Now that dance classes have resumed, you may have some questions on how to best help your dancer succeed this year. We spoke to dance parents to find out what their biggest questions are.

Read Steve Sirico’s answers and comment below what questions you may have as a dance parent!

1)      “How can I best support my dancer at home?”

Encourage them to practice. It can be something as simple as working on pointing the feet or working on improving flexibility.

2)      “What are the best “tools” to invest in if my dancer wants to improve their flexibility or strength on their own?”

Simple resistance bands https://www.discountdance.com/dancewear/style_GMDD.html are great and you can get them with different degrees of resistance. The key is to warm up first before doing any stretching exercise.

3)      “My dancer is serious about pursuing a professional career in dance, but I would also like her to get a college degree. What are the best colleges that have a strong dance major, but also offer a strong academic program?”

There really are many good choices it really depends on what style of dance your child is trying to pursue. Keep in mind that it is important to have a good minor to study as well, in case the dance side doesn’t work out.

4)      “I have a male dancer that is experiencing some bullying at school because of his choice to dance. Do you have any advice for male dancers?”

This is very tough for guys and we hear about it all the time. There is no easy fix, but sometimes when their peers see them in action, it changes the perception. There is also a new book out by David Winters, who starred in West Side Story, titled, Tough Guys Do Dance. This is a great read for any boy who dances.

5)      “As a parent new to dance, how do I know that my dancer is receiving quality instruction at our studio?”

Find out as much about the studios in your area. What are their credentials? How many years have they been in business? What is their track record? And what is important to you and your child?

6)      “My daughter is a ballerina and I have no experience in ballet. What resource is available to parents that help us learn about the different schools of thought and styles of ballet training?”

There are several options out there and different training methods. I would do a google search on different ballet methods. You will see many different choices. The most well known are Royal Academy of Dance, Cecchetti and Vaganova.

Do you have additional questions of your own? Comment below and we will answer them!