CLASS PLACEMENT INFORMATION
Dance for ages 8 & under → NO placement needed, sign up for classes by age
Beginner dancers of all ages → NO placement needed, sign up for classes by age
Ages 9 & up with dance experience → placement needed before registering (fill out form below)
Acro for All Ages with acro/gymnastics/tumbling experience → placement needed
Summer Placements for PDC Students → Sign Up by age or in CURRENT 2025-2026 class level
Performing Group Auditions (Company, Ballet Ensemble, Hip Hop Crew) → auditions for the 2026-2027 school year are May 19th-21st (see “Company” page)
Questions regarding placements? Email kaitlyn@performingdancecenter.com.
Please allow 1-3 business days for a response. Check your junk folder if you do not see an email response in that time frame.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING PLACEMENTS:
What is my child’s class placement for the summer?
PDC dancers should sign up by age or in their current class 2025-2026 level for summer. I.e., if they are in level 4, they should sign up for the level 4 this summer. Classes continue to work on and refine elements of our curriculum in the summer. School year class placements will be emailed after dancers attend a placement (if a placement is needed).
Dancers new to PDC should request a placement through the form above.
If my child wants to audition for a Performing Group, do they also need to do a level placement?
Dancers ages 6-8 who are auditioning for Company do not need to attend a class placement, unless they have acro/gymnastics/tumbling experience and want to take Acro. Dancers ages 9+ are also required to attend class placements. The Performing Group auditions focus on choreography, while the class placements focus on both technique and choreography for each genre.
If my child is in the highest level currently offered, do they need to come to a placement for next year?
Yes! We reassess our class needs each year and therefore may offer more classes in the future if we feel it is needed.
What is the process for being placed in classes (students NEW to PDC)?
Please see above for what classes are by age and what classes are by placement. If needing to be assessed for a class placement…
Parent fills out a placement request.
If requesting placement for 2026-2027 classes, the membership fee will be added & charged to account.
Parent will receive an email from kaitlyn@performingdancecenter.com to arrange a time for a placement. The dancer should come prepared to dance in the styles requested on the form.
Once a placement has been completed, the parent will receive an email with placement information and class recommendations.
What is the process for being placed in classes (PDC Students)?
Please see above for what classes are by age and what classes are by placement. If needing to be assessed for a class placement…
Parent fills out a placement request for 2026-2027 classes (sign up by age or in current class level for summer).
The membership fee will be added & charged to account.
Child attends appropriate class placement(s) as outlined on schedule above. If he/she cannot attend the group placement, you can note this on the placement request, and the parent will receive an email from kaitlyn@performingdancecenter.com to arrange a time for a placement.
Once a placement has been completed, the parent will receive an email with placement information and class recommendations.
What is the membership fee?
All students enrolled in classes for the 2026–2027 school year are required to pay an annual membership fee (no membership fee is due for session or adult classes). This fee is charged per student at the start of the school year and helps cover administrative costs, insurance, and other studio expenses.
How long will a placement take?
Placements typically take about 10-15 minutes if done individually, or up to 60 minutes if done as a group. Our program has detailed curriculum for each of our levels and we are able to identify the technical level of dancers by seeing them perform various skills with our assistant director. Once the placement is done, our assistant director will contact families via email with information regarding placement.
What goes in to determining class placements?
Teachers look at a variety of factors when determining class placements, including age, maturity, skill level, attendance, work ethic, attitude, flexibility, and strength. All of these factors vary from child to child and students naturally advance at different paces.
My child has friends that dance in a different level than he/she was placed, can't you keep them together?
Class placements are based on the level of the individual dancer’s ability. We spend a lot of time looking at each individual dancer to ensure the best pathway for them to be successful in future dance classes. From a young age, it is best to emphasize the joy of dancing rather than focusing on level placements. It is natural for some dancers to progress more quickly than others. Often, students have better focus when not distracted by friends. Please encourage your child to celebrate their success and not to compare themselves to other dancers.
My child has a lot of experience for a younger student. Can they be placed with older dancers?
If your student is 8 years old or younger, they should be registered in classes by age. Although we understand there are varying levels of dancers within these young dancers, classes for these age groups are designed to address the appropriate developmental and emotional needs of children. For older students with little to no dance training, we also have classes that families can register for based on the age of the student that do not require a placement.
Once students are 9 years or older and have previous dance experience, they may request a placement if seeking to be placed in levels 3 or higher.
Can they try a higher level to see if it would be a good fit?
We have found that when dancers follow our recommendations and work hard, they will be successful and continue to progress. Students who try to move to a level that they are not ready for will never truly refine the details that they are missing. We do not want children to try a level that is not their class recommendation, as it is devastating to be moved down if the teacher believes the lower level is better. We continuously reexamine class placements to ensure that students are getting the most out of their training, and we will let you know if we decide to move your child up after the initial recommendation.
What if my child wants to do a style they have never done before?
Great, we encourage students to try other dance styles! Please email so we can tell you the correct class to try or schedule a placement if that is needed. If a child has been placed in a certain level for some styles, they may not be in the same level if they are trying a new style that they haven’t been training in. We encourage children to take as many styles as they would like but to refrain from genre-jumping each year, as this slows progression.
What if I am questioning my child's class placement?
Most importantly, it is important that you trust us to make the correct decision to ensure your child’s success. We have all of our students’ best interests at heart. Our teachers have years of experience in training, dancing professionally, and teaching, and are consistently training to improve their skills as educators. We continuously reexamine class placements to ensure that students are getting the most out of their training, and we will let you know if we decide to move your child up after the initial recommendation. Parents should not approach teachers to discuss class placements, but should instead email info@performingdancecenter.com should you have any further questions.
What is the best way for my child to improve?
The more your child dances, the faster his or her progress will be! We recommend that students maintain good attendance and add more classes if they are looking to improve faster. PDC also offers private lessons for select ages in various genres, and this is a great way for your child to improve in addition to taking their regular classes. Private lessons are very helpful so that teachers can give more individualized feedback and target areas that your child needs to work on specifically. Schedule your one-on-one lesson by visiting www.performingdancecenter.com/classes.