If you are ever jumbling around with the idea of becoming a professional dancer then these tips should help you decide what the best options for dance studios. First, assess your current dance ability. Are you the one who gets all the dance moves the first time around or are you the one that needs to go home and practice for hours before it becomes fluid? Are you a front row or back row dancer? And when your assess yourself, be honest. Keep in mind that you are comparing your abilities with all the other dancers you know. Just because you may be the strongest dancer in your current studio doesn\’t mean that you\’ll be the same in another. So make sure you look at yourself objectively.

Do you simply enjoy the health and social benefits of dancing or do you want to push your abilities and challenge yourself? Do you dream of becoming a professional dancer? Do you want to go on to a higher education in dance? Do you want to teach dance? Do you want to be a choreographer? Does the studio offer you those opportunities? Now that you know what you want to achieve, does the studio offer the range of classes that will take you from where you are now to where you want to be? Is there a progression of levels and a diverse enough range of dance styles to get you where you\’re going? If you want to achieve great things in dance then you need a school that is going to push you and be harsh on your imperfections. If you want fun then obviously a friendly fun atmosphere is important.

The more advanced you get, the facilities at the studio become much more important. The waiting room is the least important space but unless there is a separate warm up room is there enough space for warm ups and cool downs? Are the dance rooms well lit and well ventilated? Are there mirrors and are they positioned in appropriate places so you can study your form and improve technique. Are there enough warm up bars to avoid crowding and are they the correct height? About 42 inches seems to be the norm for adult ballet bars. Are the floors in good condition and sprung to help absorb your energy during leaps and kicks? Is there ample space to move around, avoid other dancers and attain speed and distance in leaps?

If the studio has a website, look to see what types and number of classes they offer. Look at the teachers\’ bio to get a sense of what their level is. But be aware that a great resume doesn\’t always equate a good teacher. Search for news articles and press releases relating to the studios you\’re interested in.

Finally after doing all the research, a trial class gives you the opportunity to see for yourself. Most studios offer free trial classes so you have nothing to lose. So if you are interested, just go out and do it!