Leaving Your Dance Studio Part 2

4 Reasons why you Shouldn’t leave a studio

…& when these reasons are exactly why you SHOULD leave a studio

1. You’re mad at your teacher – Not the best reason to consider leaving a studio.

a. Talk with them about your feelings and your experience. Maybe they don’t know what they did upset you, and they need an opportunity to say they understand and are sorry.

2. You didn’t get the role you wanted

a. Now, if you are constantly being looked over again and again, or there is favoritism in the studio, this is a good thing to dig deeper on. Decide if it’s actually happening, or if you are missing specific skills that are needed for that role. It takes a lot of self-awareness and maturity to distinguish between the studio owner or teacher playing favorites, from being jealous or upset that you were not picked. Take the time to self-reflect and talk to your teachers!

b. We all know this industry is TOUGH some dancers go out for the same job, the same role for YEARS and don’t get picked and sadly, we don’t always get to know why. In your home studio, why you are still LEARNING AND TRAINING (remember that teachers, these are not seasoned professionals, they are students & your job is to educate them not be directors – more on that another time) if you are not getting the roles, or parts that you want, take advantage of the opportunity to ask your teachers/choreographers for guidance.

i. What are they looking for?

ii. What can you improve on for the specific role?

iii. Can they help you recognize your strengths and lesser strengths so that you can be more prepared for all opportunities.

If you teachers/choreographers are willing to help you with this, then maybe reconsider leaving the studio right now. See if their input helps. Really do the work and see if it pays off. If you don’t get guidance, then think about looking elsewhere.

3. You had a fight with other dancers

a. We fight in this industry…and in life in general. Take a day to cool off then talk with the other dancers and see if you all can work it out! Parents, I encourage you to be an ear and an advice giver for your kids, but let them figure it out for themselves & please don’t talk about the kids fight with other parents in the studio!

b. Sometimes, we feel isolated and we don’t think we can work out our differences. That’s ok. If you are being bullied, or have feelings of being left out, it might be good to talk with your teachers and parents/guardians about looking for a new dance home. Dance studios are referred to as homes so often because the people inside are our family. Make sure you find a family that loves you and supports you, through the good and bad.

4. PARENTS – You should not be the reason your child leaves a studio…it’s their training, their future, and their experience it’s not about you.

a. Sometimes finances play a role in making the decision to move your child to another studio. Before you just up and leave, talk with the studio manager/owner about scholarships, Teaching Assistant work, & sponsorships. So many studios offer this now!! It can be completely anonymous and allow your child to continue to do what they love at a lower cost to you or even free!

b. Keep asking your child how they feel about their studio. Check in with them about their goals. If you notice their goals are not being met, or they are unhappy for any reason, see about addressing these things with the studio teachers and owner before walking out. – Not sure what to ask Check out Part 1 of this blog here.