Pro: Your child gets acting, singing and dancing in one place
For me, this is one of the biggest advantages of Theatretrain.
Our Main Company children spend an hour acting, an hour singing and an hour dancing every week.
They don’t have to choose which one they want to do.
And actually, quite often they arrive thinking they have a favourite and discover something else along the way.
I’ve known children who joined because they loved acting and were adamant they couldn’t sing.
Then a few months later, they’re singing quite happily.
Or children who thought they were singers who suddenly discover they really enjoy drama.
They get the chance to experience all three properly.
The downside
If your child already knows they only want to dance, sing or act, that can also be a disadvantage.
They can’t opt out of one part and spend more time doing another.
So if your child really only wants specialist dance training, for example, a dance school would probably be a better choice.
Pro: There are no exams to worry about
Theatretrain isn’t built around graded exams.
That gives us a lot of freedom in what we teach.
We can respond to the group in front of us, work towards performances, explore different styles and spend time developing skills without constantly preparing for the next exam.
For lots of children, that takes some of the pressure off.
The downside
Some children absolutely love exams.
They like having grades to work towards and getting a certificate at the end.
Some parents also like having that clear marker of progress.
If that matters to you, Theatretrain may not give you what you’re looking for.
Your child will progress, but you won’t necessarily have a certificate telling you they have moved from Grade 2 to Grade 3.
Pro: They learn to be part of a company
This is a big part of Theatretrain.
Children are working with other people all the time.
They have to listen.
Share ideas.
Wait for somebody else.
Support each other.
Sometimes lead.
Sometimes follow.
And sometimes somebody else gets the moment they really wanted.
I think all of that is really valuable.
Theatre is a team activity, and we treat it like one.
The downside
That means it isn’t all about your individual child.
There will be times when someone else gets the solo.
Someone else gets the bigger part.
Someone else stands at the front.
If you’re looking for an activity where your child gets lots of individual attention or where the priority is showcasing them personally, Theatretrain probably isn’t that.
Pro: Three hours gives children time to really get into it
Our Main Company sessions are three hours long.
I know that can sound like a lot when you first hear it.
But because the children move between acting, singing and dancing, it doesn’t feel like sitting in the same lesson for three hours.
And one of the things I really like about having that time is that we don’t have to rush everything.
Children can settle in.
They can create.
They can rehearse.
They can make mistakes and have another go.
The downside
It is still three hours.
Some children simply aren’t ready for that.
They may get tired, overwhelmed or find it difficult to concentrate for that length of time.
For lots of children, the time flies.
For others, a shorter class may suit them better.
Pro: Children don't need previous experience
You don’t need to arrive at Theatretrain already knowing how to dance or being able to belt out a song.
We get children joining with all sorts of experience.
Some have been performing for years.
Others have never done anything like it before.
That mix is completely normal.
I’m much more interested in whether a child is willing to give things a go than whether they already know how to do them.
The downside
Because it’s a mixed-experience environment, a child looking for very specialist or intensive training in one particular discipline may eventually want something additional.
A very serious dancer, for example, might want specialist dance classes alongside Theatretrain.
Theatretrain is broad training across three disciplines. It isn’t trying to replace every form of specialist training.
Pro: There are real performance opportunities
Performing is a big part of Theatretrain.
We’re not learning all this stuff just to keep it inside the rehearsal room.
Children get opportunities to put what they’ve learned into practice and experience performing as part of a company.
And there’s something quite different about learning something in a class and then actually standing on a stage and doing it.
The downside
Performances involve commitment.
There will be rehearsals.
There will be things to learn.
There may be costumes.
And as performances get closer, there can be more to remember.
For a child who loves performing, that’s usually part of the excitement.
For a family looking for a very casual activity with no commitments outside the weekly class, it is something to think about.
Pro: Confidence can grow without confidence being the lesson
A lot of parents come to me because they want their child to become more confident.
We don’t sit children down for an hour and teach “confidence”.
It tends to happen because of everything else they are doing.
They answer a question in front of the group.
They suggest an idea.
They learn a dance they thought they couldn’t do.
They speak a line.
They make a friend.
They perform.
Those little things start adding up.
The downside
It isn’t instant.
A very shy child may not suddenly run into Theatretrain on week two full of confidence.
Sometimes progress is tiny.
They watch one week.
Join in with one thing the next.
Talk to one child.
Put their hand up once.
If you’re expecting a dramatic personality change after a couple of sessions, that probably isn’t realistic.
Pro: Children don't have to be the same
I really like that Theatretrain can work for very different children.
We have children who walk into a room and immediately want everyone to look at them.
We have children who would quite happily hide behind the person next to them.
Both can have something to offer.
We don’t need everybody to become the loudest person in the room.
The downside
It is still a group environment.
There will be noise.
There will be movement.
There will be lots going on.
And although we will always do our best to support individual children, we can’t provide continuous one-to-one support within a normal group session.
So there will be some children whose needs we simply aren’t able to meet properly.
Pro: They get to try things they might not choose themselves
This is one I probably appreciate more the longer I do this.
Children naturally gravitate towards the things they already feel comfortable doing.
If you let them choose all the time, they can very easily stay there.
At Theatretrain, sometimes they have to have a go at the thing they wouldn’t have picked.
And occasionally that’s where something really lovely happens.
They discover they can do something they had already decided they couldn’t.
The downside
They still have to do the thing they wouldn’t have picked!
If your child genuinely hates singing, for example, singing is still part of Theatretrain.
We’ll encourage them and help them, but we’re not going to remove that part of the session.
So, are the pros worth the cons?
That depends entirely on your child.
For one family, a three-hour session containing acting, singing and dancing sounds brilliant.
For another, three hours sounds far too long.
One parent loves the fact there are no exams.
Another specifically wants exams.
One child loves being part of a big company.
Another would be much happier having individual tuition.
None of those families is wrong.
They’re just looking for different things.
How do I know before I commit?
This is exactly why I think experiencing the class matters.
You can read everything on our website.
You can watch videos.
You can read reviews.
You can even read articles like this one.
But none of that can completely tell you how your child will feel when they walk into the room.
That’s what the taster is for.
Let them experience a real session.
See what they make of the teachers.
See how they cope with the three hours.
See which of acting, singing and dancing they talk about afterwards.
And then decide.
I don’t think the aim should be to find a children’s activity with absolutely no downsides.
I’m not sure that exists.
It’s about deciding whether the things Theatretrain does really well are the things that matter to your child.
And whether the bits that might be a downside for somebody else actually matter to you at all.
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