Dance class is a lot like school in many ways: your child explores new ideas, practices skills, solves problems, and develops friendships. Unlike school though, dance classes don’t have a new grade level every year. This can seem strange at first, but for dance education it’s very normal and expected!
At SB Dance Arts our dance students experience “growth” years (when they move up a level) and “grind” years (when they remain in the same level). Because every dancer develops at their own pace, this advancement will look a little different for everyone over time, and in different styles. For example, a student might spend two ‘grinding’ in ballet class before promoting, but receive a mid-year promotion after just a few months in hip hop. Please refer to our syllabi to find out how our faculty is evaluating each dancer in order to gage progress to the next level.
It’s important for you to know that progress is taking place no matter which type of year your child is in, growth or grind. Our instructors are equipped to teach classes in a way that accommodates each child’s needs, allowing them to tailor the class material to reach different learning styles and personalities.
Achievements in dance can be seen in small ways and big ones, and we advocate for celebrating both! In our experience at Dance Arts, progress is much more about the personal wins than it is about the name or number of your child’s class level.
From the exuberant child who proudly demonstrates his self-control to the teenager who finally embraces her strength as a peer leader, every piece of progress is a triumph. It’s easy to think sometimes that a student should simply be doing more or moving faster—but those things are not always hallmarks of progress. The true signs of growth come from the perseverance within; not necessarily from the obvious places. And the grinding hard work is what makes it possible.
We work diligently with your kids. Each student set goals in September and we are spending our first week of December revisiting these goals, tweaking the plans to accomplish them, and most important, setting accountability measures so they can achieve them successfully.
We hope that as teachers, we have proven that you can trust our guidance and expertise, and that we’ve shown that our goals align with yours. We’re committed to helping your child discover their potential and share it with the world!
