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Written by Brooklyn Schwartz, 02/11/2025
So I heard you wanted to get into dance. Or maybe you don't. It doesn't really matter. But honestly, why wouldn't you want to dance?
Step one: Find a Studio
Depending on your lifestyle and preferences, Your studio choice will vary. If it's important to you that you receive one on one time with your teacher or you just generally want smaller classes, you'll want a smaller studio. There are tons of these all around Toronto so it shouldn't be too hard to find one. However, if you are already a busy person and need to be able to choose when your classes are, you probably want one of the bigger studios. These larger studios also often offer “teen” or “beginner classes” to get you started.
Step 2: Register for a class
This is pretty self explanatory. But sometimes it's hard to know which class to sign up for. Lots of studios offer a guide to which class you should take based on your age. But if not, here's a general guide: a lot of studios use a grade system. This is NOT the same as school grades. Usually, divide your school grade by two, and round up if necessary. For example, a grade nine student would take a grade five dance class because nine divided by two is four and a half, rounded up is 5. You will also need to pick a style. For beginners, I would recommend jazz as it's probably the simplest style most studios offer while still maintaining technique skills. And if you want to take a second class, ballet, for technical skills and basic dance “etiquette”.
General guidelines and what to expect:
Most likely, unless you registered for a beginner class, everyone else there will seem extremely experienced, And there will be lots of words you have never heard before. Dont stress, I guarantee someone is just as confused as you are.
You want to make a good first impression on your teacher. That means showing up wearing the “uniform”. Some studios require you to be wearing something specific. But even if they don't, there are still some rules. I get that you probably don't want to buy the “dance clothes” and that's okay! Shorts and a t-shirt are fine. Just make sure the teacher can see you move, that means no sweaters or sweatpants. Same goes for shoes. You don't have to buy the proper footwear right away. Just wear socks.
At the end of the year, you will probably do a recital. This means going on stage and doing your dance in front of a lot of people. Sometimes costumes and makeup too. If you are not willing to perform on stage then you should prioritize finding a studio that has non performance based classes.
Over all, dance is great, but sometimes time consuming and extremely tiring and difficult. Not ready for that kind of commitment? York has a great dance team!
Congratulations on realizing that dancing is the superior sport. Good luck!
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