South Dayton School Of Dance
About
-Full-time professional faculty.
-Students are placed by skill level not age.
-Comprehensive dance training with a focus on ballet.
-Classical Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Jazz, Tap
-Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, Pre-Tap
We are very blessed to serve dancers from age 3 thru adult. We have so many students working in the professional dance world as performers, choreographers, and teachers. The majority of our older dancers audition for and receive scholarships for prestigious summer programs and our graduates receive college and university academic and talent scholarships to further their dance training. We are pleased to be able to provide a foundation that will help our dancers achieve their goals and dreams. Our founder, Elizabeth Karns, has been teaching for 57 years. She has shared her love of dance with thousands of young people and continues to be an inspiration to those of us who have followed in her footsteps.
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
All students are placed by skill level. The first class is considered a placement class. Our faculty works with your student to find the best level placement and will speak with the parent after the class to share. We are aware how difficult it is for an older student to transition from one school and group of friends to a totally new environment. We try our best to help make that transition easier.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Our faculty are all adults and have college dance degrees and professional performing experience. Two of our faculty members also teach ballet, dance history and kinesiology at Wright State University and for the professional 1st company Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
45 minute classes $55 per month
60 minute classes $60 per month
75 minute classes $65 per month
90 minute classes $75 per month
Multi-class discounts are available for dancers/families.
4 classes per wk 5% discount on all classes
5 classes per wk 10% discount on all classes
6 classes per wk 15% discount on all classes
7 + classes per wk 20% discount on all classes
How did you get started teaching?
We have a wonderful faculty who all have a very strong ballet background but benefitted from a comprehensive dance education that included all genres of dance.
What types of students have you worked with?
We have programs for students age 3 - Adult.
We have a mentoring program that employees our older students as teacher's assistants who demonstrate and help with classes.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
Along with our annual Nutcracker Ballet at the Dayton Convention Center, we also host a Nutcracker Sugar Plum Tea for the little ones.
SDDT- South Dayton Dance Theatre is an Honors Member of RDA/NE-Regional Dance America and attend and perform at an annual ballet festival.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
-Ask to observe an advanced ballet/pointe class. This will show you the progression of training that you can expect.
-Do they spend a considerable amount of time at the barre.
-Ballet is the foundation for all dance. If they are teaching lyrical instead of ballet it could be because their faculty is not qualified to teach ballet or pointe.
-Faculty -credentials & experience.
-Facility -clean, suspended floors and marly surface. (dancers do not dance on concrete or tile floors)
-Dress Code
-Do they have a costume room or do you have to purchase your own performance costumes.
-Do they evaluate each dancer before beginning pointe.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
We have a set curriculum for each of our 12 levels of ballet. Certain skills must be mastered before moving forward or beginning pointe work. Dancers are provided with a vocabulary list so they not only learn the steps but also how to spell them. Do they use French terminology? Do they schedule regular parent observation classes? Do they provide evaluations at the end of the year? Do they have graduates working in the dance world?