Monday, July 28, 2008

Dance delimma

With little girls in the house, there is dance on the agenda. For the past 2 years, BigGirl has been taking dance at a really great studio~ totally professional, awesome talent in the teacher (who I took dance with growing up), staff, and the older girls, and lots of potential if BigGirl wants to get serious about it one day. She was so excited to find out that she can graduate from beginner ballet/tap to intermediate ballet/tap/jazz this year! Well, the other day we get a letter in the mail saying that they have to close their studio in our (small) town due to budget issues! They will offer a tuition discount to any of us who want to drive 30 minutes to their other studio, but I'm really not sure it is worth it. BabyGirl also can start this year, since she's 3 now, but her class will be on a different day of the week. I really don't want to quit dance altogether b/c I think she is really pretty good at it (even better when she pays attention, but that's another long story...), and it was something that I totally loved and was a huge part of my life growing up- I danced from kindergarten through college. So here are the options:

* Drive 30 minutes for high quality dance at a discounted price- BigGirl's class would be Thursday evening after she's already had an hour of cheerleading practice and BabyGirl would be another day- 2 days of driving and an exhausted Thursday night/Friday morning.

* Stay in town and get so-so quality dance at a little cheaper price- both girls could take and it wouldn't matter if they were on different days- I've heard the classes are on Wednesdays (I have teacher meetings) or Thursdays (again cheerleading day- remember I'm the coach- we have to be there).

* Drop dance altogether and do gymnastics- also 30 minutes away and much more expensive tuition, but no recital costumes to buy. This would only be for BigGirl- she has been going in the summers for the past 2 years and loved it- would BabyGirl just sit out another year?

* Do a combo class at the gymnastics gym- Dancenastics- 30 min.of jazz and 30 min. of gymnastics, but this is also on Wednesdays and I have teacher meetings and it would be really hard to get there in time without walking out of my meetings- not something I want to do week after week- no class available for BabyGirl's age.

AAGGHH! Maybe we'll just find a new activity???

2 comments:

Our Moments said...

Oh, that's a tough one!! Knowing how much you loved dance as a child, I'd hate to see your girls not participate. Is there anyone that you could carpool with to the studio 30 minutes away? The other option would to be the so-so dance company and her the dance/gymnastics combo... Oh, what if BigGirl takes dance at the studio 30 min away and BabyGirl takes it locally?? That way, you could feel out the local studio and see what you think for a year. Then, you'll know whether or not it's worth putting both girls there or not.
Tricky situation for sure. Good Luck!

Angela said...

I'd go to the better studio... I danced and twirled my way from toddlerhood to college myself, and my daughter takes at a studio in town. It is quite a drive, and I am concerned about us both being tired by that time of the day this year (she starts kindergarten), but I think it is worth it. She loves the teacher and dancing, so I feel it will be worth it. Now it is different with two, and having to go back twice, so maybe do as the above commenter said - take the little one to the closer one to see how it is. I do not know what I will do once my son begins all these activities that keep me in the road twice as much!