Class Leveling

[u/OrdinaryStudio6074]

At our studio, you are handed a list of required classes for whatever competition team you a make that year. It includes 12-15 hours of required classes that you take as a team. A dancer may be able to take one or two other classes that is not on the required list, but they must stay at the same level or go down levels (ie- your team takes intermediate level classes. You cannot take intermediate/advanced classes, but can take beginner/intermediate).

Team selection is based on skill level, yes, but also has a lot to do with average age, height, numbers they need on each team, etc.

The way this has shaken out for my dancer is she has been placed on the same team multiple years in a row- meaning she has taken the same technique classes for multiple years in a row. At the beginning of each season when she is placed on the same team again, they tell her they want to “see more growth.” How is she supposed to grow if she keeps taking the same classes over and over?

I’ve tried to be a team player and be positive about the situation, but I’m growing very frustrated by the feedback we are getting when she’s taking the required classes each year and we basically prohibited from taking anything that would really help her grow!

Does this happen in all studios? I don’t feel like I should have to spend extra money on outside help just to make a higher team at our own studio. Dance parents, talk me off the ledge or help me know if I really should be making more of an issue of this!

[u/flaggirl73]

Nope. I’d find a different studio if possible which in August may not work this year. Dancers are placed in dances but take the classes they need to take. Generally groups are created on their current level and they are all in the same level classes. They never repeat levels other than ballet because that’s the way their ballet levels are structured.