What to expect from a dance college?

by Tasha
(England)

Hey!

My dance teacher is starting to encourage me to think about dance colleges and I have the opportunity to go and talk to lots of the dance colleges I would like to apply for. Only problem is that I don't know what to ask them. I know I could just take a prospectus and go, but I want to ask them specific questions like "What do you look for in the auditions?" or "What would you say is the most important thing about being a dancer?" but I want more... Any ideas or help?!
Thank you ever so much!

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What to expect from a dance college?

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Feb 04, 2013
 Maria's reply
by: Maria

Dear Tasha,

Yours is a very good question because each dancing college is different from various points of view:

- Professional type of qualification: ask about the certificate you would get at the end of the studies and its professional benefits according to your country's laws. Some certificates provide more working benefits, like for example being eligible for public posts or being recognized internationally in related institutions.

- Aesthetical approach: you know dance is an art and there are very different styles of dancing, even when talking about one same genre (like contemporary dance). Schools may have a defined aesthetic offer, according to its teachers, or may be constantly changing and renewing the styles that are taught. You may want to ask about this topic to know what dancing style you will be really learning. Ideally, you should ask for permission to go and see the class of various teachers.

- Studying programs: if you ask about this matter, you will know in advance about the time, topics and general knowledge that you will have to study. That's a good idea because if for example you don't like ballet and the program includes four years of ballet... you may want to consider a dancing school with a different approach. This applies for everything that a studying program includes, which may be theoretical or practical knowledge of many kinds. That varies a lot from school to school, depending on the professional type of qualification they provide.

- Requirements: this point includes your idea of asking about what they expect from you in the auditions but it is also good to know other things like how much time you will have to be present at the school if you become a student, what are the conditions of age to be eligible, the price (if any) and any other issue you may require during the whole studying process.



Other than asking the teachers or the administrative staff of the colleges, I would also try to contact some of their actual students and ask them about their experience there: How do they feel? What do they think of the school?...

And if you have the opportunity to go to their performances (dancing schools always have them), don't miss it. That's a great way to have a glance over the quality of what they offer.

Good luck with your research!

Just in case, remember our directory of contemporary dance schools:

Directory of Contemporary Dance Schools

Warm regards,

Maria

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