What is Competitive Dance?
Competitive dance, as the title suggests, focuses a lot more on rudiments, practice and perfection, which means children will have to possess a strong fortitude, and the willingness to go the extra mile. For some kids, this can be a bit daunting, especially if they lack self confidence. Still, many parents opt to enroll children in competitive dance classes with the understanding that they will be pushed to higher standards of perfection, particularly when it comes to executing difficult move sets. Kids will also have to perform in front of a crowd, which is great for developing both confidence, and stage presence. Still, competitive dance programs come with greater pressure and demands attached to them, which means kids need to be ready for whatever is thrown at them. It’s not a question of right or wrong, but rather, what is appropriate for each individual child.
As mentioned before, competitive dance can go a long way towards boosting a child’s self-confidence, and sense of worth. This is accomplished by placing greater expectations on the child, which requires them to step up and excel at their craft. Greater challenges that offer higher-level rewards frequently translate into major boosts of self-confidence, especially in children. This can have a great effect as they grow into adulthood.
Competitive dancing also sharpens the attention spans of children who may otherwise be easily distracted, while putting commitments and expectations on them. Many forms of rudimentary discipline yield excellent results for children, as multiple studies have shown. Practice and dedication to the craft is vital, and if a child can stick with it, they’ll reach a personal milestone that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. And finally, it introduces children to the notion of feedback, and how to handle constructive criticism. This is an incredibly important skill for children to develop early on in life.
There are a number of factors parents should take into account when moving from a recreational level of dance to a competitive, it is a big step. Knowing if a dancer is ready for that jump can be hard to discern, here are a few questions you may want to consider before making the leap into the competitive dance world.
Are They Interested?
It may seem obvious, but one of the first steps in knowing if a dancer is ready for competition is figuring out whether or not they’re actually interested. If they’re asking about it or considering it, they’re well on their way.
Do They Know Why They’re Interested?
Having specific reasons for wanting to start competitive dance is a great indicator that the dancer is ready. Some common reasons are:
The more rigorous practice schedule typically results in a higher skill level than recreational dance
The intensity of the competitive dance world can bring dancers closer together than ever (but can also push them away, so make sure they know how to handle things if that happens)
Competitive dance can give dancers fond memories to look back on and can greatly build self-confidence and teamwork skills
Does Their Teacher Think They’re Ready?
Dance teachers at competitive dance studios typically have years or even decades of experience with competitive dancers, so they’ll have a good idea of whether or not the dancer in question is ready to transition. Sometimes they’ll even allow dancers to audit competitive classes for a short time to see if they enjoy the style of learning that’s required in competitive dance.
Does the Dancer Understand the Commitment?
Make sure the dancer in question knows that competitive dance is a large commitment in a variety of ways.
Time Commitment
Countless hours of classes and rehearsals are spent going over and over the same steps to make sure that they’re perfect. Time management is required of the dancer, especially if they’re in school and have to balance schoolwork with their hours in the studio. They may have to give up things they enjoy in order to make dance a priority.
Emotional Commitment
Pressure is high for competitive dancers, so ensuring they understand the emotional strain that they may have to deal with is a good idea. Make sure dancers know how to stay motivated since they will likely face periods of discouragement or dissatisfaction. Are they prepared to be good sports about losing? Ensure the dancer understands that every rehearsal and performance represents an opportunity to grow, whether they win or lose.
Organizational and Financial Commitment
The nature of competitions involves travel, which can be fun, but also draining and requires organization and preparedness. Last but not least, the financial commitment to competitive dance is a large one, so making sure that the dancer is ready to pay for the extra classes, costumes, travel, transport, and dancewear that they’ll need is imperative.
Obviously, each dancer will be different, but these are some of the things we think are a good idea for dancers to ask themselves before joining the competitive level.