At AAPAC we take teaching dance, and the health and safety of our dancers, very seriously. As with all athletic activity there is physical risks, and, unfortunately, in the USA there aren't any requirements for dance teachers to be "certified" to teach the public, other than to aquire a business license. This means that anyone, with any amount of training, can hang up a sign and open a dance school. Imagine the risks that parents are taking who are uneducated in the ways dance! That's why it's extremely important that parents do their research on the school and teachers of the school that they are inquiring about.

Parents can rest their worries with AAPAC. Unlike many dance schools, we have highly trained teachers that are examined and certified to teach dancers in a safe and healthy manner. Marta Stovin, Owner & Director, and Emily Hanson, Assistant Director, were both trained, examined and certified in the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) internationally recognized syllabus, and both are trained to teach the syllabus. In addition, we continue to update our knowledge with the latest and greatest of information available to dance instructors in regards to health, safety, anatomy as it relates to dancers, injury prevention and more.

Below is information you may find helpful and reassuring in regards to the training that the R.A.D. syllabus and teaching philosophy provides.  

What is The Royal academy of dance? With over 13,000 members' spread across 79 countries, The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is one of the largest and most influential dance education and training organisations in the world. The Academy's patron is HM Queen Elizabeth II. RAD Membership supports the advancement of dance and includes professional dancers, students, teachers, benefactors and friends.

Established in 1920, to improve standards and re-invigorate dance training initially within the UK, the Academy helps and encourages its teachers to perfect their teaching skills and pass on this knowledge to their students. There are currently over 1,000 students in full-time or part-time teacher training programmes with the Academy and each year, the examination syllabus is taught to more than a quarter of a million students worldwide. The Academy maintains close links with all those involved in the industry, at every level. From the internationally recognised 'Faculty of Education' degree programmes to those younger students participating in our summer schools. At whatever age or stage, anyone with an appreciation of classical ballet and jazz is able to participate in the work of the Academy. A Brief History of the Royal Academy of Dance Photo: Judith Espinosa, Anton Dolin, Tamara Karsavina, Adeline Genée, Phyllis Bedells, Ninette de Valois and D G MacLennon The Royal Academy of Dance was established in 1920 at the Trocadero Restaurant in Piccadilly, London by a small group of eminent dance professionals. Brought together by Philip Richardson, former editor of 'Dancing Times', the group included five European greats: Adeline Genée from Denmark, Tamara Karsavina of Russia, Italy's Lucia Cormani, France's Edouard Espinosa and Phyllis Bedells of England. They represented the principal dance training methods of the time. It was their concern for the poor quality and badly organised state of dance training in Britain at the time that led to  the emergence of the Association of Operatic Dancing of Great Britain. Over the next decade, the Association grew in size and influence. At the last Privy Council Meeting of King George V in 1935, the Association was granted a Royal Charter and became the Royal Academy of Dancing. In 1997 'The Benesh Institute', the international centre for 'Benesh Movement Notation', was amalgamated with the Royal Academy of Dancing. Founded in 1962, the Institute's role to train and examine students, co-ordinate technical developments and protect copyright in choreographic works led to its system of notation being the most widely used by dance companies. On 20 December 1999 the Privy Council granted an ammendment to the Charter and the Academy changed its name to the Royal Academy of Dance. The Academy is committed to openness and transparency in its dealings with people and organisations. Through this openness and transparency the Academy aims to promote integrity and trust.   Child Protection The Royal Academy of Dance is committed to creating an environment that enables children and young people to learn and develop in a safe, understanding and encouraging environment. The Academy has drawn up this policy in order to meet the requirements of:- The Children Act 1989, The Human Rights Act 1998, The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Ratified by the UK Govt in 1991), The Protection of Children Act 1999, The Criminal Justice & Court Services Act 2000 and The Children Act 2004

Advice Column for FAQ 

Many parents of dancers all have the same questions. There are many good books out there that can offer sound advice to the cautious parent, some you can even borrow from AAPAC's library.  Here are some excerpts from a book I highly recommend called, The Parents Book of Ballet by Angela Whitehill and William Noble. Although I have highlighted some of my most quoted sections of the book, I strongly suggest checking out this book from either AAPAC, your local library, or buying it from your local book store. It may answer many questions that you might have in regards to the best age to begin ballet (or any formal training), how to chose a school or teacher, recitals and performances, and when to go on pointe. Whether you choose AAPAC or another school, these are great things to consider when making a wise and very important decision!

The Parents Book of Ballet

The Best Age to Begin Ballet

Every August the studio phone starts to ring; it’s the beginning of another season, another ballet school semester. Parents are calling to enroll their children in class, and with the certainty of the season comes the frequent question:

                “What age do you start children’s ballet lessons?”   

                The answer never varies. “Five years old for Pre-Ballet, seven or eight years old for regular ballet”.

                Sometimes there is a hush of disappointment. “My child is almost four, but she has a lovely little body. She’s been dancing since she could walk…”

                “She’s too young right now.”

                The parent is undeterred. “She used to point her toes in the crib. Every time we play music she gets up and dances. She’s beautiful…”

                Three years old, even four years old is simply too young to begin to learn the rudiments of ballet, and ay reasonably good ballet teacher will agree. Yet the demand for dance classes, even for the youngest age, has something they call “Creative Dance” or “Creative Movement” – a preliminary type of instruction that touches on dance and music appreciation but does not include any formal ballet training.

                “We begin our creative dance classes with three-and-one-half to four year olds,” says Anne Marie Rebassi, an instructor with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. “At that age the children have an extremely limited attention span, so we keep the classes to a half hour, and we make no attempt to introduce ballet steps or terminology.”

                The children are shown various forms of shape and movement, items they can easily recognize, such as a butterfly, a bubble, a flower, a cat or a pony. Then they learn to beat out the syllables of their names on the floor with their hands and/or feet in a rhythmic pattern. They make shapes with their bodies – such as the letter “C” by curving their backs, or a diamond by bending their legs outward – and they act out simple stories and nursery rhymes. The point is to get them used to using their bodies in order to say something.

                “I can’t wait to see my child in a tutu,” a parent will often exclaim.

                It will be a long wait. Occasionally, in the Creative dance classes, the students may be allowed to dress up in an old costume or wear a tiara. But tutu’s? “This isn’t a ballet class,” says Rebassi. “I try to teach them some classroom etiquette – how to listen and follow, not to talk – and I show them that there are different types of music.”

                And that’s all she does.

                Of course, there are times when parents and children are their own worst enemies…

Because the very young child constitutes a large part of the studio income, sometimes it is hard for a teacher to refuse them admission, especially in small towns where the overall number of students may not be high. But the first step should be the creative dance experience, and from that the ballet end product will be more satisfying.

                Unfortunately, there are parents of three and four-year-olds who won’t be deterred by a refusal to teach their little ones formal ballet. If they try hard enough, they will probably find someone who will take their child, but the consequences can be enormous. The child may be taught incorrectly or may be hurt because of the physical demands or may simply become bored… and the dream of a ballet career could be over before it really begins.

                A proper dance instruction is based on the child’s physical ability and stage of development. At four years old a youngsters bones are quite soft and malleable, and severe damage could result from overly arduous training or exertion. Even the best and most caring teacher is not equipped to pinpoint a child’s level of development at this young age—only a pediatrician could know for certain. The good ballet teacher will explain these risks to a parent adamant enough to want pure ballet training for a four-year-old. The creative dance experience can be fun for a little one, ad its demands won’t be overly taxing.   

                Sometimes, however, there are children at the age of four who are so determined to dance ad have made up their minds that there’s little use in trying to deter them. A few, indeed, even go on to have successful careers, though many do become burned out. But if a child like this is in the house, what can be done?

                First, call the largest dance schools in the area and ask about their teaching philosophies; do they follow a graded system; do they have recitals; how  many children in a class; have they had any students join professional companies; at what age do the students go “on pointe” (if before 11 years old, don’t even consider—see part 3)?

                Next, ask to come in and watch a class of four-year-olds and a class of six-to-seven-year-olds. See how much repetition of content there is in each class; if it exists, the chances are any new student will be subjected to the same thing, and this could go on for up to four years – or until the child is eight or nine. Quite a boring prospect. Children don’t want to be flowers, trees or kittens for that long, they want variety.

                Then, check and see if the same teacher is teaching all the classes. This, too, can become boring for a little one.

                Does the school offer a recital? We’ll see more on that later on, but most classical ballet teachers believe that four-years-old is too young to take the pressure of a recital. Talk to the parents in both classes, ask how their children have reacted, then talk to the teacher and see if she really understands the tiny child. Ask how much she expects of the creative dance class, and if she expects the students to learn technique such as barre work, arabesques and pirouettes. If so, be very cautious.

                But when the child becomes five years old, another level is reached. Now pre-ballet classes are appropriate and here the children get their first exposure to formal ballet. There are, in fact, some well recognized teachers who believe no child should even enter a dance class before the age of five. Pre-ballet should be the first group dance exposure, and the reasoning is simply that before the age of five, little that is taught will be retained, and a later start can only be of ultimate benefit.

                But the creative dance experience should not be worthless, providing no one expects too much, too little, if any, performing pressure is placed on the child. The time for all that pressure and performing will come later on.

                The key is this; there are reasons why a should start dance training at a particular age, and just because the little moppet looks so cute in a pink tutu when grandmother comes to visit doesn’t mean she or he is ready to begin formal ballet training.

                A year can make such a difference! Five-year-olds with a season of creative dance behind them will quickly appreciate that such creative expression is to be channeled to rigid standards, will now become a five-year-old’s lack of discipline.

                It is the first lesson on the front edge of a possible ballet career. Ballet is discipline, it is close following of prescribed movements, it is strange and exciting.

                The opens…”Face the barre,” the teacher says, pointing to the rounded wood or metal shape attached to the wall and running parallel to the floor. “Now put both of your hands on it… gently, gently….”

                The little ones are thrilled, until now they haven’t been allowed to touch the barre. First, the teacher shows them two of the five ballet feet positions (the other three positions are more complicated and shouldn’t be attempted until the children are at least eight years old), and she explains that these should be done with a forty-five-degree “turn out”.

                To five-year-olds this means nothing, other than their first exposure to a new ballet term. But they watch as she rotates her entire leg with the knee, calf, ankle, and foot in strict alignment.

                (For more, please read the book)          

Finding the Right Teacher

                The art of ballet is a multiple discipline, combining a varied assortment of dance, movement and music with an appreciation of painting, literature, history and sculpture. It is not enough to teach a series of steps and sit back contentedly while the student tries to make sense of what has been taught.

                The fine ballet teacher is an artist first – then a teacher. Not the other way around.

                The fine ballet teacher infuses a child with a deep love of all the arts, and to do this the teacher must have a personal respect and love for the ballet art form. The teacher must believe in it, and must live it.

                 Parents must search out the teacher’s background, and the key is to determine if the teacher has a minimum of six to ten years of training with a recognized and reliable ballet school such as Virginia Intermount College, School of American Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Hartford Ballet or a school attached to a professional company either in the USA or abroad. While professional stage experience is not mandatory, it is certainly helpful. But note this: There are many fine teachers who have not danced professionally; a teacher with careful training and no professional experience is far preferable to one with poor training and extensive stage experience.

                An important consideration must be the instructional syllabus and that the teacher and the school will follow, and parents should become familiar with the overall plan. There are a number of recognized syllabuses, all based on Russian, French, English, Danish or Italian ballet traditions, and any one of them would be appropriate for a child. The syllabus is the actual plan on instruction—the number of classes per day and week, the movements to be learned and followed, body emphasis, and yearly progression skills. The syllabus should take the child from the point of entry into the ballet world to the pre-professional level, a period of at least eight years.

                The point is that while these and the other recognized European systems are taught in the US, they are excellent instructional plans, reliable and substantial. In particular, the Cecchetti ad Royal Academy of Dance systems offer yearly refresher courses for teachers and examinations for students. Because of their wide acceptance, the examination results for students from both systems can be evaluated on a national and international level.

                What, then, might an appropriate examination syllabus contain? It will include barre and center work, a simple dance and in some cases mime and character dancing. Because there is “preset” work, some of the examination preparations time can become a bit tedious, and a truly talented ballet teacher will prepare her students with a mixture of syllabus work and other aspects of technique, including – in the higher grades – some performance and repertoire.

                But the syllabus is the key to everything. Some fine teachers do not wish to adhere to the rigid demands of a pre-conceived syllabus, preferring instead to follow their own designs. There is nothing wrong with this provided they have a sound knowledge of the existing systems (including the Vaganova system from Russia, the Bournonville system from Denmark, as well as the Cecchetti and Royal Academy of Dance which are highly respected systems), and they provide a sound grading system. In some cases, this can have a happy effect on the child because the teacher represents a varied learning history that comprises the best of everything.

                The important thing to remember…ask! Find out the syllabus the teacher and the studio follow. Make sure it is firmly based on the European tradition.

                In the United States anyone can hang up a shingle and call him-or-herself a ballet or dance teacher. There is no organization or governing body to license teachers to maintain standards.  Unfortunately, there is no licensing requirement for dance teachers in the US, and while the profession has tried self-policing, it has met with different results.  There are some dance teacher organizations that examine teachers for membership, but they are not geared specifically for ballet.              

                The best way to choose a teacher and a school is to ask questions and to follow the steps outlined. Be informed! Visit the school and watch a class. The teacher should be giving verbal and “hands on” corrections; it should be a disciplined class. Do not – repeat, do NOT – choose a teacher because of location, price or convenience. Ease of car pooling, allowing a child to be with her best friend a couple hours more each day, are NOT reasons to choose either a teacher or a school. Improper training can result in malformed bones, improper muscle structure and career frustration. Ballet training is serious training, and it should be approached in a serious manner.

                Is there a right teacher for everyone? Absolutely. Finding that teacher isn’t hard if we know where to look and what to look for:

1.       An Artist first, but also a good teacher (not all artists are good teachers!)

2.       Check the teacher’s credentials

3.       Strong training fundamentals

4.       Well disciplined approach to students

5.       Carefully designed syllabus of instruction

A parent should also consider:

1.       Progressive Training and Syllabus

2.       Attitude (should exude a disciplined and serious but cheerful atmosphere)

3.       Forcing turnout and extension (rotation comes from the hip socket— should never be forced!)

4.       Pointe Shoes (no earlier than age 11, and not without several years of ballet training before hand! See more in Pointe 101)

5.       Facilities (large, open, airy, well ventilated, good floor, plenty of mirrors, not a crowded class)

6.       Health and Safety (beware of teachers who pooh-pooh health and injury prevention, speaks negatively to students or allows negativity to fester between students)

7.       Weight (Are they happy and healthy or frighteningly thin and joyless?)

8.       Competition (emphasis should be on progressive training and technique not on rehearsing for competitions)

(Above left-right: Catie being fitted for her first pair of pointe shoes at Dance Togs in Beaverton.)

Pointe 101

When to Begin Pointework

It takes a long time to develop a body for dancing—especially the feet. The pointes for girls have to be, I always say, like an elephant’s trunk; strong and yet flexible and soft. It takes time.  – George Balanchine, founder of New York City Ballet

It is hard to tell an eager young student that she is not ready for pointe shoes. Students—and parents—must realize that teachers have to be firm: there is risk of serious injury in introducing pointework too soon. Starting pointework is not just a question of age or physical maturity; readiness depends on strength, technique, attitude, and commitment.

The bones of the foot are not fully developed, strengthened, and hardened until sometime in the late teens or early twenties. Of course, there is a great deal of individual variation. If the young dancer attempts pointework without proper strength and technique, the significant forces created by the combination of body weight and momentum can permanently damage those not-fully-developed bones. Yet, if a dancer is truly ready, if the introduction to pointework is gradual and always carefully and knowledgably supervised, if the pointe shoes are well chosen and properly fitted, there is minimal risk of injury even if the bones are not fully formed.

Most dancers are ready to begin pointework between the ages of eleven and twelve. Occasionally a supremely strong ten-year-old can safely go on pointe, but this is unusual. There is rarely any harm in waiting. A dancer who starts pointework a year later than they other classmates will almost always catches up. Many adult beginners are not ready for pointe either, but there is much less risk in their using pointe shoes because their feet have fully grown. In general, these are the criteria for readiness for pointe shoes:

Commitment

Most dancers need at least two to four years or solid training in ballet technique, with a good attendance record, before going on pointe. Other forms of dance, or classes that mix ballet with other forms, don’t count.

Someone who regularly takes several classes a week can probably start at a younger age than someone who attends less frequently. During the first year of pointe you will probably be expected to take a least three or four ballet classes a week (a minimum of five hours).

Maturity

Your demeanor shows that you have the maturity for pointework. Your attitude is attentive and hardworking, and your studio etiquette is exemplary.

With pointe shoes come much responsibility and self discipline. It is a ballet benchmark. Once a dancer faces pointework, the serious business of ballet has really begun. Most children before the age of eleven don’t have the capability to handle the responsibilities that come with going on pointe, such as practicing on their own, taking care of their feet and body, initiating healthy habits, and the ability to sew on their own pointe shoe ribbons and elastics.

Technique

Pointework requires a continual lifting up and out of the shoe. It’s the same strength and skill needed for attaining and sustaining a balance on high demi-pointe on one leg. That means that you can always hold your turnout when you dance, that your abdomen and lower back—your core—are strong, and that your legs, and especially your knees, are really pulled up.

You must e able to both releve and pique up to a balance. Calf and ankle strength are essential. Your releve must be particularly strong; at least sixteen flawless ones onto high demi-pointe center floor should be easy. You must demonstrate the correct use of plie in your dancing and know how to work your feet properly in tendu and all other exercises that require pointing the foot – no sickling.

Health and Physique

You should be in good health, not recovering from illness or injury, and of normal weight. You must possess the stamina to make it through a full ballet class several times a week. You don’t need insteps arched like bananas, but your feet must not be so flat or your ankles so stiff as to prevent you from properly “getting over” onto full pointe. Note: Beware of studios who put girls on pointe that are either a) under the age of 11, b) have been dancing less than 2 years, and c) the girls who are on pointe are not“hanging on by their toe-nails”, barely able to get over onto full pointe. These are "red flag" signs of bad and unsafe training!

It’s the rare dancer who is not tremendously excited about going on pointe. It’s a good sign: an indifferent dancer may not have the perseverance needed for the respective exercises pointe training entails. But don’t let your enthusiasm tempt you to practice at home or to wear your new pointe shoes around the house. Proper supervision is so important that some schools require their students to keep their pointe shoes at the studio. And when you are ready to go on pointe, congratulations! You have worked hard for this moment!