A studio that pretends this split does not exist ends up disappointing both groups. We name it instead.
Recreational track
One class a week, mixed ability, no audition to join. The year builds toward the spring recital, which is the entire point for these families and gets treated that way - real rehearsal time, a real costume, a real stage, not a formality tacked onto the calendar.
Dancers move up a level each year based on age and time in the program, not on assessment. Nobody is cut, and nobody is asked to audition for their own recital number.
Pre-professional track
Multiple classes a week, with ballet required as the technical foundation regardless of what else a dancer studies - tap, jazz and contemporary all stand on ballet placement, not the other way around. Entry is by teacher assessment, not age, so a strong twelve-year-old can train alongside an older dancer.
Say plainly what this becomes: by the upper levels, the weekly hour of a recreational class turns into eight to twelve hours a week across styles, plus a required summer intensive. Auditions for pre-professional programs and summer intensives elsewhere follow from here, and we help prepare for them directly.
What it costs
One class a week: $85 a month
Two classes a week: $150 a month
Pre-professional, four or more classes: $310 a month
Every recital dancer also pays a costume fee ($65-$95 per number), tickets for family ($12 each), and professional recital photos and video ($40, optional). These are billed separately in the spring and are not included in monthly tuition - the thing that surprises families every year if nobody says so in advance.
