FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Marjorie Kovich School of Ballet
Norman, OK
(405)364-1818
New to Dance Classes?
Here are the Questions Most Parents
Ask when Choosing A Ballet School for their Child!
Why are ballet classes good for my child?
When is the best time for a child to start ballet lessons?
Does your school have a dress code?
How many students are in a class?
Can parents be present in the classroom?
What level will my child be placed in? How is that decided?
What kind of recital does your school have?
What does it cost to take ballet classes at your school?
1. Why are ballet classes good for my child?
Ballet technique is the basic foundation for all dance. If a student has a sound ballet technique; developed over time, with careful and correct training, other kinds of dance can be learned quickly. The ballet training students receive here allows them to develop concentration, discipline in both body and mind, physical coordination and strength, as well as the skills and encouragement to express themselves through movement and music. Ballet dancers are known for their grace, beautiful posture and body awareness. The world of ballet involves the collaboration of classical music, theater and art that is found in no other art form. The mastery of skills in ballet extends far beyond the classroom and helps the student in whatever endeavor he/she chooses to pursue. Ballet training is a sound investment in your child’s future, providing a life long activity for great mental, emotional and physical health. Ballet class is also fun!
For those children who love dance, ballet is the most lasting and joyous contribution a parent can give to them.
2. When is the best time for a child to start ballet lessons?
Every age is the “best” time for a child or teen to enter into ballet class. There are advantages at each age for students to begin class. At our school, children are accepted at age 3, but there is no hurry to begin class at that young age. The age of each child’s development (physical, emotional and social) varies and that is what we look at before we recommend placing a child in class. All children love to move and dance with music. Our Pre-Ballet/Melody Movement classes encourage young children to channel their natural talents into a creative outlet within a structured setting. Older children who are beginners love the challenges of mastering the steps and terminology of classical ballet training. There is a strong camaraderie in class among all students who share their love for dancing.
3. My little girl has never been in a classroom situation. What do I do if she doesn’t want me to leave?
Sometimes a new place and teacher can be scary for young children. Usually their biggest fear is that they do not know what will be expected of them. The teachers here have had years of experience facilitating this temporary separation for both child and parent. The children are engaged immediately upon arrival with interaction between the teacher and the other children. Class is started on time and the child’s business of being a “ballerina” overrides all other concerns! After a class or two they realize this is a safe, fun place and will no longer worry about your leaving.
4. Does your school have a dress code?
Pre-Ballet levels through Levels IV/V are required to wear traditional ballet classroom attire – pink ballet shoes, ballet pink tights and solid colored leotard. No skirts or baggy pants are allowed since that limits the teacher’s view of the student’s body alignment and posture. Skirts also provide an added distraction for younger dancers.
In our teen/adult classes the students usually wear traditional ballet class attire – pink tights, pink ballet shoes & solid colored leotard. However, if the older student feels more comfortable with a little more coverage (a t-shirt or skirt for example) that is allowed also. . However, we suggest wearing clothes that allow the teacher to see your body so that corrections on placement may be made with more accuracy.
5. How many students are in a class?
Our school limits the number of students per class to ensure the progress and enjoyment for both student and teacher! Pre-Ballet ages 3-3.5 are limited to 8 children per class and all other Pre-Ballet through Ballet III levels are allowed only 12 children per class. This makes it possible for the teacher to give more individual attention to each child and create a more nurturing student/teacher rapport.
6. Can parents be present in the classroom?
The children act differently when parents are in the room. When they are asked to do something new and it may seem difficult for them, they will cling to you rather then experience the new adventure. They will also look for, and react to, your approval. Having parents in the room during the class is a distraction to the children and prevents the young dancers and teacher to build the proper student/teacher rapport necessary to the child’s growth in the classroom.
Our school has special Observation Weeks (one in the Fall and one in the Spring) when all parents and friends are invited to come and watch class. Cameras are permitted so that parents can record this very special event.
7. What level will my child be placed in? How is that decided?
In the Pre-Ballet classes, children are usually placed in class according to their age. During these early years, muscular development, motor skills, socialization, and coordination are very similar with children in the same age group. We are not concerned with technical prowess at this age. The children are engaged in dancing activities that stimulate and encourage their creativity and love of dancing as they learn how to follow directions in a ballet class, practice basic steps and create movements and patterns across the floor.
Placement in class for older children is determined by the Director, Ms. Kovich, and is based on the child’s emotional, physical and technical abilities and readiness. We recommend that students not be pushed into a higher level with older children to “challenge” them, but rather proceed at a slow steady pace to ensure that they are absorbing, mastering and enjoying the process of learning ballet!
8. What kind of recital does your school have?
Each May our school presents a beautiful Spring Recital at a local theater in which all of the students participate. Emphasis is on the dancing skills that the children have mastered throughout the year rather than glittery costumes. Work on the recital begins late March. Our recitals are low-key for both students and parents. The younger students sit in the audience and watch the older dancers perform until intermission when they are called backstage. The entire performance runs 2 hours and we have a celebratory reception afterwards. All children are excited to show off what they have learned during the year and are supported in their endeavors by teachers, other students and audience!
9. What does it cost to take ballet classes at your school?
Tuition is based on the length of the class and the number of classes taken per week. For instance, one 45 minute class per week costs $45 per month. As the student progresses to higher technical levels, more classes per week are necessary for the student to maintain her/his technique & progress in skills. Then the cost per class decreases to make it even more affordable.
10. My son has expressed a desire to learn how to do ballet but he is afraid that his friends will think he is a “sissy”. What do I tell him?
The stereotype of men in ballet being effeminate is slowly but surely changing in U.S. culture. Several athletic programs around the country have helped change the image of men in ballet class. Football and basketball players have discovered that ballet training delivers some real benefits.
Football Hall of Fame player, Lynn Swann, can attest to the benefits of ballet training. Swann sees similar parallels between ballet and sports. "Certain dance movements are fundamental to the movements you need to make in sports," be explains. "A basketball player can't jump without doing a plie’. It may not be graceful and deep with your feet turned out, but it's the same thing."
Tell your son that male ballet dancers can leap higher, move quicker laterally and are stronger pound for pound than most other athletes! He can tell his friends that his ballet class is helping him jump higher, lunge lower & move quicker on the playing field!
If he is interested in stage work – acting, musicals, etc., the ballet training will help with his stage movement and picking up the dance steps. Most universities require ballet training for all of their drama majors.
The boys in our school always enjoy great roles in the “Oklahoma Nutcracker”!
They may wear black shorts and a white t-shirt with white socks and black ballet shoes in class.
11. My teen-age daughter loves her ballet class, but wants to try other activities. Is there any way she can do both?
Once a student has completed Level III in our school (which meets two nights per week) and has decided that she doesn’t want to commit to the rigors of three to six classes per week of Ballet IV/V, then she may opt to enter into the “Open” class, which is for teens, college students and adults who are working at an advanced level. The Open class meets twice a week. That way she can continue her ballet work and pursue other extracurricular activities!
12. My teen-age daughter wants to begin ballet class. She has never taken ballet before. Is there a place for her in the school? Will she have to start with little kids?
Our school offers a Basic Ballet Technique class during the school year that was created for beginning ballet students. The age range of the class usually ranges from young teens to young adults. During the summer months, there is a Level I Beginning Ballet class that is for true beginners. Upon completion of that class, the student may then move into the Basic Technique class in the Fall.