Ballet instructors try their best to treat all students equally, but there are certain pet peeves that occur that can affecting your child's success. Check out our list of avoidable habits to make sure you aren't creating bad vibes for your child.
Pet Peeve: Showing up late to class
I've just finished ronde jambes and there is little Suzy, standing by the door, late again for class. "Suzy, I'm so sorry but you know the rules of class. Any student later then 15 minutes must sit out and observe." Suzy sighs, nodding her head and moves to the front of the classroom to sit and observe for the next hour.
There always seems to be one student that falls into this issue every class, and sadly this rarely is the student's fault. An 8 year old cannot control their class schedule or the carpool situation that gets them to class, and no student would choose to be late. When signing up for classes, think carefully about the time commitment and how you will transport your child to class. Factor in road conditions such as bad weather, 5:00 traffic, or icy roads and make sure that there's extra time built in for emergency. If your child's elementary school release time is at 3:45, would you realistically be able to pick her up, get her dressed and ready, and bring her to the ballet studio by 4:00? Probably not.
Pet Peeve: Messy Hair in class
Some studios have strict hair dress codes while others may be a bit more relaxed, but every instructor would prefer to see their student's hair pulled up nicely into a secure hairdo. The default recommended hairstyle is a ballet bun, but unless specified, any style would work. Try exploring different styles on the weekend to see what works best for your students. If your dancer has short hair, make sure to pull back the front sides and pun or tie them back. As an instructor, it's frustrating when students are constantly swiping hair out of their face as it means they are distracted from class.
Pet Peeve: Ignoring the dress code
The studio dress code states that level 1 ballet students need a black leotard in style 317 from a specific store. Most of the students will get this leotard and follow the rules, but every year there will be one student who has a leotard that might look similar, but is not the recommended style. Don't be this family. Buy what is required for class. Strict dress codes like this exist so that all of the students look the same in their style and aren't distracted by different styles of leotards. Instructors won't be fooled by a leotard that looks somewhat similar to what is required, and the other students in class might ostracize your child for not following the rules of the studio.
Every year I have a conversation with a parent who would argue that they didn't understand the dress code, but loved our school because of it's strict discipline and attention to detail. Part of building on that discipline in class is ensuring that all students are following the rules of the program. If you don't want to follow a strict dress, find a studio that better aligns with what you're looking for.
Wearing extras in class
Gillian comes to her beginning ballet class every week with a necklace, 2 bracelets, and a headband. The class starts with light jogging around the room to warm up and Gillian's necklace is bouncing around and hitting her in the face. Ten minutes later as the class is working on a tendu combination, Gillian is more focused on playing with her bracelets then what the instructor is mentioning. The instructor asks her to take off her bracelets. Twenty minutes later, the class is working on turning and Gillian's headband goes flying off of her head. The instructor again asks Gillian to put the headband by the door. At the end of class, there is a nice little pile of all of Gillian's extras by the door that didn't make it through class.
Bringing extra things into class, whether they be jewelry, ballet skirts, headbands, etc., tends to not only cause a big distraction to your dancer, but also eats up class time for everyone to learn. Unless the instructor asks for something specific for a project, keep all of the extras out of class.
Pet Peeve: Drawstrings stick out
We've all seen the cute pictures of little girls with ballet shoes on and big drawstring bows on top of their foot. Some ballet shoes are created with elastic drawstrings that stick out of the shoe at the top near the toes. The drawstrings are used to gently tighten around the top of the shoe so that the shoe will fit more secure to the foot. Many times these drawstrings will be extra long to give the wearer options on how tight or loose a fit they want. Gently tighten the drawstrings so that the shoe on your dancer's foot fits securely, then tie the drawstring in a knot. Next, cut the drawstring short, leaving about 1 inch drawstring left after the knot. Tuck the remaining drawstring in under the shoe so that's it's not showing while your dancer wears them. The drawstrings should not be tied into a bow or left to drag out of the shoe.
Pet Peeve: Elastics on ballet shoes not sewn
Continuing on with shoe missteps, some shoes come with elastics that are sewn to one side of the shoe, but not the other. If you purchase this style of shoe, you need to take time to sew down the elastic to the other side of the shoe so that it's secure and the appropriate length. Do not tie the elastics together in a knot on top of your dancer's foot as it looks sloppy and can come undone and trip your dancer.
Pet Peeve: Missing ballet shoes
It's the 6th week in a row that Mary has shown up to class without ballet shoes. Her mom pulls out a pair jazz shoes and shoves her into class to get ready. The jazz shoes keep tripping Mary up at the barre because jazz shoes have an extra heel that ballet shoes don't have, and Mary starts dancing without any shoes on. By the time the class progresses to center combinations, Mary is asked to sit out because her lack of shoes are now more of a danger to her in class.
Forgetting ballet shoes every once in a while is understandable and excusable as mistakes will happen. The goal is to make sure that it doesn't become a pattern that will hinder your child's progress. Before you leave the house, create a checklist that goes through everything that your dancer needs for class, and ensure that it's in their ballet bag.
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