r/CompetitionDanceTalk

Hello, I’m just trying to get as many opinions as possible for my daughter who is has just started dance this month. She is 5 and starting kindergarten next month. She has done 2 weeks of dance camp at our local studio , which is acro and hip hop and she wants to continue in the fall. Her best friend is already in the studio’s company so she wouldn’t be able to dance with her now, but for now she aspires to eventually.

My real question is, do you think I should put her in certain classes and which classes do you think would give her a strong foundation in dance? September is the start of the real season so I have to decide & I was going to just stick with the acro and hip hop since she has liked that so far. She has tumbling experience. But I’m wondering if she should get the dance experience and technique from maybe, ballet?

I’m really not sure because I was a cheerleader, but I want to set her up for success if this is what she wants to do! Let me know your thoughts!

Hi seeing a lot of questions about changing studios - for the new dance parents - you don’t want to be known as a “studio hopper.” Let the littles have fun, when they get older find a studio and stick with it - for the most part. Just my 2 cents as a dance mom.

My grandma, daughters great grandma, passed away around a year and a half ago. My family wants to take a trip literally across the country for almost a week for a memorial. Ive told them for a year that I wouldn't know the intense schedule and how many teams my daughter would be on. The teams just started being announced and it will be intense choreography for the next couple of months.

I feel like an asshole. But also we've done so many special memorial things for her over the last year. I even have an amazing Christmas memorial thing planned for her. I did one last year too.

Am I a horrible person for not flying across the country for a memorial almost 2 years after she passed? I loved her so much. But also with all of what I just described, I cant seem to justify taking away from my daughters first BIG year of competition teams during the literal first few weeks of making her seasons dances.

AITA?

Hi! My daughter is 8 turning 9. We recently switched studios and I did not realize the new studio combined age groups for some of their classes. For example, she is in the junior A group and she shares a class time with the petites who are pre-k/kinder age. I find this strange because the skill levels are vastly different. They will also perform separate routines at competition.

Hi team - my childs dance school has taught them beautiful artistry and put them in some fantastic choreographies, and they do very well at comps.

However I know that compared to most other studios, the kids from mine don't show any personality on stage. At comps and normal dance this is fine, but it has caused my child to feel very reserved and shy outside of dance, whereas dancers from other studios are full of personality.

Any thoughts on steps I can take with my child to help them with unlocking some personality, given they have otherwise so much talent and are regularly commented on their beautiful presentation?

Hello!

My daughter (10 YO) has been competing since age 6 at our previous studio. While they were more recreational, she competed 4 small groups, 2 solos, 1 duet and 4 large groups during this timeframe. Most recently, her solo took second overall and recieved a platinum adjudication. Important to mention, this studio didn't require auditions to make the team. You just picked what types of dances you wanted your dancer in and paid the choreography fee.

After recital, we decided to look for a new studio home. As my daughter wanted to go to a studio where she could grow more as a dancer and took competing more seriously. This summer we tried out the new studio and she loves it ! So much so we decided to try out for the competition team. We just got the results and she made it ! But, was only placed in the production number. I am unfamiliar with the competitive dance world, as we have only ever danced with one studio previously. Is this the normal for the first year with the new studio ?

Is it normal for studio to only run solo during paid private lessons verse company practices times?

Looking for some studio examples that have these characteristics:
No recreational program
Audition or invite only
Likely under 25 dancers
Focused on skill development
High level competition dances
Lots of training and workshop opportunities

Anyone at one or know one that they can share? Trying to do some research and would love some websites to peruse.

Hello!

I am seeking advice and thoughts on how other dance parents might approach or view on foundational training for the young ones…

My daughter is 5.5 years old. She has done some sort of movement based activity since she could walk - gymnastics, swimming, and dance are the ones she has enjoyed the most. Last year (age 4-6) we did our first full season of dance with 3x45-minute classes: two combo classes, and a primary ballet. She absolutely loved recital and begged to do more classes this season. We started our new schedule earlier this month which includes starting kindergarten as well as 5x45-minute classes at the dance studio. She is rocking it, loves it, and still has energy at the end of the day! 😓

She has tons of friends at this studio and is really enjoying creating relationships with her teachers who all seem to be wonderful, caring individuals.

My main “concern” (for lack of a better word) is that they are recreational primarily. They have a performing company team that competes but they generally compete Novice/Intermediate, even their teens and seniors. And we live in Phoenix, AZ and there are SO many amazing studios in our area!! We can get to MBA in 20 minutes, Kalani’s new studio is opening not too far from us, and Club is maybe 45 minutes one-way on a bad traffic day.

I know she’s young but should I be seeking more “elite” training for her so that we are building stronger foundations? I can see her wanting to compete in a couple of years and I want her to have the tools and training to be successful. But she also loves her studio right now, even though I don’t necessarily think she’s being challenged or progressing as quickly as she would if the instructors actually made corrections (I don’t see much or any corrections happening in class - it’s a lot more fun and still many elements of creative movement).

I’m a former dance teacher (a decade ago) so I probably worry too much! But I would really appreciate any feedback from other dance parents and dance teachers! Thank you!!

TLDR; my daughter is 5.5 and loving dance at her rec studio. Is it wise to start seeking higher quality training now or let it stay fun, even if she isn’t progressing as quickly as she is capable of (minimal corrections or technique in class)?

Hello, I need help , tips, anything!

I don't wear makeup personaly (only some mascara once or twice a year) so competition make up scares me, even though I just went through a first year of comps with my 11 years old. But she learned how to do her makeup by herself! But now year 2 her younger sister (8) is starting also, and I will need to do the make up.

How do you get fake lashes on an 8 years old with a little tiny face? 😬

She hates having mascara or eye liner put on her, she tries to do it herself but she need practice... so how do you handle this with younger ones.

What are your supermoves to make this work? Also any lash recomemdations (we need wispies for all dancers).also maybe worth noting, she ( and I ) has ADHD, so extremely sensitive to any texture, feelings and gets overwhelmed very easily.

Anyone happen to have a copy of a schedule from any Radix convention last year? Bonus points if it’s from Phoenix! I’m trying to assess whether groups would be Friday night, it says it’s usually just solos/duos/trios, but in some cities groups are Fridays.

Thanks in advance.

Hey all..we got the amazing suggestion of White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane for my daughter's open solo last year from this board. Thank you, thank you to whoever wrote that as a suggestion. It was the perfect song for my daughter, not often heard at competition, allowed her to story tell/become character, has a funky/retro vibe, was not super dark, and most importantly the energy builds through out to a crescendo affect. She would like to do open again but is open to contemporary. Anyone have some ideas that have a similar profile to White Rabbit? We're at a loss and time is ticking...Thank you to everyone for your help!

At our studio, you are handed a list of required classes for whatever competition team you a make that year. It includes 12-15 hours of required classes that you take as a team. A dancer may be able to take one or two other classes that is not on the required list, but they must stay at the same level or go down levels (ie- your team takes intermediate level classes. You cannot take intermediate/advanced classes, but can take beginner/intermediate).

Team selection is based on skill level, yes, but also has a lot to do with average age, height, numbers they need on each team, etc.

The way this has shaken out for my dancer is she has been placed on the same team multiple years in a row- meaning she has taken the same technique classes for multiple years in a row. At the beginning of each season when she is placed on the same team again, they tell her they want to “see more growth.” How is she supposed to grow if she keeps taking the same classes over and over?

I’ve tried to be a team player and be positive about the situation, but I’m growing very frustrated by the feedback we are getting when she’s taking the required classes each year and we basically prohibited from taking anything that would really help her grow!

Does this happen in all studios? I don’t feel like I should have to spend extra money on outside help just to make a higher team at our own studio. Dance parents, talk me off the ledge or help me know if I really should be making more of an issue of this!

Hi all!

My dancer is going into her 2nd comp season, 5th year of dance. She takes most styles (ballroom briefly, but it’s no longer offered at our studio) and she says she loves everything except jazz. Unfortunately, jazz seems to be pretty important for comp and I’m not sure how to encourage her past this stage of not liking it. It’s the only class she’s ever asked to drop, but it’s required.

I’m not sure if part of it is that she’s leveled up in everything except jazz even though she’s taken it for 3 years. Sometimes she says it’s too boring, sometimes it’s too hard. I’m not used to her not wanting to go to class since she’s always loved everything else (even jazz up to this point). How do I encourage without making her more resistant to the style?

Hi hoping yall experienced dance parents can give me some guidance. I was not a dancer growing up so this world is new to me. We are lucky, a local studio comes to my daughters school so she does ballet/jazz for an hour weekly will minimal effort from me. We also do a 1hour tumbling class at a cheer gym we can walk to.

She is 4.5 and I’m wondering when we should start considering adding another dance class or looking at the conservatory vs competition route? She seems to love dance so I want to encourage her without burning her out. I see a lot of 6&7 year olds on here starting their competition teams and I want her to be ready for that if she wants to go the route.

appreciate your help!

Our studio competes but is not a hard-core competitive studio. Requirements to be on the team are reasonable, and there are no try outs. Everything is mostly by age, with some movement up based on skill. In the past, we've placed, but this past year not so much.

This year it seems like everyone is complaining that choreography is bad, skills aren't being taught, they're not teaching enough of the right things, kids aren't being challenged, etc. it's really overwhelming to sit back and be in the middle of.

Each year, constructive changes are being made but the complaints seem to get louder. I can't help but think that Dance Moms, UDA, social media, etc has ruined realistic expectations of what should be on stage & what should be taught at what age. Competitions are full of tricks, but our studio is much more traditional.

Is there a real argument here? My daughter just loves to perform, says she wants to dance professionally, but I don't see the drive in her yet to get there, so personally I like a lower stress environment. But could being at a "bad studio" ruin any future growth or jobs?

I have multiple children on a competitive dance team at the same studio. They’re on different levels but they give me the same feedback. They come home from class in tears that they’re always in the back. They go full out, are talented, get along with everyone but aren’t given any chances to step up from the back line. I know there are one hundred possibilities here and I’m trying to not be biased. I know there could be discrepancies on skills, attitudes I don’t see, favoritism, etc. There are three sides to every story, right? But I am at a loss. It absolutely breaks my heart as a parent. Do I call the studio? Tell my kids to suck it up? Any suggestions?

I’m just curious as to how much parents research their studios and care how many staff members have attended BFA programs or have a dance related degree. Is or should this be important to know when choosing a studio?
Does professional experience (dancing with a professional ballet company, CLI conservatory training, dancing as a Rockette, etc) count as much as a college degree?

We just moved to a new state, and we are looking for a new studio for my daughter. This would have been her third year competing, but since we moved on a short timeline due to work, she missed auditions for the studios in our new town.

How do people go about finding a new studio with no prior knowledge of the area? Is it appropriate/allowable for her to take rec classes at more than one studio so she has the year to figure out the best fit for auditions next year?