What type of questions to ask instructor for ballet?

Question:Okay so my daughter is 5 years old and she just asked me if she can join ballet. I have never been in ballet before we are from hawaii and we dance hula and stuff like that but not ballet. Right now we are residing in las vegas I found a dance studio with good reviews online but I just don't know what type of questions I should ask because I don't know anything about ballet. PLease help thanks!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Okay so my daughter is 5 years old and she just asked me if she can join ballet. I have never been in ballet before we are from hawaii and we dance hula and stuff like that but not ballet. Right now we are residing in las vegas I found a dance studio with good reviews online but I just don't know what type of questions I should ask because I don't know anything about ballet. PLease help thanks!

you should definitely take your daughter and the two of you should watch a few classes together and see how it looks. look for yourself and see are the teachers constantly yelling? do the dancers seem happy? are there a lot of injured girls? do the dancers look good (i know you may not know much about good technique from bad, but do they look good overall?)
you should ask the teachers about what age the girls start pointe (starting too early may damage the immature foot). about 10ish is a common age, but ask what the teachers checks for to make sure the girls are ready for pointe shoes. if she says stuff like strength and a stable and flexible ankle, thats good! if she says just when they hit a certain age or whenever they want to, thats bad!
also, talk to some of the moms of the girls who go to the studio and ask them (in private, away from the owner of the studio of course) how they like the studio, are their children happy there, etc.
when/if you daughter starts taking classes there, you should watch at least the first few classes and make sure its all going well.
oh and make sure to watch the highest level classes, with teenagers, and not just the little kids. this is very important to do b/c some teachers "show their true colors" with the higher level classes.
i hope your daughter enjoys it!
i know i do! i love ballet :)
good luck!

you shouldnt ask anythinggggg......? what do you mean ...?

just sign her up..

Well i am in ballet and if you might now someone that goes there or works there then you should ask them or else you could just ask the person in the office and here are some things on what you can ask....

1)What kind of leotard do i need?
2)How much money will it cost?
3)What kind of ballet shoes do i need?
4)Who is the best ballet teacher that teaches (your daughters level)?

When i say i i mean your daughter.

P.S. Hope This Helps
Need any more just message me!

ask what the ballet consist of for a five year old how long the classes last .

To add to what Heather said (it was a very good answer) it's not bad if the teacher yells at the older girls, as long as it's not mean yelling. My teacher yells corrections at us all the time, but that doesn't mean she's a bad teacher. If she insulted us or made fun of us, that's when she's a bad teacher.Once you get to more advanced levels, it gets pretty serious, so don't be scared if the teacher seems strict with older girls. However, she should still be friendly and nice to younger girls and encourage them to learn and do their best. Make sure the class isn't too structured but that it isn't just running around and playing the whole time either. There should be a balance of fun and actually learning ballet steps and basic technique. I hope she has fun and loves dance!

I am a dancer with yet another opinion!
In my view 5 is too young for ballet. If your child starts that young, she will probably end up quitting. I would start her with a good creative movement class. She can enjoy moving and use her body parts. When she becomes more mature at age 8 she is ready to start the discipline and rigor of ballet. It is possible that the ballet that you have been looking at on the web site has a teacher who has studied child development and anatomy and dance injuries. It is possible that this ballet instructor has a degree in dance. If this is the case, relax. Try it out. I have just seen so many great ballet dancers not understand child development. The child of 5 becomes bored trying to get every position right and is then lost to dance forever.
Your child should love the class as Gina [above] loves hers.
Look at the state of Nevada's "dance listings" If you really want her to become a good dancer, look what members of the state "art Council" has to say. Did a group of peers vote to give this studio a grant? Generally, the art council's will not be concerned about a 5 year old class. Teach her your style of dancing, too!! Look at state and federal grants in the future when looking at classes for your child as she gets older. Adance company that gets our tax dollars is generally reputable. [of course there are great dancers and people that never get awknowledged]