"Which is the best choice for my child, Competitive or Recreational classes?"
By far, our best classes come from our recreation/educational programs. These are the learning programs of movement that range from beginner to advanced levels. We offer classes that use proven syllabi and teach skills that are transferable to other programs, within or outside of TDCP, collegiate dance or spirit departments and life in general.
Students can achieve success and personal improvement in the recreational/educational program as well as the competitive programs. Each program receives our POWerful Words Character building program weekly at no extra charge and performance opportunities locally. Each program receives the same quality of instruction, choreography and teachers. One program is never short changed for another.
A benefit of taking classes in a children's activity and learning center such as ours is the fact that there are multiple programs using complimentary syllabi and that the programs are governed by a common mission statement and philosophy. So, even if your child has taken in our recreational gymnastic program for a couple of years, it is very easy to pick up dance classes as well, and even eventually move to the competitive dance or cheer leading programs with us. Students taking classes in multiple programs that styles and teaching methods do not conflict, develop faster in skills and performance presence. Students taking two or more classes per week will definitely develop faster than those who only take one class a week just because they are training more hours, no matter if they are in the competitive program or the recreational/educational program.
Competitive, unlike recreational/educational classes, is not for every student or family. It is for this reason that the competitive program at TDCP is not a program you can just walk in and register for. Great care is given in choosing those students who can take the extra commitments that the competitive program demands. Competitive means extra fees, time, energy, team commitment, travel and costs. Not every family or student is ready to hear the critiques from the judges and teachers. Competitive program classes demand alot from the students and their families and a student is never approached about being in competitive. We always approach the parents first so that they can decide if they want to present the information to their child or not. Only the Director has knowledge as to what families have been approached or not.All competitive students at TDCP begin with our wonderful recreational/educational programs. That is why our competitive program is so successful!
Our philosophy about competing is that we are competing against ourselves and are always striving to be better than next time we take the floor. These policies and philosophies have always been in place from the very beginning when our competitive program started in the 1980's. Our policies and ideas about competition has always set us apart from many other programs available in our community,and were featured in an interview in Dance Teacher Magazine in 2007.
So, is there really a recreational program vs. competitive program? Not at our facility. We know where true learning and personal empowerment begins. We highly recommend our recreational/educational programs to all students! And we offer supplemental training through master classes and conventions to both programs.
Personal success in performance arts depends on the students commitment, family commitment, teachers that care and programs that see and know that every student that walks through their door is important. Success is not based on whether the students are a member of a recreational/educational class or a competitive class.