So you want to dance: Part 8 of series Part 10 of series Postings discussion This link allows you to see others thoughts on this piece and contribute to the debate yourself if you want. We look to guarantee this link for a number of years, though after 3-6 months the page may be closed to further additions. Ballet.co's Doing Dance forum reviews by Anjuli Bai

The most important thing about selecting a place to study is the teacher. Nothing comes before that. Well, almost nothing. The floor can be just as important.

The floor?

The floor is one reason that I would avoid a studio even if the teacher was terrific. However, usually a terrific teacher will not teach a class with a less than appropriate floor.

What makes a floor "appropriate?"

Resilience. The floor can be either wood or other covering, but it needs to have a spring to it. This gives a cushion to your body when you jump. It's crucial for the health of your knees, feet, spine - in fact, your entire body. You might not notice any difference immediately, but you will eventually. Don't be fooled by the floor being wood. Sometimes a wooden floor is placed directly upon a cement base which means there is no "spring." If a wooden floor is placed on top of a cement base it needs to be raised slightly up from that base. This is also true of other floor coverings. So, that's the first thing you check out. I suggest that when you call around looking for a teacher and a studio you ask about the construction of the floor. Don't feel silly about it, it's a great question and a good teacher won't mind at all bragging to you about how good her floor is.

Some studios get around this problem by having classes take place on upper floors; therefore you want to be especially careful when you find a studio with a class on a street level.

I guess that about covers floors doesn't it?

There is more! The floor shouldn't be too slick. That seems obvious, but you would be amazed at how many teachers would rather have a nice looking floor (wood or otherwise) to the detriment of the students. If a floor is too slick it will not only offer a hazard, but it will inhibit your movement as you just naturally hold back to avoid slipping. There are some waxes and finishes, however, like the ones used in hospitals, which manage a very nice shine without being slippery. Don't trust how it looks, try it out.

However, a floor can also be too sticky! That's almost as dangerous. If you are doing any kind of turns and your feet are sticking then your body will continue to rotate while your feet stick to the floor and your knees and feet will suffer. The torque (twist) will be in your knees and feet and that's really not a good thing to happen. A sticky floor can also make you stumble or jam your foot while doing things like frappés. So watch out for sticky floors, too.

The same can be said for using rosin.

Oh, I've heard of dancers using rosin.

Dancers use it especially with pointe shoes, but also new shoes or if the weather is dry and the floor seems a bit "fast" - slippery. But rosin must be used judiciously because it can become too sticky and you will run into the problems noted above. It is also possible for the rosin to get coated on the bottom of the shoes and make them the opposite - slippery! Dancers often carry a pen knife to scrape off the rosin from their shoes. And some dancers - uh oh - use rosin so that they can hold their turn out better. This is definitely a big time no-no. It's called cheating! And, your knees will pay the price!

Should a studio be a certain size?

Space is a major problem for studios. It is difficult to find spaces that have no obstructions like poles and such. I have danced in a studio with a pole, and while it is possible it is also very distracting. One ends up spotting the pole (to make sure it's avoided) rather than spotting the turns correctly. Such a space should be avoided by beginners, because they just aren't experienced enough to handle the extra distraction. Sometimes a studio with such pole will put lots of padding around it.

The dance space should be large enough to accommodate the students comfortably. While it is true that sometimes a large number of students just happen to turn up for a particular class, the teacher should make sure that the class doesn't get over approximately 15 people on a regular basis. Especially if it is a beginner (or almost beginner) class, it should have no more than 10-12 students. It's just not possible to do justice to more than 10-12 students at that level of technical ability.

You should be able to do things like grand battement at the barre without having to turn toward the barre severely (maybe a little bit!) to avoid kicking your neighbor. And in center work if there are 12 students in class, there shouldn't be more than two separate groups for any one exercise. Better yet, it's ideal if everyone can dance at once. When there are more than two groups too much time is spent waiting for your turn and the body begins to cool down and it's counter productive.

Some studios are so beautiful.....

Some teachers are lucky enough to find such space. The problem with ballet/dance space is that because it is "space" that is being purchased and that's exactly what the school can almost never get enough of, it's very expensive. It's not like an office where a couple of desks can be crammed together. I learned never to judge the teacher by the beauty of the space. But I do judge the teacher by the cleanliness of the space.

Oh yes! I have seen some studios that are really unsightly!

Some studios depend upon the students to do the cleaning in exchange for lessons. That's a good idea if the student upholds her/his part of the bargain. There is no excuse for dirt. This is especially true for dance class because the dancers often have more contact with the floor than just their feet! They often lie on the floor for stretching etc. And it also holds true for such things as dust because so much deep breathing is occurring and people are brushing up dirt and dust from the floors. Clean bathrooms are another must. Some of the places I have seen have really sent me scurrying away. An old place can be a wonderful facility, but never a dirty place. Old is not an excuse for dirty.

How about the temperature? Should it be heated? Should I look for a place with air conditioning? Or windows?

It is possible for the studio to be too warm in the winter - as well as too cold. Most studios err on the cold side. So, dancers dress up in layers. Ideally the temperature should be comfortable whether one is dancing or not. Natural sweat is a good thing if it is naturally produced - not by over heating the room.

As for air conditioning or windows or fans, I am a real bear about not dancing in a draft. Any kind of fan blowing directly on the dancers is definitely something I avoided completely. An open window on a pleasant day is wonderful! As long as the dust from the street (or too much noise) is not also coming in, windows are great. Air conditioning is my bane. I would never dance in air conditioning. I found it counter productive, dried out my nasal passages and invaded my chest. It's different when one is not dancing, but while dancing I avoided air conditioning or fans blowing directly on me.

I guess a studio can't be too large!

Well, strangely enough I have found too large a space just as difficult as too small a space: it becomes a problem of orientation. I also noticed that when I danced in a new place it took me a class or two to become acclimated. So, don't get upset when you come to a new place if you feel a bit discombobulated.

Discombobulated?

Yes, that's an official, sophisticated ballet term meaning - it'll get better!