NATIONAL FINALS: KEEPING IT IN PERSPECTIVE, AND KEEPING IT ALL ABOUT THE DANCERS

With the competition season coming to an end and National Finals upon us, I thought I would take a moment to communicate directly to dance parents. Being a dance mom and a dance dad is time consuming, and it can be costly. When you mix those two things with your care and concern for your child, it can bring on a tremendous amount of stress. As a parent, I get it. Every parent wants their child to be healthy, happy, and successful. As parents, it is important to remember that dance teachers love your children. They also want them to be healthy, happy, and successful. It is worthy to note that dance competitions want all the children to be healthy, happy, and successful too!

DANCE COMPETITION REALLY IS ALL ABOUT THE KIDS....IT SHOULD BE ALL ABOUT THE KIDS. 

Dance competition, especially national finals, should be a fun experience for dancers. It should be a place for children of all ages to show off their hard work and enjoy their moment in the spotlight. National finals is the big finale to the year! Everyone wants to do their best and go out with a bang! Families have traveled, taken vacation time from work, and spent a lot of money for their children to compete. Often times the competition is incredibly tough! Put all of these elements together, and you have the perfect storm if you don't keep things in perspective. Every dancer and teacher has worked hard all season. Parents have shelled out a lot of money all year. (Parents, it is important to remember that entry fees do not go to the studio, but to the competition. Those payments do not benefit the teacher.) Everyone is tired. If you stop and think that the dancers are only children once, and you will realize that you only have this one time to experience being a parent to your child at this age. Savor the moment and encourage them to savor it as well. Make it fun! Let your child know they aren't there to dance for a trophy but rather to dance out of joy and for the love of it. 

IMPORTANT! ALWAYS REMAIN CALM.
Dancers feed off the vibes, words, and tones of their parents. Keeping this in mind, having a warm smile and remaining calm allows the children (of any age) to enjoy the privilege and opportunity you have provided, instead of making them feel guilty, stressed, or worried. Yes, there will be quick changes. Yes, you may have a child that messed up onstage whom you will need to comfort. Yes, the competition may be ahead or behind schedule. Please remember that as a parent, all eyes are on you. The dancers need their parents' encouragement and support. Parents set the tone and mood for a competition not only with the dancers, but with the teachers and even the competition staff. 

Although your child is competing, the teacher is working. It is their job. More than likely, they are not getting paid or not getting paid very much to be there working. Contrary to what many may believe, studio owners make very little money off competition students. Competition takes up the majority of a studio owner/dance teacher's time with the least amount of pay. Studio owners and dance teachers provide extra performances and competitions because they love your children, and want them to have the benefits of the experience. They are working long hours, and often times do not get breaks as parents and dancers do throughout the week. It's important to keep this in mind. 

One way to eliminate your stress is to be informed. Make sure to communicate with the studio owner and/or dance teacher to confirm that you have all the correct information. Another way to eliminate worry is to double and triple check that you have everything on your dancer’s checklist. Last, but not least, arrive earlier than the scheduled time set by your dance teacher or studio owner. You may also want to check in with some to see if the competition is running ahead. Once you do these to things, you are good to go!!! From there, you can sit back and let your studio owner and dance teacher take the reigns!

Try your best not to go into overdrive, even if your dancer starts to get anxious. Try to calm them down, and encourage them to have fun and enjoy the experience! When you, as a parent, are calm, cool, and collected, you can enjoy the experience setting the tone for your child. You will see the stress and pressure drift away from your dancer allowing them, and you, to create wonderful lasting memories that dance certainly provides! Connect with each other and bond with other families. Laugh. Appreciate those around you, the talents of others, your child's talent, your gifts, and the friendships you have made through dance. Take note of all that dance has taught besides choreography and technique. MAKE IT FUN BECAUSE IT IS!

Dance hard. Dance smart.

Meredith

thecompetitiveedgebymeredith.blogspot.com

Facebook: The Competitive Edge by Meredith

Instagram: competitiveedgebymeredith

Twitter: @the_comp_edge

For class, choreography, or booking information, please email: meredith@thecompetitiveedgebymeredith.com

You can also read The Competitive Edge by Meredith on Dance Apps Inc's app with NappyTabs, Dancer's Toolbox under Dancer's Dish.