LATE-BREAKING NEWS, AND TIPS ON NYC PRIVATE TEACHERS
March, 1998

Dear Dancers,

Newsflash! Broadway Dance Center has moved to spacious new studios at 221 West 57th Street, right above the Hard Rock Café. The Grand Opening was on March 2. Not only that, but legendary master teacher David Howard now has a regular schedule at BDC, with intermediate / advanced classes from 11:30-1:00 Monday through Friday and advanced beginner classes from 6:15-7:45 Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Check out the BDC website for more details on the new space, or call (212) 582-9304. However, not even the BDC website has the scoop about David's classes. You heard it here first!

A reader who signed herself only as "Lisa," and who writes that she is studying at "a very good school in Manhattan," believes that she needs some private coaching to fix certain problems but isn't sure whether to believe the claims made by various teachers in magazine and newspaper advertisements. Lisa is probably right about needing personal attention, but she's also accurate in her assumption that ads don't always tell the whole truth -- whether about dance teachers or toothpaste or computer games!

Let's examine this situation. First, why would a dancer who is studying at a very good school in Manhattan need a coach? For that matter, why would any serious dance student need a coach? The answer is that although taking class has many advantages -- hearing the corrections given to other dancers, observing what other dancers are doing right or wrong, and learning to work in concert with other dancers -- individual fine tuning is also valuable. True, in some dance schools private lessons are simply a way for the studio owner to make more money, and students are enticed with offers of solos in the annual recital whether they deserve the spotlight or not. But that's not what we're talking about here. In New York City, career track dancers routinely seek out private teachers who will zero in on their trouble spots. And even professional dancers look to coaches for help in honing skills, learning or perfecting variations, and achieving more artistry through certain nuances which only a seasoned pro can impart.

But now we've come to the second part of Lisa's query, and the hardest one to answer. Out of all the teachers in the Big Apple, who is the one for you? I'd love to tell you that word of mouth is your best guide, but the truth is that a coach who is ideal for one dancer may not be right for another. Your best plan, if you're in NYC for any length of time, is to shop around. For the record, the teachers I have profiled in my "digital postcards" are far from the only ones I respect and endorse! I plan to keep adding postcards little by little because I have tremendous admiration for many, many teachers here.

In the meantime, I strongly recommend that you read the biographies of all the teachers on the Broadway Dance Center website, and that you also request brochures from STEPS and Studio Maestro, as well as from ABT, Joffrey, Peridance, Ballet Academy East, and any other Manhattan schools in the "Big List" on this site. Also, when you're in town you can simply take class with a variety of teachers in order to get a feel for what each one has to offer. If you want to learn the precise style of the Vaganova method and the exact choreography of classical variations, then Elena Kunikova might be your best choice. If you're more interested in jazz or tap or modern, then obviously you'll look for teachers who excel in those specialties. But whatever the case, here's what hiring a coach will cost: You pay for the studio rental ($15-$25 per hour) and you pay for your coach's time ($25-$100 per hour). In other words, the total tab will run from about $75 to $125 per hour, depending on the studio space and the fee your teacher can command.

Fortunately, however, not everything in NYC is that expensive! For example, if you happen to be here the weekend of March 14 and 15, and you're between the ages of 13 and 18, you can have two whole days of dance performances, music, art, film, and photography for only $5.00! Not only that, but you'll get a chance to win a $5,000 dance scholarship. This is all part of the High 5 program which encourages young people to attend arts events in the city. Call (212) Hi5-TKTS for tickets. And by the way, a recent article in the "New York Times" was entitled "Under-18 Crowd Doubles, Broadway Study Finds" -- so the program is obviously working!

Another tip for those of you looking for fun stuff to do in town from now through the end of the year: This is New York City's Centennial, the 100th anniversary of the consolidation of the boroughs and 40 local governments into Greater New York. We are celebrating in style with non-stop cultural and educational events. The Centennial Consortium places an ad with a calendar of events on the first Monday of each month in the "New York Times." You can also find a schedule in the listing magazine, "Time Out."

Although I took a two-month hiatus last fall, this column does mark the first anniversary of the New York Dance Scene. I have enjoyed every moment of the past year with you, and I hope you'll keep giving me feedback so that I can serve up precisely the information you want and need as I move into my second season here on DanceArt.com.

May the luck o' the Irish be with you in jig time!

Sondra