Why dance at Debra Collier’s School of Dance? For the joy of receiving quality dance education in a fun, nurturing environment where students of all levels feel comfortable and confident!
Debra Collier’s School of Dance provides the Warsaw, IN area with a highly trained team of instructors teaching in a state-of-the-art facility. With a passion for developing students as people–not just dancers–along with a deep and long-term commitment to the Warsaw community, we truly believe it’s about more than dance.
Our Teaching Methods
Our studio uses a custom-designed, progressive dance curriculum to provide the opportunity for each student to excel. We understand that every child has a unique learning style and develops at different rates. Our staff members have experience in meeting each child at their own level.
For example, our Tiny Stars and early elementary-aged classes include various theme weeks to provide children with a fun-filled way to explore the world of dance and inspire their imagination. This dance program is exclusive to our studio and reinforces dance and coordination concepts while dancers delight in everything from our magical Circus Week to Fabulous Friends.
Our studio is the best place for your child to learn
At Debra Collier’s School of Dance, you can expect to be welcomed and guided by our qualified and caring staff members. Our studio works hard to provide the best dance education for every child at our studio.
Experienced, Certified Dance Instructors
Our staff members have been accepted into membership by the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters (CNADM). To achieve membership, each teacher completed written and demonstrative testing in multiple dance styles.
We chose to pursue training through CNADM due to its extensive history focused on the continuing education and professional development of dance teachers, as well as its reputation for quality and high standards. Being a dance educator is far beyond just the knowledge of steps or the love of dance. It is being able to facilitate a child’s learning through proper technique while inspiring their love for the art.
CNADM understands that not all dancers have the capacity to teach and that teacher training is a carefully guided process, not just a weekend workshop. Following acceptance into membership, CNDAM offers two levels of teacher certification, each requiring extensive hours of training specific to teaching techniques, as well as written and oral testing.
To achieve CNADM’s highest level of certification, educators are assessed on their teaching philosophies and methods, as well as their ability to create comprehensive and progressive lesson plans for beginner, intermediate, and advanced dancers in multiple dance styles
Positive Parent Involvement
We don’t just allow parental involvement, we love and encourage it! We invite parents to join us for Parent Observation weeks and encourage them to record their child to assist with practice at home.
It is wonderful to hear our students’ excitement when they tell us their parent is coming in to watch! Your support means so much to them and to our dance instructors. We provide student progress reports twice a season to keep you informed of your child’s progress, goals, and achievements. We want you to be involved and well-informed about every aspect of your child’s dance education.
Celebrate Progress & Milestones
We celebrate your child! Every student has moments of accomplishments the instructors want to acknowledge. Each teacher has a supply of “WOW” cards that celebrate all types of accomplishments. From declaring we are their “favorite fan” to applauding their “perfect poise”, the different designs on the cards acknowledge all kinds of accomplishments. Every student will have an opportunity to receive these throughout the year!
Additionally, each month students are recognized through our Student Of The Month Program. Teachers select students who continually show improvement in their class and meet a list of criteria such as, good attendance, consistent effort, and a positive attitude. The recipients of these awards receive a certificate and their names are displayed in the studio, on social media channels, and in a studio email.
Our Continuous Years of Study awards are another way to reward your child’s hard work and dedication. Beginning with a student’s 5th year, they will receive recognition at our annual recitals. To see the sense of accomplishment on their faces as they walk across the stage to receive their trophy or plaque is wonderful!
