There are 168 hours in a week.

For a growing child, about 70 of those hours should be spent sleeping or napping.

Then there’s the average of 35 hours spent in school each week.

About 10 hours each week are spent getting to/from places.

10 hours for meals.

6 hours per week for baths, brushing teeth, hair care, health appointments, and other personal care.

10 hours for reading, studying, tutoring, or homework.

3 hours for cultural, community, or religious activity.

14 hours of playtime, family time, screen time, and unstructured time.

Give or take.

You get the idea.

This leaves approximately 10 hours per week for a performing arts education and other extracurricular activities.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the amount of time in performing arts classes, with dance as an example. For student dancers, just how much dance is recommended?

Ages 3-7

For young dancers ages 3-7, it is recommended that they take 1 or 2 classes each week. With this age group, because the best practices in dance education advocate for 20-25 min of concentrated time per dance style, Music House offers classes that effectively combine two styles into a single class:

Ballet/Tap Combo, two levels available (Ballet + Tap)
Pre-Ballet (Ballet + Creative Movement)
Beginning Hip Hop (Hip Hop + Creative Movement)
Jazz / Hip Hop Combo (Hip Hop + Jazz) - Starting in August!

Repetition is important for this age group and goes a long way toward their comfortability and confidence in participation. It is recommended that students be given at least 3-4 months to get acclimated and try a new class or activity before deciding if it’s for them or not. It is common for this process to take some time.

Ages 8+ Recreational Level

For students ages 8+, this is the age they graduate to full dance classes of 45-60 min per style. The industry recommendation is 2-3 hours of dance per week for recreational dancers. This is important for the development of physical stamina and sustained focus, as well as sufficient class time for building technique, artistry, and dance knowledge. At Music House, we have taken a close look at our schedule to make it possible to take two dance classes back-to-back whenever possible to make it easier for families. In addition to classes, dancers at this age should be practicing regularly at home; Music House provides resources for at-home practice.

Consistency is important for this age group. It is recommended that students commit to any new class or activity for at least 6 months prior to considering dropping or switching. “Losing interest” or shifting interests is common for tweens, so making a 6-12 month commitment can be a good developmental strategy.

Dancing 2-4 hours per week, according to our math above, allows a recreational student with interests outside of dance a few hours for other activities such as music, theater, sports, Scouts, or clubs.

Ages 8+ Intermediate Level

For students ages 8 and older who are wanting to see greater improvement in their technique and skills, gain more confidence, and take on lead roles in dance productions, it is recommended that they be dancing an average of 3-6 hours a week. This amount of training is especially important for any student wanting to dance en pointe, for safety reasons.

To both spark motivation and prevent burnout, Music House develops an annual calendar that is strategically paced, building toward one major production and one smaller-scale dance recital each year. Our rehearsal periods are kept to an average of 3-4 months and are designed to match the students’ different levels of intensity.

At Music House, we offer the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® National Training Curriculum track classes at our West Rogers Park for students wanting more focused training in ballet.

Ages 8+ with Big Dreams

A student who dreams of dancing professionally is recommended to be in dance class or rehearsal for as many hours a week as their age. For example, a 10-year-old student would be dancing approximately 10 hours a week. This is the intensity you find at ballet conservatories and competitive programs. Generally, as the amount of hours increases, we see students’ love of dance increase. At this level, adequate rest between training days is crucial; two consecutive days of rest each week is recommended for bone and joint development, muscle regeneration, mental rest, and preventing burnout. To make a robust education in the performing arts attainable for more students, Music House offers discounts for additional classes as well as financial aid by application.

We should note that there are many exceptions to the numbers detailed above, which are suggestions based on industry standards and child development research. Every child is different and should follow their own personal journey in the performing arts. At Music House, we are proud to offer small classes that allow for a more tailored experience for students. We love working with students and their families to figure out the right fit for them from early childhood through their high school graduation, and beyond!

Sources: Dance Studio Owners Association, Danscend, Youth Protection Association for Dance, The Movement Dance Experience, The Dance Centre Peregian Springs, Balanced Ballerinas, and Dance Parent 101