Dance Studio Etiquette - Part 1

“Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.” – Clarence Thomas

            As the dance year begins, teachers will welcome students while poised and ready to teach technique.  Dance technique can only be learned in a disciplined classroom, and in order to maintain that discipline, dancers everywhere need to follow proper dance etiquette.

            Etiquets, or signs, were used in France in the 1700’s to remind aristocrats not to walk through King Louis XIV’s gardens by forcing them to stay within the boundaries of the étiquets.  In the years following, etiquettes, or tickets, were used to invite people to social functions in the court and remind them where to stand and how to behave.

            Dance classes have similar rules regarding how to behave and where to stand in the studio and are passed down, sometimes silently.  Dance educators need to remember that teaching dance etiquette to students is as important as teaching technique, since it helps maintain order in the studio and helps ensure dancers’ safety when many bodies are moving at once in the same space.

            Dancers are expected to arrive early for class and begin to warm up on their own through cardiovascular movements.  Students that arrive after class has begun should stand in the doorway until the combination is completed and wait for a signal from the teacher acknowledging the right to enter the studio.  The student should then inconspicuously move to a spot in the room or at the barre to blend in with the class.  A student arriving late to class should never walk to the front of the room or barre and force others who were on time for class to move.  Students arriving more than ten minutes late to class will have missed a portion of the warm-up and will be at risk for injury if allowed to take class.  These students should not expect to dance but should understand they must watch class.  When watching, they should do so silently and remain focused throughout the class.  Much can be learned from observing a dance class, and it can be a valuable experience if treated as one.

            Students should arrive prepared to dance.  They should be in the required attire with hair pulled back and without jewelry.  The importance of following a dress code was discussed in last week’s post, Is A Dress Code ReallyNecessary?.  Dance clothes should be clean and washed after every class, and dancers should be certain to use deodorant.  Dancers stand very close to each other and sweat a great deal when dancing.  Proper hygiene makes class a pleasant experience for everyone.  Jewelry should not be worn to class because it can be a hazard to both the dancer and his or her classmates.  As an arm accidentally collides with someone’s face, a watch can cause a great deal of pain, and a leotard strap or a finger that catches in an earring can tear an earlobe.

            Dancers should leave cellphones in their bags in the dressing area and be sure to silence them while in class so no one will be disturbed.

            Dancers should be certain to use the bathroom before class and make an effort not to leave class to use the restroom.  If absolutely necessary, the student should wait until the break between the warm-up and center floor work to ask permission to use the bathroom.

            Dancers need to be mindful about how they enter the dance studio and do so in a proud and respectful manner.  Running into the space, wrestling with another student, or schlepping into the studio implies a lack of respect for the space, the other dancers, and the teacher and suggests that the dancer does not want to be in class.  Many schools that conduct auditions say that they know immediately whom they will consider or choose based upon how the dancers enter the space.

            It is important that the dancers stand as the teacher enters the room and move to the place in the room where they will begin class.  If class normally begins at the barre, dancers should be sure to stand near the barre but never hang on it, since that implies that one is too tired to be in class.

            If a dancer has, or is recovering from, an injury, he or she should speak with the teacher before class begins.  The teacher must be aware of any injuries to ensure that more harm is not done and to understand why a student may be modifying certain exercises.  Additionally, if a student must leave class early, he or she must request the teacher’s permission to do so before class begins.  It is never acceptable for a student to interrupt class to tell a teacher that he or she is leaving or to make a big deal of it.  When the time comes for the student to leave, he or she should simply catch the teacher’s eye and quickly curtsey or bow before quietly exiting the space.

            All of these rules of etiquette can be observed in a dance studio even before class begins.  Next week’s post will focus on the rules of dance etiquette that should be followed during the actual class.

Is a Dress Code Really Necessary?

 “The Dress Code is intended to allow dancers to work free of distracting or inhibiting clothing...to help teachers see and correct the students' bodies, and to train students in how to present themselves in dance in a professional-level manner.” – Peabody Institute

            As the dance school year begins in the United States, dancers and their parents descend upon dance supply stores to purchase shoes and appropriate dance attire.  Many schools have specific dress code requirements, and often parents and dancers question if this is a necessary part of dance training.

            Healthy dancing relies on the correct alignment and placement of the body and the ability to engage specific muscle groups for specific exercises. Fitted leotards, tights and dance pants allow teachers the see students’ bodies and properly evaluate their technique.

            Wearing proper dance attire also encourages dancers to work harder and stand taller.  Without baggy clothing to hide behind, dancers begin to take more pride in how they present themselves and work at optimal levels.  Bad alignment habits cannot be hidden, and it is obvious if certain muscles are not engaged.

            Dance is a field steeped in discipline, and a dress code adds to this discipline that each dancer must develop if he or she is going to improve and grow in the dance world.  Leotards and tights are expected attire in classes, rehearsals and auditions around the world, and dancers are recognized by their attire.

            Some schools also require specific colors of tights or leotards that should be worn to class.  This requirement creates a uniform look in class that reinforces the idea of unity that dancers will need when performing together, and it is helpful to the dance educator.  Without the distraction of differently colored or styled leotards, it is easier to determine which dancer in a group may be performing the exercise incorrectly.

            Dress codes discourage students concerns or pressure about what to wear to class.  They allow those from higher socio-economic groups and those from lower socioeconomic groups to dance together equally.  A dress code eliminates the need to purchase a new trendy leotard and reminds everyone that the important element is the art of dance and not how the dancer is dressed.

            Additionally, when differently colored leotards correspond to different class levels, a teacher or choreographer can easily determine the skill level of a dancer with a quick glance, and the colors begin to create a hierarchy within a school.  As dancers strive to reach the next level, they will eventually be rewarded with the opportunity to wear the coveted leotard color of the next level and have their achievements easily recognized by others.

            The goal of a dress code is not to discourage self-expression or imply strict training.  Dress codes promote hard work, healthy training, required discipline, a sense of unity, classroom focus, psychological health and a sense of pride.  A dance educator that requires specific classroom attire is not trying to be overly strict or elitist, but is simply doing his or her job.