THE STRUGGLE OF FINDING A NEW DANCE COMPETITION TO ATTEND

Selecting a dance competition to attend is in many ways like selecting a dance studio for your child to attend. There are hundreds out there, but that doesn't mean they are all a good fit for you. There are dance studios that fit the needs of every child just as there are competitions that fit the needs of every studio. It can be a struggle finding a new dance competition to attend. But how do you find the right competitions for you? 

When looking for a new dance competition to attention, begin your quest by asking the right questions to the right people. Start with friends first. Ask those you trust in the business. Ask other dance teachers and other competition owners and directors of competitions you enjoy attending if they can suggest any competitions to you. Personal references are great because they know you and what you are looking for, and can give you information on their experiences and relationships with others. 

Another good source of reference is online review sites. Studio owners, dance teachers, parents, and dancers can leave comments about their personal experiences and rate individual competitions and conventions for others to read. On these sites in the States, I would say most people leave honest comments, however, a few do go on there just to bash competitions and conventions so sometimes you have to be careful. We have these resources here in the United States, and I'm assuming that in other countries they have websites or social media review sites like these as well. (And thank you to the people who live in the other 33 countries who read my blog! I appreciate you and the people here in the States!!!)

Go directly to the competition's website. Look it over. Check out the pictures, read the rules. Rules are important. Look at the dates, cities, and venue locations. Even check out past years results. These websites are easy to find either through a web search or directly through a review site. 

Last but certainly not least, call the competition to ask any specific questions you may have. But here is the important part: don't just ask whoever may answer the phone. Just as with any business, people are hired for specific things. You want to speak to the person best suited to answer your questions. I am assuming you don't want the person working in the office in charge of human resources or accounting answering your questions about the rules and actual event, especially since they are not at the event. Ask to speak to the owner, competition director, show producer, etc. Tell the person who answers you have specific questions about the competition and the event itself, how it is actually run (not in theory but actually run), and would like to speak to those mentioned above or someone who currently works on the road at events. 

Now to your questions. Be sure to get to the root of your actual questions before you call. Know exactly what you want to ask and why you are asking. Be specific in your questions. This will help you get answers. When you "ask questions" that are actually statements, not questions, you don't get any answers you get a discussion that may still leave you confused and just may take up a lot of your time. When you ask root questions, you get the answers you are seeking quickly and you don't get a "sales pitch". Your time is valuable and you probably have others to call. A determination is usually made very quickly in a person's tone and with their answers if they are genuine, sincere, and a good fit for you and your clientele.  

If you have been wondering how to find a new competition that's right for you, I hope this helps. Competition should be a fun, learning experience for all. It's always great to give a child the opportunity to perform in a positive and encouraging environment. I hope you all find and attend the right competitions for you this upcoming year. Have a fantastic 2017 competition season!!! 

Dance hard. Dance smart. 
Meredith 

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APPROPRIATENESS ... DARE I GO THERE?

Before you begin reading this, I feel it is very important to remind you, the reader, that this is my PERSONAL opinion on point deductions for any subjective reason, including reasons that may have some level of emotional or personal bias behind it. I do not represent or speak for anyone other than myself. My opinion does not reflect on anyone else, any friends, or any company.

I have kept my personal thoughts on appropriateness and subjective point deductions to myself over the years. Only recently, did I share for the very first time my personal view on the matter with a close friend with whom I have no working relationship, however, is involved in dance, and my friend encouraged me to share since it is a point of view that may give a different perspective on this sensitive subject. I have listened earnestly and taken to heart to what others have said over the years. I appreciate and respect everyone's thoughts, beliefs, and opinions very much. No matter what side of the issue people come from, I understand. Everyone has a point and I value their opinion and again, I do understand. Digging a little deeper into the subject, here are my thoughts. I have tried to take all emotion and feeling out of the equation and focus on hard core black and white, no gray area, facts to come to my opinion on the matter. My conclusion and personal opinion happens to be a little different from others, or worded differently, I have heard. Opinions are just that, opinions, and are neither right nor wrong. So for what it's worth, and not to start a debate or argument of any kind, here's just some food for thought. 

What is and is not appropriate at dance competition is a touchy subject and no one is ever really happy with anyone else's answer is but their own. Why is that? Because what is and isn't appropriate is subjective, just as a judge's score is subjective to their training and thought pattern. Appropriateness could mean anything from costuming to choreography to music to behavior.  Everyone's moral standards and preferences are different, from judges to audience members. They are varied to a degree, even if only by a very small degree. All judges (and teachers) are trained but their training may be different; they may come from different locations, maybe even from different countries; their personalities vary.  This is why you can compete against the same dancers and studios at a variety of competitions but the results can be entirely different. With different judges, even one different judge on the panel, you get a different outcome. This is true for every routine, regardless of anything that you may personally consider questionable. Whether it be music, choreography, subject matter, or costuming, there will always be someone who disagrees or just doesn't like the number. Sometimes a person in the audience, dancer, or teacher simply doesn't like a routine because of who it is or what studio they are representing. I'm just being honest. We all know this can be true. Sometimes there may be people who disagree with a certain person or persons behavior while others see no problem. We all have different standards of what we as individuals think is acceptable and what is not. This not only goes for parents, teachers, and studio owners, but for judges, competition staff, competition directors, and competition owners because we are all the same in the end....WE ARE ALL HUMAN. It's human nature and normal. 

Who do I personally believe should be be involved in the actual scoring? In my opinion, the judges and the judges alone. I personally believe the judges should be the only ones who have anything to do with the adjudication. I know there can be talk such as "I don't agree with the judging", or "those scores just can't be right", or "I think they are changing scores" when they may not agree but it is those judges' opinion on that given day.  I believe when a competition hires a panel of judges, the scores, results, and the outcome are in their hands alone. The judges' subjective opinions coming together as one final score and final decision without any outside influences keep the competition fair, ethical and of the upmost integrity. I know when I judged, there were times when people didn't always agree with our outcome and as a teacher there where times I didn't necessarily agree either. As a director, I can say there have been times that I haven't agreed with the outcome. With all of that being said, it is what the judges determine it to be. As a parent, I personally want things to be fair, ethical, and of the highest level of integrity for my son. As a former studio owner, and as a working guest teacher/choreographer, I want the same for all teachers and dancers involved in competition. So here's my personal stance. If every time someone complained on a routine or studio and the director approached the judges and/or tally making the decision to deduct points or disqualify based on their personal opinion or someone's opinion other than the judges' subjective opinion, isn't that score tampering? If a director or owner disagreed with routine and interfered by influencing judging, or just deducting points on their own, isn't that score tampering? Which all goes back to my point of dance is very subjective and judges are hired to make not only decisions based on proper technique but if they feel a routine is inappropriate in their subjective opinion. They are the ones who have the authority to score the routine lower wherever and whenever they see fit. Why? Because they are the judges hired to keep everything ethical, fair, and of the highest level of integrity. If someone other than the judges start getting involved with deducting points and involving their subjective opinions where scoring is involved (in many cases only going by word of mouth and hearsay because they have not seen the routine or the behavior), where do we draw the line with who can affect a score and when? In other words, change a score based on anything down to a random complaint. It's a fine line. For me, and my PERSONAL opinion, not working for or speaking for anyone else, my belief is the people sitting in the judging chairs hold the power of all scoring and have the responsibility of keeping things ethical. If a competition doesn't like the way the judges chose to score or apply deductions, they always have the right not to use them again.

Thank you for taking the time to read my PERSONAL thoughts on this controversial subject. Again, it is not my wish to strike up an argument or debate; just food for thought on this subject in another light from a different perspective.

Dance hard. Dance smart. 

Meredith 
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LAST MINUTE COMPETITION CHANGES...THEY ARE MORE DIFFICULT THAN YOU MAY THINK

As get further and further into competition season, things seem to get busier and more hectic. We all become overwhelmed wishing there were just a few more hours in the day. I say this from my personal experience as a studio owner, competitive teacher, traveling judge, and national director. At first, we have a little more time and a little more energy. Then, we become sleep deprived as we seem to go go go and run ourselves into ground trying to make the never ending deadlines. As exhausted as we are, we know customers expect friendliness. Just like a studio owner and/or teacher, a competition owner and employee, must always remain calm, friendly, and helpful to clientele. After all, everyone is in the dance business together and good customer service is important. 

Last minute changes to competition entries aren't as easy as one may be lead to believe. The goal of this blog is to help bridge the gap of understanding why competitions "can't just change" this and that especially on the fly even in the age of computers and technology. Think of changes like this: It's like when a dancer is suddenly taken out of a dance just prior to the performance and the dance must be completely reworked. One formation change has had major effects and consequences on the rest of the staging and special parts. That one change has lead to chaos and a multitude of changes effecting several people, and ultimately the entire dance. You never expected it to be that way but that is how it turned out. As a teacher, you know that panic! That ripple effect just changes so much; it basically changes the entire piece. We have all been there at one point or another and it isn't fun. With all of the rules competitions have with leveling, ages, divisions, competing against yourself, scheduling, who is and isn't eligible for overalls, etc., it can become a nightmare in the office and on the road at the event. Once a tentative schedule has gone out, everything is basically ready to go. It's ready to go to print. There is a tentative time schedule that has gone out to everyone that has been determined by your entries, along with everyone else's entries. People are starting to plan their arrival times on top of many other things as you know. Of course, things happen. People get the flu, break a leg, etc. Awful, unfortunate things happen, and when they do, people have understanding hearts. Please notify your competition as soon as possible and sometimes, unfortunately, that is the day of competition. It happens. These situations are not what I'm writing about. 

MY BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVISE:

1) Check your entries well in advance of the competition! Check them well before the tentative schedule is sent out and well before the the cut off date. Have someone double check you after you have entered each competition. I know many people enter months in advance since a lot of competitions sell out so early. If you enter months in advance, periodically check your entries to make sure they are still accurate. I cannot stress enough how important it is to go back and review all of your entries very closely. You may need to correct routines that may have changed since registration. The competition will certainly appreciate you and your efforts to make sure your entries are correct. I know I make mistakes and I feel better having someone double check me. You will have less stress as the competition approaches and you will be more secure knowing your entries are correct! 

2) Review the tentative schedule with your entries the day it is released. Go over it with a fine tooth comb as we say in the south.  When you notice that something is entered in the wrong category, age, division, level, there is a dancer missing, etc., please contact the competition immediately. Do not delay! Many competitions produce more than one show per weekend so they have a significant work load and a short period of time to accomplish it all. They will love you twice for being so professional and on top of things. Your attention to detail and quickness to respond will be greatly appreciated by all! 

I hope this helps you understand why early corrections are vital and gives you a better understanding to inside of the competition office. There are many rules and changes can cause a great deal of confusion once the entries have all been processed and a program has been put into place. Many moving parts take place before an actual event. 

I hope everyone has a finish to the season and a wonderful national finals! 

Dance hard. Dance smart. 

Meredith
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I AM THANKFUL

I am incredibly thankful for DANCE. Dance has given so much to me, and through dance my life continues to be blessed more and more as times passes. This month on my Instagram, I have shared some of the MANY things that I am so thankful for, some things and people who have been a blessing to me, and just SOME things in life I am truly grateful for, both big and small. To end the month of November and in honor of Thanksgiving, I wanted to post on my blog a "thank you" to a few more people, and tell you about a few more who have made a difference in my life.

I am thankful my parents who took this shy little girl to dance class week after week until I came out of my shell. All the conventions, camps, workshops, and all the lessons they paid for, and all of the driving back and forth they did for me, all without complaint. I am forever grateful to my parents for giving me this lifelong gift that continues to give and bless me each and every day though others I have met, worked with, call friends, and my career. I owe it all to them. THEY gave me a future...this future. I appreciate and love them more with every day that passes. 

There are not hours in the day to thank my ALL of teachers properly. Because of them, I love to dance, to teach dance, to create dance, and to watch dance. I LOVE EVERYTHING DANCE, because of those special women and men. From childhood into adulthood, from studios to universities, to camps and conventions, they all made a difference. They created my drive, and instilled my worth ethic. They demanded respect and taught me to respect myself, others and the art. They encouraged me, inspired me, believed in me, pushed me to excel, and turned me into the persistent determined person I am today. They taught me to always strive for excellence, nothing less. These teachers taught more than just dance lessons, more than technique, more than choreography. They taught life lessons. Lessons that I have used in all areas and aspects of my life.

I have had numerous opportunities throughout my training and 20+ year career span that have brought spectacular people and wonderful friends into my life. I am amazed by each opportunity that has come my way. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have been a studio owner. When I was happy, business was great, and thought I would do it forever, God let me know He had another plan. I didn't understand then, but I do now. God indeed had plan. Through those students, I learned to how to teach and knew my passion was sharing knowledge and watching others grow and be their best. Helping others to succeed, not only in dance but in life, is in my heart and is what my purpose is here on Earth. I love those students and their families for cultivating that desire in heart and in the end, pushing me forward in my life's path. They forever changed me. They say that teachers make in impact on students but I also think it works the other way around too. I learned from them, and couldn't, and wouldn't, be half the teacher I am without them. 

I'm thankful for my high school English teacher. Because of her, writing this blog and writing for Dance Apps Inc. app with NappyTabs, Dancer's Toolbox, is possible. I am so humbled and grateful for Dance Apps Inc. believing in me and having me be a part of this project. I have to admit, I never in a MILLION years thought I would write anything, and here I am with this blog and writing for someone else. 

You, my readers, I am so grateful for you. Every country, every person who has taken their valuable time to read my blog, and every person who has taken time to read Dancer's Dish on the Dancer's Toolbox app, YOU have warmed my heart and brought a smile to my face more times than I can count. Thank you!

I am thankful for every single person, friend, teacher, mentor, dancer, and opportunity that has come into my life through the beautiful, strong, yet delicate, art of dance. My friends, whether you were or have been in my life for a brief moment in time, you were or have been in my life for years, or just recently came into my life, you were and ARE a blessing to me. I quote the famous song often, "I get by with a little help from my friends". I AM THANKFUL FOR YOU. All of the dancers I have been privileged enough to watch (and some watch grow up before my eyes) at dance competitions and at studios, they have touched my heart as I've watched them push the art form past any and all physical limitations. I have loved getting to know these sweet dancers I see year after year and their precious families from all across the country. Every student that I have ever had to honor to teach on a weekly basis, what am honor it has been. I have been touched by all of "my students" and love them more than I could ever put into words. I absolutely love the fun and fabulous dance teachers I have met at competitions or in their studios. We may only see each other once or a few times a year but we always seem to pick up right where we left off. The same goes for that dance friend I may not have seen for 10 years but it's still like no time as passed. That's how you know you really built a true friendship. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. You all have touch my life and I am blessed in many ways because of you.

For the studio owners who have believed in me over the past 20 years, bringing me into your studio to work with your dancers, I am eternally grateful. Thank you for the honor. It's a privilege to be a part of your dancers' education and training. I love what I do and YOU allow me to share what I love, and share the knowledge that my wonderful teachers have graciously given to me. THANK YOU. I also love having the opportunity to learn from you. AND you never know what you can learn from a child. I thank you for the opportunity not only to teach and educate but to choreograph. It brings me unspeakable joy, and it's just the coolest thing to see your thoughts come to life in reality. It's amazing. Thank you for trusting me to create on your dancers. A special thank you to the studios in California, Michigan, and Louisiana that gave me my start and first jobs in guest teaching and guest choreography. They believed in me and took a chance on me. I will always have a special place in my heart for them and those dancers.  

I am thankful for my mentor that came into my life when I was 21. She made me a dance educator. She trained me in judging, and asked the important question my first year of working as an adjudicator, "How long do you want to be in this business?" She then said, "Well, let me teach you." She taught me how to judge and how to be a good judge. She also took me from a dancer to a teacher to an educator. She taught me the difference, and more importantly she showed me the difference. I struggled with the transition in each stage, and she carefully and loving guided me though. When she called me a dance educator, I cried. Most importantly, she has remained a true and dear friend all these years. I adore her and owe her so much. I am forever grateful. 

I must thank the one who brought me into the "competition world". He taught me starting at a very young age about business, merchandise, customer service, and all about the industry. I learned what I liked and didn't like, how things should be done and shouldn't be done. I also met some incredibly great people through him and that job.  Last but certainly not least, I must thank the one who kept me in the "competition world" when I thought I wanted or needed to leave it. He showed me that I still had a passion for the business, and that no matter what, sincerity and honesty was always the right way. He gave me hope again in this what can be a crazy world. He extended his hand of friendship and became a brother. Both of these men took a chance on this "southern belle". I thank them from the bottom of my heart for believing in this loud, opinionated, strong-willed,  determined, spit-fire, southern, sometimes hot mess, of a woman. 

God provides amazing opportunities, and if you trust Him and push past your fears, wonderful things can happen. I give thanks and remind myself of this daily. God opens the door, but I must trust and walk through the door. I am thankful that He continues to push me out of my comfort zones, that he prunes my life (even when it's almost too difficult to bear), and that he provides opportunities that surpass my wildest dreams. My life didn't turn out, and isn't going as I planned it, but as He planned it. I have to admit, His plan sure did turn out way better than mine. I AM THANKFUL.

Dance hard. Dance smart. 

Meredith
thecompetitiveedgebymeredith.blogspot.com

"SOLD OUT" ... AND THE DEADLINE IS 5 MONTHS AWAY

In the recent weeks, there have been some dance competitions that have posted "SOLD OUT", "50% SOLD OUT", "HALFWAY SOLD OUT", or "FILLING UP FAST" for some regional competitions in certain cities. Many people question how a city can sell out months in advance of their registration deadline date. It can be frustrating when an event sells out way in advance of the posted deadline date. There are many reasons as to why a competition can't take more entries after an event is completely full. I hope this blog post helps to answer any questions you may have on the subject.

WHAT DOES THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE DATE REALLY MEAN?

Some dance competitions open their registration in the fall, usually sometime around October, after studio owners have finalized their competition schedule for the season.  It is very important to realize that when a competition posts a registration deadline date, that doesn't necessarily mean that they will except any and all entries up until that date. What it means is that is the final date you can enter an event depending upon availability. As we all know, there are only so many hours in the day. Everyone needs sleep and time to rest in order to function.  The competition staff usually gets three hours sleep at most because no one wants to disappoint a studio and turn them away. (Studio owners, directors, and teachers are sometimes in the 3 hours of sleep range too!) Every competition wants to accommodate as many as possible but there is a stopping point. 

WHAT FACTORS DETERMINE HOW MANY ACTS CAN BE AT A SPECIFIC EVENT?

Some venues are union houses and require a certain amount of sleep hours for their union workers. This puts an additional limit to the number of hours a competition may rent the facility for a day thus putting additional limits the number of entries that can be seen in a day. Another factor is how long the dances tend to be in each city. Some areas of the country keep their dances between a minute and a half to two minutes regardless of the rule time limit where as other areas of the country use the maximum time limit allowed and sometimes purchase extended time. Music length can play a role in how many entries can be taken for an event. The next thing to look at is the the start time and number of days a competition is willing to go. Some competitions will start during school hours up to a five day event where other competitions refuse to start during school hours and/or refuse to do more than a weekend three day event. Venue is the next consideration. The maximum capacity of the venue, and the number of days a venue has available for rental are also factors in determining amount of entries that can be taken. The venue choices may be limited in an area due to lack of availability, or there isn't another option. As you can see, there are many different factors that determine the maximum amount of entries for each event.

WHY DOES REGISTRATION OPEN IN THE FALL FOR EVENTS THAT AREN'T HELD UNTIL SPRING?

By the time registration opens, competitions must begin actively planning their merchandise orders, art work design, clothing orders, trophy design and orders, judges,  tour staff, etc. for the upcoming season. All of these things in many ways depend on the registration. Each city can be different from year to year. For example, you could sell out in a city one year and have 200 acts there the next year, or vice versa. You could have 200 acts one year in a city and sell out the next year having to turn studios away because there is no room. As the numbers start to come in, projections can be made, and the magic can begin to happen. If additional staff members are needed, they can be hired, trained, and booked. Judges can booked. Merchandise, trophies, and placement pins are ordered without a complete guess but based on the current look of registration and the previous trend of registration. It all starts to fall into place in an organized manner just like a well oiled machine. It takes many months preparation and numerous hours of hard work, some of which include but aren't limited to endless meetings, conference calls, planning, developing, designing, organizing, ordering, reading and agreeing to contracts, interviews, hirings, bookings, travel arrangements, and to many mathematical equations for my brain to comprehend to get ready for a competition season to begin before you even hit scheduling the event and putting on the production that you see at the actual dance competition!

WHAT'S THE ANSWER FOR STUDIOS WITH ALL THE EARLY SELL OUTS?

Competitions do not enjoy turning people away and if they could take everyone, they would. So what's the answer? Be prepared!!! Finalize your competition schedule by mid to late September at the latest and have your paperwork in order the best you can by the time registrations begin to open! I know that some people are 90% - 100% finished with choreography at the time registration opens while others are just getting started. If you aren't finished with your choreography and don't have your act information ready to enter, plan ahead and get your ideas down on paper. Try to know what acts you will have: who will be in what dance, what the average age is, etc. It is ALWAYS a good idea register as soon as the competition opens their registration. If you don't have all of your dances finished, you can always call the competition office, let them know you your situation, how many entries you will have, and what regional you are planning to attend. Ask them their policy on early registration and from there you will know what you need to do. If you are still  unsure, just ask them what you need to do to ensure your spot (if there is anything you can do), whether you need start the entry process or wait until you know all of your entries.  

Side note: IMPORTANT! Yes, editing and changes happen but please DO NOT WAIT until the week prior to or the week of the competition event to make your changes. Please be aware, make notes, and make changes as they happen or as the competition has instructed you. Be accurate and timely with your edits and changes. PLEASE do not wait until the last minute.

EARLY REGISTRATION AND ENTRY FEES

Some studios do not collect entry fees until closer to each competition deadline date and others begin collecting entry fees on a monthly basis beginning as early as August. When the payment is due for early registration is a question for each individual competition. Ask them their policy on early entries and payment collection, such as, would they like you to pay a deposit, wait until all the acts are entered, wait until closer to the deadline date, or pay up front. For competitions and cities that sell out early, you may want to ask about early payment. Payment may be due way in advance for sell out cities with a waiting list of people wanting to get in. (I have heard of people being emailed statements requesting early payment in full in order to keep their spot because of waiting lists.) Although in the same industry, never assume one's rules and policies are exactly like another competition's. Please remember to respect each individual competition and their payment policies without comparing them to another competition. It's like a dance studio. Dance studios are all in the same industry but how they chose to run financially and how/when they accept payment is all different and an individual preference.

IF YOU ARE UNSURE, ASK!

There are MANY wonderful competitions consisting of amazing teams of competition owners, national and regional directors, office managers, client account managers, and tour and office staff members. AMAZING PEOPLE working for WONDERFUL COMPETITIONS. I'm sure each competition would love to hear from the studio owner/director and answer any questions that the owner/director may have about early registration. I encourage everyone register early for all the competitions they have selected to attend in the upcoming year. I suggest registering for them ALL now (and by this time each year) to make sure you don't miss out on a competition you have on your schedule. If for some reason you do miss out, there is still time to make other arrangements. You might be able to switch to another location on a different date or you may have to find a different competition for that weekend. I assure you that the competitions would appreciate you registering at this time if they are open and if you are able to adhere their policy. Again, unsure...just ask! I believe this is a win win situation! We all know as competition season approaches things get hectic and very busy. Why delay? It may be a lot early on, but you will be glad you did it later!

Dance hard. Dance smart.

Meredith
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HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

From my family to yours, Happy Independence Day! My family is eternally grateful to all of the brave service men and women, and their families, for all that they do and all that they sacrifice for our freedom. GOD BLESS THE USA!

A NOTE TO DANCE MOMS AND DANCE DADS

With the competition season coming to an end with National Finals and with a new competition season beginning, I thought I would take a moment to blog directly to dance parents. Being a dance mom and a dance dad is time consuming and 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 and 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!


REMEMBER IS IT ABOUT THE CHILDREN


Dance competition 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. Often times, I see what should be a fun experience turn into a stressful event because of anxious parents going into overdrive. One way to eliminate the stress is to be informed. Make sure talk with the studio owner or dance teacher to confirm that you have all the correct information well in advance of the event. Another way to eliminate worry is to double and triple check that you have everything on your dancer’s checklist packed well in advance of your departure time. Last, but not least, arrive earlier than the scheduled time set by your dance teacher or studio owner. Once you do these to things, you are good to go!!! From there, you can sit back and let your studio owner and/or dance teacher take the reigns!


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.


REMINDER: THINGS RUN SMOOTHLY AND TENSION STAYS DOWN WITH THE ONE CHIEF RULE.


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. Let them take the reigns and guide the troops.

I encourage all parents to take a deep breath and look at the big picture especially during the stressful and tough times. Your child obviously loves dance or they wouldn't want to compete. You trust your studio owner and dance teachers or you wouldn’t pay them. Everything is good! Try your best to enjoy the experience with your child, taking great pride in them. You will see the stress and pressure drift away from your dancer allowing them, and you, to create wonderful lasting memories.


Dance hard. Dance smart.
Meredith
thecompetitiveedgebymeredith.blogspot.com

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