PDT Parent Guide

1)    Teacher Qualifications:  Your dancer will be trained by someone who cares about his or her progress as an artist first and foremost!  Teachers at PDT have been trained in various styles of dance and all have taken pedagogy classes. (“Pedagogy” teaches someone to teach).  Our staff has a strong knowledge of the craft and performance; and also a strong knowledge of how to pass information on to students of many ages and ability levels.  Teaching dance and performing dance are two completely different skills, and we want your dancer to have a teacher with a strong knowledge of both!  The director has studied pedagogy methods while earning her first degree and also studied teaching theories at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet.  All of the staff have been trained in teaching approaches through college and/or courses with Ms. Wurtz herself.

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2)    NO Excessive End of Year Fees:  Since dance is a performing art, performing experience is considered paramount to training and we love watching your dancer come alive on stage!  There is not, however, a heavy emphasis on an end of year “recital” type showcase in our curriculum. No students pay a fee to participate or pay for a catalog costume.  Tickets are kept at affordable prices to allow for all participants to have a strong audience support team.  Your dancer can then take more lessons and dance styles as the extra “hidden” fees are omitted.

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3)    No Competitions but Instead World Class Opportunies: Dancers that want to study dance seriously, and/or to be part of a student dance company, are given opportunities almost unheard of in most local schools.  PDT is the home to the Pottstown Dance Theatre Repertory Ensemble and we perform “The Nutcracker” annually.  There are also occasions when we go to Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and we performed in London during the Olympic Games.  Your family will be blown away seeing their student dancer on a world class stage!  There are fees attached to these opportunities, but they are kept as low as possible as we receive grant funding to assist and donations are welcome.  Since we are part of a non-profit organization (HPL 501 c3 Ins9tute), donations are tax deductable.  All donations go to the organization's mission!

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4)    Core Values Teach Life Skills: Family members of PDT have stated that the school taught them many skills other than just how to point their feet.  Many have gone into dance as a career; but others have become strong professionals in their own right in various fields.  Your dancer will learn that excellence in any project is a constant goal.  Anything your dancer does with us will be a source of pride!  Creativity is a necessary skill for all productive living.  Someone had to invent everything we use today.  Dancers are part of a team with a common goal which gives an understanding of community; and styles of all parts of the world are encouraged, creating a sense of learning, tolerance and diversity.  And finally, your student will learn self-determination and that hard work always pays off!  No matter a student’s natural ability, determination will improve skills.  Our core values are: EXCELLENCE, CREATIVITY, TEAM WORK, DIVERSITY, and SELF-DETERMINATION!  These skills work in ALL aspects of life, not just dance!