments, especially from new parents and grandparents who have never seen one of our productions. We do not charge a recital fee, but we sell recital tickets for about the cost of a movie. In addition, we have a free recital program in which parents and businesses can purchase ads honoring their favorite dancers. We would invite parents of prospective students to view one of our recital videos. We also have a very informal Winter Performance in December. We have three shows per night, Monday through Thursday, which last about 30 minutes each. You can observe your dancer's performance right in the studio. We bring in chairs and have some theatrical lighting and scenery.
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| We welcome you to video the recital performances. We also have the shows professionally taped using live editing and broadcast-quality cameras. Videos can be ordered in advance at a discount or after the recitals at a slightly higher price. |
| Some studios do not believe in competitions. At Turning Pointe we like to see how we stack up against other studios, both locally and nationally. Our program is nationally known, and our students have won many awards. It gives us great pride to know that we can compete successfully with any dance studio in the country. We have our STARS program, which stands for Striving Towards ARtistic Superiority. Our program is the largest of any local studio, having over 70 dancers involved. These dancers attend regional and national competitions and dance conventions, where they receive instruction from some of the finest dancers and performers in the nation. We also bring in Master Teachers, usually from Los Angeles, approximately once per month. We also have a Summer Intensive Dance Program for the serious dancer. Contact the studio for more information on the STARS program or the Summer Intensive Dance Program. |
