This post could also be called, “Why isn’t my dancer ready to leave the building at the listed ending time?”
Great question – it’s true that sometimes we are late releasing a class (particularly as dancers get older and in the rehearsal process). But typically, we are releasing classes on time. So, why are the dancers ready to leave the studio until five-to-ten minutes after class?
Asking the teacher a question
Sometimes a question comes up that a dancer would rather ask one-on-one instead of to the full class. The best time to ask those questions is after class, as everyone is packing up to leave. In order to answer, we may need to look at the dancer to see what they’re experiencing or demonstrate something to help them understand the answer.
Chatting with their friends in the dressing room
There’s not a lot of time to socialize in class besides a quick exchange here or there. The time before and after class in the dressing room is fun and important social time as the dancers build friendships with one another. There’s no one better to celebrate something great that happened in class or commiserate with about your challenges than your dance friends.
Changing clothes or adding layers
Changing clothes, putting on jackets and outside shoes, and grabbing their stuff can be fast or slow, depending on the dancer.
Just taking their time
Sometimes, kids are just taking their time with whatever transition activity they’re doing.
Waiting for a few minutes for your dancer is a dance-parent right of passage
My mom will still tell you about my Tuesday night tap class getting out late (and that was several decades ago). Even though you may have a short wait, we’d ask that you please plan to arrive at the class ending time, especially for a few groups.
If your dancer is under 8-years-old
We are not staffed to provide childcare after class. We happily help with crowd control and the transition from dance back to parents and other caregiving adults, but sometimes our front desk staff (who are also teachers and dancers) have a short transition to their next class. This age group also may experience some distress if their grown-up is consistently late picking them up.
If your dancer is in the last class of the day
We are not comfortable leaving kids of any age outside alone (particularly in the dark). We typically do not have staff in the building after our last class of the day, which means a teacher or front desk person is waiting with your dancer if they are picked up late. We don’t mind doing it from time-to-time, but we’re usually eager to get home and have dinner after those later classes, so we appreciate you bringing your patience, a book, a podcast, or your favorite time-passing activity as you wait for a few minutes for them to come out.
What can I do to shorten the transition time?
We suggest you first talk to your dancer to get more information. Do they notice what time the teacher releases the class? What are they doing after class? Perhaps a conversation to help them understand if you need to leave quickly that day is the right first step.
If you have a day where you must leave by a certain time, please let us know (email info@danspace.com). We will let the teacher and front desk staff know, and your dancers can feel empowered to notice the time and remind the teacher when they need to leave.
We encourage you (where you can) to plan to arrive 10 minutes before class and plan to be walking out of the building five-to-ten minutes after the end of class. If you can budget the time, it may help you feel less rushed and frustrated.
Thank you for all you do to get your dancers to class
We know that coordinating schedules and getting kids to activities can be a complicated puzzle. We appreciate all the effort that goes into getting your kids on-time to class. And, thank you for your patience during the class transition!
