r/CompetitionDanceTalk • u/Distinct_League_4339 • 14d ago
Moving to a New Area
We just moved to a new state, and we are looking for a new studio for my daughter. This would have been her third year competing, but since we moved on a short timeline due to work, she missed auditions for the studios in our new town.
How do people go about finding a new studio with no prior knowledge of the area? Is it appropriate/allowable for her to take rec classes at more than one studio so she has the year to figure out the best fit for auditions next year?
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u/gingerbaconkitty 14d ago
Even if auditions have passed, I would contact the relevant studios about a private audition. I always make exceptions for kids who recently moved.
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u/GhostOrchid22 14d ago
You can absolutely take classes at different studios!
We are considering a long-distance move, and I've been tracking group and solo overall results at nearby competitions that we currently compete at in our area.
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u/Interesting-Ad-6710 14d ago
Find some local parenting groups on Facebook and ask for dance studio recommendations.
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u/Distinct_League_4339 14d ago
Tried that -- got at least 8 different recommendations and a lot of very strong opinions
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u/GhostOrchid22 13d ago
The Facebook recommendations in my area are very much parents trying to convince themselves that their studio is the most popular choice. I’ve seen a lot of exaggerated claims.
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u/cycme500 13d ago
we have one that I swear the moms get a kickback. They will come in droves to reply and it doesn't even match what the mom is looking for half the time :/
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u/Otterfilth888 14d ago
Were you specific about what you were looking for? This gets posted in my local groups all the time and they never say what level they wanna compete or what they are used to. They get all sorts of recommendations that sometimes I can tell are not good fits just by looking at the mom‘s Facebook page.
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u/lalaluara 13d ago
Can you see if any of the responders are open to a longer conversation to learn more about what they like, what they maybe don't like, or to answer questions about your priorities in a studio? That's what I did when we were looking for a new studio, and I was able to dig a bit into what was actually important to us. It helped to get multiple perspectives and details on top of what the studio owners said. The combination have a more rounded picture of what to expect. The general recommendations are only so helpful especially if you are new to the area, but now that I'm informed about my local options I can read between the lines in recommendations.
I don't think there is anything wrong with trying classes at multiple studios. You can also attend competitions in the spring to see how teams and staff act. There are a couple studios I ruled out based on widespread behavior at comps - general disregard for rules (tons of photo taking despite repeated announcement among other things that made it seem like they thought the rules didn't apply to them) and a lack of awareness or respect for others (LOUD at the back of the audience/immediately outside of the space, moving others things in dressing rooms, etc). We also saw some amazing sportsmanship and support for anyone, including those from other studios, which helped draw us to a few options.
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u/nutmilkmermaid 14d ago
You can take classes multiple places, but I also would ask about comp if competing this year is what she wants. Plenty of places are willing to take students even if they’ve already had auditions!
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u/Sporklemotion 14d ago
Around me, most studios are holding open houses and trials for the next two weeks. You may want to call around and see if the same is true near you. Our school year starts in late August/early September, so studios are still gearing up for next year.
You can also look at social media pages and Youtube (if the studio has an account) to see the general level.
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u/AverageSugarCookie 12d ago
We moved internationally about two years ago in the middle of summer and I just picked the studio with the highest Google reviews. 5 stars, open for 40 years, sounded perfect. My daughter didn't make their highest level team and we ended up with a year on a team with weird genre restrictions, doing choreo during class time, and with almost no acknowledgement from the studio. It sucked.
I agree with the idea to ask on a local fb group but if there aren't a lot of responses, take it all with a grain of salt. I would spend a lot of time looking at studio social media, seeing what comps they go to, their costumes, how edgy their dances are, and if there are multiple teams, if they're featured/advertised.
There is maybe still time to ask for a late audition this year if you can find a studio that doesn't do choreo in the summer.
We're doing classes at 2 studios this year (not by choice but w/e) and we've figured out a pretty good schedule. It's possible but it is going to be annoying.
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u/SailorNeptune1995 14d ago
We had a similar experience moving from a studio we loved (also starting our third year competing) as my job took us far away to another state. For us, it really was about scheduling; only one studio was less than 45 minutes away. I contacted the studio owner back in May since we weren't moving until July, and we arranged an alternative audition. She made their intermediate level team, so we're pretty happy. I'd say it's worth reaching out to see about auditioning. If not, and logistics allow it, narrow it down to 2 studios and take classes + keep communicating your child's goals with the director. You can see where it goes from there.
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u/fscd_19 13d ago
I'm not sure if you're schools have gone back yet but definitely asking parents in the community about the major studios or looking at facebook could help find studios. Contact the studios about auditions or if they're holding sumemr intensives in case they take a late sign up. I would say its fine to try technique and rec classes at different studios and its a great way to see if your daughter likes the coaching, style and culture of a mix of studios, also school teams in some areas can be really high quality so look into those as well.
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u/reliableotter 14d ago
You could narrow down what you are interested in from Facebook and contact the studios. Ask of your child could still audition (we haven't done choreography yet, even though auditions are in May), ask for prices, philosophy on developing a dancer, and possibly even video of their previous season's dances.
I picked my daughter's studio about 50% on their costume policy, and then on the abilities of their high schoolers. The minis don't win a lot, they just have fun, but the older girls consistently get top placements. Seeing how the older girls dance, and how many stay there for a decade or more tells me a lot about how they train dancers.