We are very excited to welcome your little one to our studio. Our Twinkle twos, Tutus & Tumble and Pre-Stars students enter the studio with small steps, and sometimes some hesitation, but by the end of the season they have made extraordinary progress and are ready to leap to the next level.  We know that as a parent you would like the first day of dance to be a positive experience for your child and we want that too.

All children are different and react differently in new situations. New students often express excitement about coming to dance class, but when they arrive they cling to mom and are hesitant to enter the dance studio.  They are in a new unfamiliar environment, with new faces around them and that can be overwhelming.   Please arrive early on the first day to give your dancer a few minutes to get to know their new teacher and environment.

Our Twinkle Twos, Tutus & Tumble and Pre-Stars classes are designed as teacher/child classes.  Parents are encouraged to observe class using our WatchmeGrow live streaming app, but we do not allow parents to remain in the dance studio during class for the entire year.

One of our class goals is to instill confidence and security in our students so that after a couple of months of class, they will feel comfortable and confident participating in dance class all by themselves. Every child is different, so there is no set deadline for parents and caregivers to transition out of the dance studio.

Our Pre-Stars and Tutus & Tumble classes are designed for teacher and child from the 1st class. We realize that your child might have a difficult time separating from you on the first day of class.  That is to be expected and we suggest that you speak to your child before coming to class and explain to them that mommy or daddy will be close by watching them on their phone or tablet while they dance.  We sometimes tell children our dance studio is a special room just for kids to explore and dance.  Grown-ups have to wait outside. Please reassure your child that you will be right outside if they need you and you won’t leave.

During the first 3-4 weeks of a new class session, if necessary parents may come into the studio and walk the dancer to their “dot.”  If you have to stay a couple of minutes before you can slip away without your child being upset that is okay.  After the first three weeks, we do ask that all parents remain in the lobby once class begins.

As you probably know, tears can be contagious!  Once one child starts crying it spreads like wildfire through the group.  We don’t want dance to be a negative experience for your little one and if he or she is upset we will contact you and ask you to come into the studio with your child.  We ask that parents please refrain from opening the studio door and taking their child out unless there is an emergency.  Frequent opening and closing of studio door is distracting to the class and leads the students to think coming and going from the dance studio repeatedly during class is okay.

Some children walk right into dance class without a tear on the first day.  If that is not your child, don’t worry.  Most of the little ones who start off with tears and separation anxiety finish the season with smiles!  If your child is still experiencing anxiety after trying class three times, we recommend trying our Baby Dance with Me class instead or just waiting a couple months and trying again.  Some of our most passionate students refused to dance the first couple classes and then came back to try again a few months later and have never left!

It is our goal to make dance class a positive, fun and safe experience for your child, and most of all to instill a love of dance in them. Each child moves at their own pace and some may embrace dance class on day one while others may need a month or two to really feel comfortable and participate fully.   Your little one may not want to jump like a frog with the class right away and that is okay.  If they are in the studio, standing on their “dot” and watching and listening to what is happening around them, they are learning!   When they are feeling comfortable and ready to join the group they will.

We hope you and your little dancer have a great experience at our studio and if you ever have any questions or concerns, please email or call us.