Different Dance Schools for Different Lessons - Do you need To inform all teachers involved?

[happy days]

If your main dance teacher, who you have been with for years,  doesn't offer a particular lesson, say tap for example would you need to inform that dance teacher if you went to another dance school for that lesson only?  Hope this make sense.

[Loulabelle]

Yes I would out of courtesy. My DD's daughter expects to be asked if its ok to do anything at another school/organisation. Her school offers most dance types and has a very full timetable so it's mainly associate programmes I'm talking about, but I would check with her for anything extra that's not offered.

[Lisa O`Brien]

Yes, I would let the "old" teacher know, just out of courtesy. 

[BankruptMum]

Yes definitely, not only is it polite its also helps to have all these teachers working together!  My DD dances ballet with two different school, has occasional lessons with a third - they all know of each other, all offer a fresh pair of eyes and work towards the same goal.

 

If its because your current teacher doesn't offer that style of dance then I can see no reason why she wouldn't agree to you going to another dance school for extra lessons.

[Fiz]

It caused bad blood between two dance schools I know of when a girl who went to both schools was put in for a dance competition and both schools claimed her as their pupil. She had not bothered to tell either school that she was going to them both. A little courtesy could have avoided an unpleasant situation. I'm not suggesting you would do this, by the way

[Picturesinthefirelight]

I wouldn't and haven't informed dds teacher of her doing different classes elsewhere as I don't think it's any of her business.

[pas de chat]

I would if it is going to be a permanent fixture as it is polite.  It can sometimes answer questions for the teacher if they are looking tired or they change for the better/worse.  My DD sees her teacher 3 times a week and has known her since the age of three and as with a lot of her pupils has a great influence on her.

[Iloveballet2804]

I dance at two different school - one for intensive classes and the other for recreational shows and exams. As they are so different and I don't take part in competitions I doubt the schools would ever have a problem!

[LinMM]

I think the difference is the key here.

I can't see why any teacher would have a problem with you taking a class with another in a style not provided by their school.....in this case tap classes......or maybe another school provides contemporary and one doesn't I just can't see a problem with this and to just be upfront.

 

However it would be more contentious to go to another school providing similar syllabus....RAD for example though you could argue you just want to do more classes etc.

 

Sometimes teachers themselves cause parents to be more secretive though......because say you want your child to experience more than one style say RAD and Russian or RAD and Cechetti some teachers may so thoroughly disapprove of this approach saying that it muddles the children etc(and it may some children) that if you want to do it you may feel it is best kept hidden because of the fuss they may make.

I'm not advocating this.....one should be able to organise ones child's ballet as you wish and it's better if you are strong enough to be upfront about this because of perhaps undue pressure on a younger child(say of 10) to not reveal this in an unguarded moment!! Keeping "secrets" is not fair on them. However it's not easy as some teachers will absolutely refuse to allow a child to attend different style ballet classes. I personally think teachers should be a bit freer about this but with perhaps a warning of the problems which could possibly occur then its up to parents to see if child can cope or not. Honesty is the best policy if possible.

[tomuchtallent]

Always do what's best for your child,so if you think that the teacher would have a problem,don't tell her!

[Katymac]

DD's teacher encourages her to do other classes, workshops and courses - she says that they have to learn to deal with different teachers & the more styles of dance and styles of teaching the better

[LinMM]

I would be inclined to agree with this view myself! Children are usually amazingly adaptive but if they're having probs hopefully can share with mum/dad/granny etc!

[Maria]

We started lessons at a second school because my DD was not progressing and getting bored. When I let the first teacher know, she informed us she would not accept her back as a pupil, i.e. chucked us out! This was extremely distressing at the time, but has come to be the best outcome all round - dd has now regained her love of ballet and is back to really enjoying her dancing and making good progress.

[Anjuli_Bai]

Any school and/or teacher who uses threats to keep a student - is a school and/or teacher from which to flee.

[happy days]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and comments.  4 weeks left to decide on what to do.  My gut feeling is that if I'm honest it won't go down particularly well with the old teacher.

[pas de chat]

I would wonder whether she/he is the right teacher then if she reacts badly?  A good teacher should want the best for their pupils and not restrict their growth.  She may not think the new school is good enough though and recommend a different option - just a thought?

[meadowblythe]

I so agree with pas de chat - looking back our inability to discuss our concerns with DS's teacher should have been a sign it was time to move on ...   we were too afraid that we would be classed as "difficult" and DS wouldn't get into JAs/PVPs/vocational.

 

Having no background at all in ballet we just did not know what was expected or reasonable - either of the school or ourselves.

 

Meadowblythe

[happy days]

Anjuli, I want to flee from the school but dd doesn't.  Scared of change if she goes to a new school for all her lessons.

[t_rose]

Sometimes parents have to take decision out of child's hands. I've moved dd twice, she didn't want to move as had friends, knew how school worked etc. I explained reasons to dd & in end she agreed to it. (First time she was being held back as younger children in group, second time as we wanted more technique)

[Ja Sm]

I would definitely say something to the existing teacher, as I would hope they had their pupil's best interests at heart too. Though I have heard of ballet school's that ask parents to sign a contract which promises exclusivity.

[Lisa O`Brien]

I would definitely say something to the existing teacher, as I would hope they had their pupil's best interests at heart too. Though I have heard of ballet school's that ask parents to sign a contract which promises exclusivity.

I think that`s terrible. Who do they think they are?

[All4dancers]

This is actually quite common I think.  My dd went to one dance school where they didn't even want her to do associate classes.  She did attend a non-syllabus class once a week at another dance school and when the teacher found out she was asked to leave, but carried on with panto until the end of the run where the teacher made my dd's life a misery  We found another teacher in the area who also wasn't very encouraging about dd attending other schools, but in the end agreed to her attending the non-syllabus class as she had trained with the teacher.  She also encouraged pupils to attend associate classes and summer schools etc, so in my opinion that was very reasonable.

[happy days]

Well I asked and was told that I could not go to another school where they teach the same syllabus for ballet!   Find this response rather odd as as we didn't suggest that we wanted to do ballet in another school.   

[BankruptMum]

Well I guess its a positive response. Perhaps your teacher feels if it is different syllabus then your DD would be less likely to think of taking ballet at the other school in future. Don't mention to her that my DD attends two schools deliberately to do ISTD at one and RAD at the other - with consent from both though!

 

Hope your DD enjoys her new classes.