Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Top Tips For Choosing The Right Tap Schools In Ottawa For Your Child

By April Briggs


Many children dream of dancing and performing on stage. One fun form of dance that a child can take is tap dancing. If you or your child are very interested in this form of dance, finding the right tap schools in Ottawa can help ensure that your child's inner performer is properly encouraged and developed. Here is what you need to know about picking a safe and effective school.

Unlike many forms of dance that use soft shoes and which emphasize silent movements, tap uses metal plates on the bottom of a dancer's shoes in order to make noise. Most tap shoes will have metal plates on the underside of a shoe's heel as well as plates underneath the toe of the shoe as well. These are struck against the floor to produce noises that are synchronized with a piece of music.

One of the first things to do is make sure that the teachers at the school where you will send your child are professionally certified. There are several different bodies that certify tap instructors. One of the most well known is ADAPT. This organization has a set syllabus that students follow and teachers need to demonstrate a certain level of proficiency to claim membership in the organization.

You may also want to consider whether you want your child to compete or not. There are a number of competitions for tap dancing that take place in and around Ottawa. If you would like your child to participate, you will want to make sure that you send them to a school that has a competitive team. Some schools choose not to compete so asking if a potential school plans to is a worthwhile question to ask.

You may want to think about whether you want your child to focus on just tap classes or if you want them to develop skills that are taught in other types of dance classes. Often a child who cross trains will be a more well-rounded dancer in the end. If you opt to send your child to a school which offers more than just tap classes, you will likely be able to take advantage of a coordinated class schedule.

You may want to factor in how many hours a week a studio would like your child to dance. This will often go beyond just classes and you may find that the time commitment will grow as it gets closer to competitions or exams. Asking what kinds of extra practices to expect is good to do before committing to a particular school.

Schedules are important. Some may work well with your work schedule and others may not. You do need to remember that if your child is taking exams or if they are competing that there may be more practices involved beyond what classes alone would account for.

When you know the type of school that you are looking for, finding names to contact and question is not difficult. One of the best ways is to speak to a teacher that you trust. Ask whether they know anyone personally who may be teaching in the city. They may be able to give you names that are worth checking out. If you do not have a child currently enrolled in dance, you may want to look online and then start narrowing down prospects using the tips and tricks outlined above.




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