Tips for Competition Season

Ballet Buff  Model: Elliana F. 2017 Photo Shoot

In addition to audition season, it is also competition season for many young dancers, as well as several auditions can include separate but affiliated competitions.  Whether you're preparing for something like Youth America Grand Prix on the ballet circuit or various other national/ metropolitan city competitions in all genres of dance, these tips will help make the process go smooth and your wins that much more gratifying.

Pre-Competition Tips:

1) Practice - While it should go without saying, whatever dances you're doing for a competition, you must practice it/ them EVERY DAY.  While those who may be competing in local competitions with group dances can get away with practicing just at their respective weekly class with their peers, (although most competition schools I've been to that win big and consistently still push for more) daily practice of dances while preparing for national, international and solo/ duet/ pas de duex, etc. pieces, is essential.  If you count on just a weekly class or private lesson to sustain a competitive level, don't be too surprised if you don't place as well as you may have hoped.  You may not always feel like it or be busy with a hundred other things, but whenever you make a justification not to practice, just remember that when you're back stage about to go before the judges: do you want to be wishing you had practiced more, or be confident that you have done everything you could possibly do to be prepared and be at your best?

2) Dress Rehearsals - Just like with recitals and performances, you want to run your own personal dress rehearsals for competitions.  This is important to make sure your costume moves well and comfortably with the choreography, ensure head pieces are secure, props don't go awry and if you are using special make-up, how long it takes to put on and ensure it doesn't sweat off.

3) Travel Arrangements - If you are traveling a long distance to competitions, always make travel arrangements well in advance, by a few months to even 6 months ahead.  Especially with larger competitions and hotel arrangements, those types of events can fill a city and it's accommodations quickly.  Another way to go that can sometimes be a more economical option, is if your competition is in a high tourist city, such as Orlando, many vacation homes are available all the time for rent.  They usually cost more a night than an economic hotel (around $200 per night) but have about 3-4 bedrooms so multiple dancers could feasibly stay in one home rental and save money.  Plus there is a kitchen (and sometimes other amenities, such as pools and hot tubs!) to help save on the cost of eating out for every meal.

At The Competition/ Day Of/ Packing for Competition:

1) Murphy's Law - Most seasoned dancers know that when it comes to performances, auditions and competitions, Murphy's Law: What can go wrong, will go wrong ~ is always in effect.  Therefore it is imperative to bring a back up of everything.  Most of us know to pack back up of things like shoes, tights, hair and make-up accessories but that's because we may be used to whatever our school/ studio has going on at it's performances.  Other things to make part of your back-up system for a competition should also include costume repair sew kits (extra ribbons, rhinestones, flesh colored elastic, etc.).  Another is to bring some rosin, just a small piece. Although most places will use marley/ matlay flooring, the bottom line is you just never know how slick the flooring/ stage might be (due to newness, cleaning, lack of cleaning properly, etc.).  You also want to always bring back ups of your music.  You never know if something won't play well or gets missed in the sound director's huge pile of music. And one that is commonly missed: always bring copies of your registration forms and receipts of your entry fees and other documents that prove you did everything to participate in the competition.  It only takes one person, dealing with hundreds to thousands of documents to misplace yours, or make a data entry error on the registration list and possibly keep you from participating.  It doesn't happen often but why take the chance?

2) Resume/ Marketing Collateral - You never know who might be scouting at a competition, especially ones like YAGP or Grand Prix de Lausanne, where many winners go on to receive professional contracts.  Always take up Resumes, Professional Photos and other collateral (Digital Portfolio and business cards to your Social Media resume info) in the event a choreographer, director or judge wants to keep in touch, see more of your repertoire or genres and possibly wants to work with you in the future and/ or invite you to audition for a summer intensive, internship or the company.

3) Food & Hydration - I was terrible when it came to competitions: I would eat nothing all day, sip a little water and then gorge myself on 1/2 lb double cheeseburger, milkshake and fries afterward.  Probably the most unhealthy way to go about competition day.  Nowadays, we know a lot more about how to properly fuel our bodies to keep energy high but not have full bellies to try and dance on.  I recommend things like oatmeal, yogurt, protein bars and shakes to keep your energy levels up and avoid insulin spikes (which will result in a blood sugar, and therefore energy nose dive). Stay well hydrated up until about 1-2 hours before you dance (continue to sip water as needed, especially if you are warming up and practicing) but that should reduce the chances of having a full bladder by the time you are waiting back stage. 

4) Warm Up Properly - Sometimes we get so pumped and excited at competition we don't feel the need to take ourselves through a proper warm up, such as barre.  And I agree that with the adrenaline going, it's hard to slow down and do things like plies and rond de jambes. But you should force yourself to do this to make sure you don't incur an injury while competing.  Also be careful about practicing beforehand. I can't count how many times I saw fellow competitors practicing on bad surfaces like carpet and hard tile and ending up injuring themselves right before they were supposed to go on.

Elliana F. rehearsing for 2016 YAGP

5) Don't Be Mean to Your Support Group - It's easy for everyone to have nerves, excessive energy due to adrenaline and excitement/ stress during competitions.  As a result, our support system (be that moms, dads, siblings, coaches, etc.) all tend to be extra helpful, which can sometimes be a little annoying.  But they usually are giving helpful advice, even if it's something you already know or a reminder to pack something you already packed. Don't snap at them or act like a diva who can do it all without any help.  

Chances are good you didn't pay for any of your lessons, privates, costumes, entry fees, shoes, etc. personally, so being rude to those who are simply supporting you the best way they know how to, is not only so disrespectful from a personal perspective, it is also incredibly unprofessional.  From a business perspective, your support system is essentially your sponsors/ donors, and you should treat them as such.  If someone paying me to dance asks me 10 times if I packed my tiara, I will always politely say yes, and thanks for the reminder because they're bank rolling me.  I personally will not work with someone who is disrespectful to their support group/ moms and dads, because I know they are divas and will eventually treat me or other people I try to network them with in an unprofessional manner.  Accept that it is a stressful and excitable time, and accept graciously those who are trying to help you.  You all have the same goal.

Back Stage:

1) Maintain Etiquette - Always exercise good etiquette and a professional decorum when it comes to competitions.  Not just with your support group, but also competition staff and fellow competitors.  If practicing, be mindful of who is around you.  There is nothing more annoying and amateurish than a dancer who acts like she/ he is the only one in the universe.  Don't run into fellow competitors or competition staff running around trying to get the stage ready.  Use stage time for checking out turns on a new surface or spacing but beyond that, running your dance full out with 50 other dancers on stage is unlikely to do you much good.

I personally don't subscribe to the over-niceties of wishing my fellow competitors good luck (honestly when dancers did that, no matter how well meaning they might have been, it always felt less than genuine).  Unless it's someone you know well or have run into at previous things like other competitions or auditions.  That being said though, I was always very respectful of other dancers (if someone did offer me a merde, I'd reciprocate).  And I was always helpful.  Meaning if someone ran their tights and didn't bring a back up, I'd offer up one of my back ups.  It never bothered me to help someone out because I knew I was prepared and ready to compete and didn't need to win based off the misfortune of another competitor, and in fact, I wanted them at their best as well.  That's how I knew my win was valid.  So always be polite, considerate and a fair competitor but don't be fake and know that it's okay to maintain some distance.  Despite what some people coach to their dancers, it's not necessary to act like everyone's new bestie to be considered a polite competitor. 

2) Watch Your Nerves - Going back to being really excited and the rushing of adrenaline, do what you can to keep your nerves calm.   You want to be careful about letting your nerves take over.  Shakiness and excessive force in your steps can cause mistakes or worse, injuries.  Avoid things like caffeine for starters and sugary foods for the day.  Meditate, pray, take deep breaths, listen to calming music and so on; whatever works for you but you'll want to keep calm in order to maintain performance control.

3) Have Fun and Let Go - Last but not least, when you're back stage and they call your name, that's the time to let it all go and just enjoy your performance.  Trust that you have done all you can do to practice, to prepare and to be a fair competitor, so that no matter what the outcome, you did your best and can be proud of your conduct.  As you compete more, at some point or perhaps a few times, you will mess up monumentally.  It's just statistical fact.  You'll slip, or fall out of turns or even blank out on choreography.  It happens and if it does, just keep going.  You may not win first place, but the experience of messing something up and finishing anyway will be more important than a *trophy.  

And since I no longer compete, I can genuinely say: 

Merde and Best Wishes to all competitors this competition season!

*Perspective: My first competition I won 4th place and I was 8 years old.  I remember being so upset and embarrassed when my mother proudly told people that I got 4th place.  I cried and thought I should have done so much better. 

I probably won a total of about 80-90 first place trophies total during my competition years, and even more ribbons, medals, etc. Guess where they all are now? The garbage.  In the long run, trophies don't mean anything.  And if you travel and move around a lot, they are a pain to keep. What really matters is what you learn from the experience of competing.  And beyond that, if you are a truly serious dancer looking to make a career at some point, the only thing that really matters, is getting a paid job; not the number of trophies you have on a shelf or in the garage.  Competing can be a great experience, but always keep perspective and don't get upset over it if you don't come home with a $10 piece of metal (if you're lucky) or plastic, painted gold.  

I know that's easier said than done, so if you do get upset or are disappointed at the results of your competition season, lick your wounds for a day or two and then get right back into the studio with what you learned from the experience, work hard and move forward.

7 Rules of Engagement For Your First Audition

For any student that is serious about improving their technique and pursuing a career as a professional dancer with a ballet company, at one point will experience an audition at some point in time.  Whether you are seeking placement in a Summer Intensive Program outside your home studio/ school to expand your knowledge and technique base, or preparing for a position in a company’s corps de ballet for your first dance contract, the audition is an experience that can either make or break your objectives.  It is critical to ensure proper etiquette is followed.  Even if you personally feel that this is a new millennia and more progressive era for dancers, almost all of your auditioners will have been “raised” in old school decorum and you may put them off by doing anything less or against strict tradition. Also check out my previous post Preparing for Audition Season for more tips on organizing your objectives this audition season.

1.     Treat the Audition Like an Interview

It’s important to treat your audition, even if it’s just for a Summer Intensive Program, as you would an interview.  Special care needs to be taken with your appearance, your knowledge of the company and your resume.  Even if the only document the auditioner is seeking is their own application, always bring in your Ballet Resume with photos and even your digital portfolio.  At worse, they will tell you they don’t need it or want it, but most likely they will take it, and at best they will review it, and thus, will have that much more information on you as a dancer as well as it may set you apart from your fellow auditionees.

2.     Do Your Research

It’s become a common rule in business for people to research a company before their interview; after all there is nothing worse than to feel like you are performing well during an interview and then they ask you a basic question like what the company does and how you will fit in the company, and you have no answer because your focus was strictly on the job (the single audition) rather than the company as a whole.  Similar to a business interview, know something about the company or studio you are auditioning with; more importantly know something about the Artistic Director or the Choreographer and the auditioner.  have some knowledge of their recent productions, recent interviews in dance magazines, their choreography style or repertoire, non-profit or community performances they are involved with, upcoming productions, etc.

3.     Your Appearance

It was once noted by one of my long time teachers in a class right after the new year when all the students were coming into class with new leotards of various intricate designs and patterns and lace and mesh overlays and he commented, “It’s amazing the leotards that are available today.  It makes class seem more like a fashion show…” and it’s true, the industry has designed amazing leotards and dance apparel.  While the impulse may be to wear some of these cool designs to make you stand out from the crowd, test the waters first.  This is much easier if you attend several auditions in your area for Summer Intensives or are familiar with the decorum at the company/ studio you are auditioning at, but a unique leotard may be so popular it’s no longer unique.  You may stand out (and be more desirable to hire/ place) if you exercise tradition over complicated designs that distract from your natural line and body.  

Before the charge of the fashion industry making its mark on dance wear beyond costumes, dancers could only be subtle with their uniqueness and I feel that art has been lost.  Many of us would do intricate braids in our buns to make our mark, or one girl I frequently auditioned with would pin fresh rosebuds with baby’s breath in her bun, which was always eye-catching, yet subtle.  Many would have decorated pins or barrettes.  But we kept our individual styles to our heads, without breaking traditional bun hairstyle and it was unique but not distracting, and that’s a look to go for during an audition.  Anyone can see my postings and videos and know I am not conservative all the time, but when it comes to the occasion, I respect the traditional pink tights, pink slippers, pink toe shoes, black spaghetti strapped leotard and hair securely fastened in a bun look.  No jewelry, except for perhaps small stud earrings and definitely no watch!

4.     Bathroom Use; Dance Downtime

Please, please, please, take care of your bathroom needs prior to entering an audition (or any class, for that matter).  Last season, I participated as a guest observer in an audition for a Summer Intensive program being held in New York with the last of the original Vaganova trained practitioners, and the auditioner/ instructor asked a technical question about the correct head placement for an arabesque, and the young lady who raised her hand (the instructor thinking she had the answer) asked to go to the bathroom.  I was embarrassed for the young dancer and it made a poor overall impression of that area and studio the audtioners visited.  The only scenario that you can’t make it through an hour or hour and half class without having to run to the restroom is if you have some sort of food poisoning.  Anything else appears as immaturity, irresponsibility and unprofessional.  Some dancers carry the same apathy during class with downtime for center work or across the floor into an audition.  This is a huge mistake, and why I personally do not tolerate bad etiquette in any one of my classes.  Do not hang on the barres or have a seat (even if you are pretending to be stretching) or even stand in a loitering or a lazy position.  It’s disrespectful, and you are sending a clear message that you are not taking the audition seriously and therefore you should not be taken seriously as a potential candidate.

5.     Pay Attention

This is the most important rule to follow at an audition for two reasons: First) there is nothing more glaring in an audition than when someone doesn’t pay attention and doesn’t know the exercise.  Even if you think you are following the person in front of you or in your group, it’s incredibly obvious when someone doesn’t really know the exercise asked for and Second) this is a very unique opportunity to get placed or hired, that most dancers fail to utilize.  Paying careful attention to the auditoner/ instructor’s head placement, arm placement, musicality and overall style will expedite your position to first choice exponentially.  Auditioners want to know two things: if you have strong basic technique/ line and if you will adapt to their style and choreography or naturally have it.  If you can prove yourself to be the latter, you will often times be a first choice, even if your technique still needs work.

6.     Perform

Always perform during your audition.  This demonstrates that you are able to perform, even if you are nervous or under pressure.  Even if you don’t feel well or don’t feel like you are on your game, you know enough to know that wearing a smile or at least having a pleasant expression that evokes you enjoying dance makes all the difference in the world.  Most people are nervous at an audition, and an effective way to catch an auditioner’s attention is by performing, even if it means throwing in some flair and personality where it might be appropriate.  Smiling triumphantly during an adagio, showing glee during grande allegro across the floor, these are opportune times to let your love of dance shine through.  It’s basic human nature to watch this person over a dancer who is dead pan and serious faced and is generally boring in the sea of technically competent dancers.

7.     Respect & Reverence

It is important to always show respect and reverence for your instructors and fellow auditioners.  Be sure to exercise appropriate class etiquette when it comes to your position and conduct throughout the class with your fellow auditionees.  At the end of the audition, always be sure to curtsy and applaud the instructor and thank them personally if there is a chance to do so.  If you have the opportunity, thank the auditioners as well for the opportunity to dance for them, shake their hand and let them know it is important to you to dance for them and for their company again.  Offer them your dance resume or a dance business card with links to your Social Media Resume.

Even if you do not get the placement you are hoping for, if you conduct yourself professionally, the dance world is small enough that auditioners will remember you the following year for another chance at your goal.

Preparing For Audition Season

It's December and for many dancers, with the Nutcracker season behind them (or soon to be behind them) it's now time for Audition Season to commence.  For dancers entering audition season for the first time, it may be a daunting experience.  And even for seasoned auditioners, there may be some preparation you can do to make this season more successful.  

1) Preliminary Audition Preparation

The very first steps in getting prepared for audition season should occur months in advance, if not a full year for some things.  Ensuring that you have developed a written resume, taken both basic requested audition photographs to accompany your resume as well as additional portrait and candid shots to accompany things like your social media resume are all things to be done on an on-going basis throughout your career as a student and even well into when you have reached professional levels.  If this is not something you have done, visit my previous blogs here to get tips on how to get these things accomplished quickly.  

Next, depending on your age and level and what you're looking at auditioning for by way of Summer Intensive Programs (SIPs) and/ or if ready, professional contract positions, you will want to have variations prepared. If you are an older student (between 12-17) you should have started (if younger) and/ or have a wide, varied (if older) repertoire of different variations.  Each year (and I recommend at least 6 months to a year in advance of audition season) you'll want to have chosen a few various variations and contemporary pieces to showcase your skills and perform at auditions or to make part of your digital portfolio (in the case where you might submit videos for audition application long distance vs. coming to a physical location to audition.)  

In most cases, with repertoire work, you will want to seek out private coaching but for those that can do so financially, it is also always a good idea to get some pre-audition coaching for your classwork. One-on-one coaching for basic technique and classwork will, under most circumstances, increase your chances for a successful audition season.

2) Funds

Audition season, as with most things related to dance on a more serious level, can run into some money.  Whether it's the basic expense of audition fees (which can range anywhere from *$10-$65 per audition class) to getting resume coaches, repertoire coaching, costumes and even in some cases, travel expenses (gas, hotel, airfare, depending on how far you plan to travel for a given audition).  Whether you decide to do just a few auditions or many (and depending on what all they require), in addition to coaching, photography, repertoire prep, costumes, etc., you'll want to map all of that out with your primary goals (as discussed further below) and figure a projected cost and in some cases you may need to work with your parents on a budget plan for audition season. 

3) Make a Schedule/ Plan

I always advise students and pre-professionals to do as many auditions as possible throughout the season for three reasons: 1) you never know what company or SIP will give you acceptance and/ or in some cases, things like scholarships, or other financial aid if they want your attendance.  So cast the net as far as possible to see what you catch, don't limit yourself to just a few (if you can afford it) and go to as many as possible. 2) Auditions, especially while you are a student, are a great way to gain exposure.  We now have social media that gives more exposure than ever before to aspiring dancers but prior to that, auditions were all there was, and in some cases, still the best because it's face-to-face contact.  Don't limit yourself to two auditions if you in fact have an opportunity to attend 20+. 3) The more auditions you do, the better at them you become.  A first audition can be a very nerve-racking and even scary situation, you may be so nervous that you make more mistakes than you normally do, or the instructor's style is extremely different from what you're used to dancing and you struggle with the exercises.  But as you become more experienced at participating in auditions, the process becomes more familiar, and you're able to pick up on nuances, and even if your nerves never completely go away, you learn how to dance well through them.  

So, with the aim of attending as many auditions as possible, it becomes necessary to make a schedule for your upcoming audition season.  Most auditioners coming to an area will all go to the same 1-4 top studios, places for auditions, and therefore it's easier to schedule auditions that don't overlap. However, especially in bigger cities with many visiting auditioners in the case of SIPs, there can be overlap.  And you'll want to spot these ahead of time and decide which one(s) fall within your targets (discussed below).  There are several ways to find out who is coming where within your area (or close to your area) for auditions:

For SIPs:

1) Dance magazines - in these periodicals, companies and schools will start advertising now (or sometimes even as early as November) when they will be visiting different cities for auditions.

2) Check with the top five studios/ companies in your area, and/ or in the largest city close to you, and have them send you information about visiting auditioners to their location for the season.

3) Most auditioners (and locations) will post on their websites where they will be holding auditions and which auditioners are coming to their location.  

For contract positions: 

Most often, companies select auditionees from SIPs and/ their own schools, but they also post when they are looking for contract dancers.  Again this can sometimes be found in dance magazines, but these days it's usually more available on-line, at the company's website.  Many have an audition period in which they either hold specific auditions, or accept digital portfolio submissions for application.  This again, is simply a matter of doing the research for where you want to work, and seeing what the options are to submit for application.  In some cases it may require a phone call or visit to the office manager (don't let them rattle you if they're not very friendly about it) to find out what the protocol is for auditioning.

Map out your plan with the projected expenses involved and what you need to be prepared at the audition (i.e. resume, filled out application, photos, videos, repertoire, etc) and make a calendar and (in some cases) a to do list, and this will help you to be organized and prepared for audition season.

4) Have A, B & C Targets

Although we want to cast that wide net and hit as many auditions as possible, you do want

to make a Plan A, B and C for your goals, whether that be a preferred SIP you want to attend or the desired company to dance with for contract.  Most every dancer knows their ideal (Plan A) but you'll want to always have back up plans should that not work out for whatever reason.  Maybe you're not accepted, maybe the timing is bad, maybe the money is an issue (either to attend an SIP or the contract offered is not enough to live on, etc.)  Whatever the case, make specific targets and back ups to those targets.  And even if your most desired SIP or company is a long shot for whatever reason, never let that detour you from auditioning.  Again if nothing else but for exposure, and let them see you and find out who you are and let them know you want nothing more than to dance with them, even if it's down the road sometime.

5) Prep Audition & Focus Audition

Back when I did auditions, and I had my various targets laid out, I would also sometimes (if the cost was within my budget) use an audition for an SIP I didn't necessarily care about to prepare for the one I did care about and wanted to attend. This is also a common practice with interviewing for jobs in business.  You use an interview you don't necessarily care if you get or not, as a practice, or rather dress rehearsal, to work out the kinks of your nerves, presentation and performance.  And whether it's in business or in dance, I think this is a valid practice and a good thing; again if it is within your budget to do so.

6) Long Distance/ Not Present Auditioning

For some us, we may live in smaller cities or more rural areas, in which case long distance auditioning is our best friend.  Sometimes, it may be a timing or scheduling issue that lends itself to the option of long distance auditioning.  In either case, you'll want to always be sure to follow whatever specific guidelines the auditioner has given in order to submit a digital portfolio as an audition.  I have also seen it happen many times, that dancers I've given resume and social media coaching to, get offered positions at companies and/ or SIPs because someone came across their social media and on-line postings of their dancing, technique and digital portfolio without it being necessarily through normal audition or submission protocols.  Therefore, always be sure that you are working and keeping your social media up to date with your projects, repertoire ambitions, recent photography, etc. as well as be sure to carefully follow long distance submission guidelines.

*Many top level companies and Summer Intensive Programs consider their audition to be a Master Class, so be sure to treat it as such and include prestigious instructors as part of your resume to make that investment worth the entire fee

"I'm So Tired..!" 5 Tips to Stay on Track & On Your Game

We are now at the time of year when a ballet student/ pre-professional dancer can really be testing their physical limits.  Between possibly taking on a higher demand and count of classes in a given week from the previous year (because you have come up a level) to integrating pointe work and/ or variations work into your repertoire or practice schedule, including prepping for audition season (whether that be working on your resume, your variations, your technique in private coaching, etc.) and also many are packing in Nutcracker rehearsals and performances, all while still managing regular school work...! It's a tough time of year and it's what I consider to be the busiest and most physically demanding time of year for dancers, even over summer intensives.

It becomes easy for dancers to get physically exhausted, not due to lack of motivation but from a real concern of running on empty.  But there really is nothing you can back off from, so it then it becomes a risk of injury, which will really put a dancer in a bad situation.  Use these five tips to help make it through this busy time of year:

1) Diet, Sleep and Overall Well-Being

This is probably a given but at the same time, it's very easy to slip into unhealthy habits when schedules get crazy and/ or stress builds up.  But the more you disrupt your normal habits, the more your body will strain under all your commitments, plus the changes.  So maintaining a proper diet, even in the midst of 12-14 hour days, is crucial to overall performance level.  This means skip the convenience of picking up fast food and pizza, and you may need to make sure you and your parents are on the same page with this.  Because your schedule weighs heavily on their abilities to get everything done as well. (Discussed in more detail below). 

It's also important to get plenty of sleep.  Most teens require between 8-10 hours of sleep a night to manage stress well and sleep debt can hinder an athlete's ability to perform at peak levels.  However, it is as equally important to go to bed at the same time each night.  So if it's Saturday night and you have no rehearsals or other obligations on Sunday morning, you shouldn't stay up until the wee hours of night and sleep all day.  This will just be harder on you and your body come Monday.

It's also important to take moments to manage stress, not only on your body but for your psychological well-being as well.  This can be as time consuming as soaking in a bath for 30 minutes or simply taking 5 minutes to lay still on your back with your eyes closed, listening to relaxing music and breathing deep.  Whatever you can fit in, make sure you do something each day.

2) Get Organized & Time Management Skills

Being a pre-teen or teenager, you may not necessarily be an organized type, and really have no issue with your room being a disaster area and your dance bag being a black hole of so many things you couldn't find what you're looking for at any given moment.  But here's the problem with that: dancers are organized.  You have to be when you're managing everything (especially while touring) and there's nothing more pathetic than someone who is running around because they can't find their hair piece or a glove or other easily misplaced item when 1 or more disorganized individuals share a dressing room or hotel room.  These are skills you want to start developing now if it's not already your natural tendencies.  So here's a quick checklist of things to do to get yourself organized:

• Clean and organize your room, your dance bag and your car (if you're driving your own car)
• Make sure your dance bag (or other bags, like make-up bags) have the essentials you need for rehearsals, performances, auditions; extra ribbon and elastic, toe wrappings, hair supplies, meals & snacks, etc.
• If you are managing your own costumes, label your costume bags, hangars, etc. Label each of your shoes and any accessories (if you can't label accessories, put them in gallon zip lock bags and label the bag).
  
• Prepare your meals and snacks for the week ahead of time.  Many athletes utilize the practice of meal prepping as a means to handle heavy training schedules and maintain healthy diets.  Dancers are no exception. Work with your parent(s) to prepare food ahead of time, as this helps to alleviate the stress of cooking for the week for them as well (at least as far as the dancer(s) in the family is concerned).
  
  
• Manage your downtime in a smart way.  This means that if you have a break or down time during a rehearsal, it's not always the best time management to watch your colleagues.  While under normal circumstances this can be a great learning tool, if you're in a time crunch for a few months, it may make better sense to place a higher priority on doing your homework, or studying for a test, or working on your own variation(s) for audition season, sewing or breaking in a new pair of pointe shoes, or resting.  And most certainly, this is not a time to be gossiping or surfing the internet on your phone, etc.
• Deliberately schedule everything that needs to get done.  This means that it's easy to follow the schedule of your classes, rehearsals and private lessons because those are set by your instructors and directors.  But you also need to set aside deliberate time to work on resume photos or self-rehearsal of variations or studying for regular school work.  Working under the mind-set of "I'll fit it in wherever I can" works somewhat but it shouldn't be your main plan, because 9 times out of 10, something won't get done.  Whether that results in a missed opportunity or a failing grade on a test, either way make a planned schedule that includes everything that needs to be done.  Be sure to enlist your parents, instructors, photographers and resume coaches to help you achieve your complete schedule.

3) Negotiate

Although this is not always going to work nor necessarily be appropriate to do (use your best judgement and discuss with your parents beforehand) there are times that it makes the most sense.  If your rehearsal schedule has large gaps of downtime between your dance time, talk to the director or choreographer running the rehearsal and see if there is any way to re-organize.  This not only keeps you (and probably others at your level) from having tons of down time but it's also about managing injury risk, because if you're sitting around for an hour or more, you'll have to spend time all over again to warm up.  Granted, making a rehearsal schedule that pleases everyone is impossible (so don't expect that from your director) but if you see an opportunity that makes sense, humbly bring it up to the director in private.  Never ask them to change it in front of others and never request a change without proposing a solution that makes sense.

Another non-conventional way to manage your time is with your physical education class if you're attending a regular school.  Request a meeting with the P.E. teacher (and possibly a vice principal or principal) with you and your parent and provide a detailed list of all your dance classes and rehearsals and see if (at least during the busy time if not for the whole school year) if you can be exempted out from P.E. requirements.  If this is granted, it can provide an additional study hour if your P.E. is in the middle of your school day or if you can make your schedule where it's at the end of the day, then perhaps you can get in a private lesson or additional rehearsal hour.

4) Cross-training

While I personally find very little value in regular school systems' Physical Education programs, before opting out if you can as described above, I do very much believe in cross-training for dancers, and your P.E. class may be the place to do this.  Many professional dancers do cross-training, whether it be Pilates, yoga, weight and resistance training and swimming.  These are all low-impact forms of exercise that can help train muscles that either you are not getting from your ballet classes and rehearsals and/ or it provides muscle training that can enhance and work muscles you are working in new ways so that there is not repetitive training and muscle fatigue (leading to injuries) occurring.  This counter-balance to all your ballet training helps to keep the body in check as well as provides your body a "break" from ballet without being static.

5) Let it Go (from time to time)

When you are feeling chronic fatigue, or you seem to be doing a lot of mis-steps that almost caused an injury, it's time to back off.  I was very fortunate in the fact that I never sustained a serious injury throughout my entire dance career, and while yes, I did all of the above and always gave 200%, I attribute my zero injury factor to one thing only: I took time off when I really needed it.  The simple fact of the matter is, your body is your tool.  And you should be in tune with your body enough to understand the difference between normal tiredness due to missing a few hours sleep or a few hours extra rehearsal versus compensating safe dancing and technique because you're trying so hard to carry yourself through various physical demands and the reality is, you just have nothing left.  Which is dangerous.  Even though you may feel like every single day (maybe even hour) is a critical time for which to not let up on your practice and discipline, if you cause yourself a severe injury, that will be far worse than just taking a day or two off, in the short and long run.

If you are constantly feeling new smaller injuries, mis-stepping in pointe work (where you roll your ankles easily or land jumps badly) or noticing that you are treating and trying to prevent injuries (ice & heat packs, PT and other medical type visits) on a regular basis, chances are good you are headed for a severe injury.  When these practices are becoming common place, let it go and take a day (or in some cases more) off.  Don't even do class, just allow your body time to rest and recuperate.  You will come back dancing without the high risk of injury and in most cases that I've seen, dancing improves.  Character portrayal improves and management of stress overall is improved.  I am one of the hardest pushing coaches I've ever met, and even I subscribe to this practice.  

Good luck to everyone pushing through another winter season and take care of your bodies!

3 Pointers for Your First Pointe Shoes

It’s been requested that I share in a post my classroom pointers when introducing students to pointe shoes and pointe work for the first time.  These are tips that were either imparted to me by my instructors “back in the day” but also some that I have figured out for myself along the way.  Some may be helpful to readers, but others may not apply.  

Once you have been authorized to go on pointe, and I discuss this more thoroughly in Pointer #1, the main advice I give is do what feels right for you.  This is important to gain a sense of as quickly as possible because there is nothing “comfortable” about the first pair of pointe shoes.  Understanding what works for you though will help with fittings, proper shoe selection and avoiding injuries.  I do have to provide a disclaimer that my information is based on my personal 20+ years of dancing en pointe and working with students, but I am not a certified pointe shoes fitter or manufacturer, I am not a medical professional and I am in no way endorsing any brand of pointe shoe nor opposing a recommendation for any pointe shoe.

Pointer #1 Going on Pointe and Selecting the Shoe:

Determining the right time to go on pointe is the first crucial factor to get right.  Unfortunately, I have seen in several studios, mostly non-professional studios, that this is often times considered by the age of the dance student.  While some debate this is due to ensuring the muscles of the feet have been fully developed from a growth perspective, this is an inaccurate measurement of readiness in my opinion.  Readiness for pointe used to be determined by strength and technique of the student’s feet/ footwork.  As a basic guideline, if the student is not participating in at least two 90-minute ballet technique classes per week, they should not go on pointe, and I personally wouldn’t allow someone to go up unless they were taking three classes per week in addition to having the extra basic pointe work as a separate class.  

Some parents and studio owners may disagree, or feel that is too much to expect from a time and tuition perspective, but this is why I feel so many dance students are put on pointe prematurely and usually sustain some sort of injury/ injuries. 

It’s also easy for students and studios to go to the local dance clothing and supply shop to obtain their first pair of toe shoes, however, if your local dance store(s) are basically boutiques, carrying a wide variety of dance wear, jazz and tap shoes, maybe even some ballroom and hair accessories, etc., this would not be my recommendation for finding a first pair of pointe shoes.  You can go there to get a pair to “test” but I always recommend finding a true pointe shoe distributor who works directly with manufacturers if at all possible for you.  Usually the pointe shoe is all they specialize in.  As a student in a small town, there was a selection of three types of pointe shoes for me to try when I was approved for pointe class.  They were all awful, but I was so excited to get shoes, I didn’t want to wait.  However, our next family vacation, we road-tripped two states away to Texas, and my mother and I took an entire day to visit the largest pointe shoe distributor.  I spent 6 hours trying on every single type of pointe shoe the distributor carried, and it was time well spent.  By the time I was back in the studio, my dancing was much easier because I had a more comfortable shoe that fit properly with the width of my foot and had the flexibility in the shank for my arch.  

Although the distributor I went to back then was extremely knowledgeable on trying on pointe shoes, they also encouraged trying on as many as I wanted.  This spoke volumes to me back then and to this day, because they were not “pushing” any one type of shoe or inventory at me and were concerned that I got the proper shoes for me.  I am not convinced that all dance stores follow this principle, as I have witnessed several sales pitches to a particular type of shoe I knew did not work for me, even just through verbal explanation or sharing what my shoe preference type was and I’ve seen it in students that come into a class with ill-fitting shoes, saying that the fitter really pushed that shoe on them even though they preferred a different one.  So it’s important that you do not crumble to a sales pitch, or believe everything the fitter tells you as far as “this is what all the students are wearing” or ‘this is the latest and greatest” shoe on the market.  

Make sure you take full advantage to try everything on you can, and don’t feel like you have to buy something if none of them feel right and have an option to go and try some shoes elsewhere.  Your ballet instructor should provide you fitting tips with regards to *pointe shoe fittings such as length, width, shank strength and position, vamp length, etc. and the person conducting the fitting should also be up to speed on properly fitting shoes, but I still recommend to students (even my own) to do your own research.  With the Internet, students have a wealth of knowledge and resources available to them that previously could only be passed down from instructor to student.  Even if the information seems redundant, both parent and student should research this on-line to gain a sense of what they should be looking for and feeling for at the fitting to make a more informed decision and be able to identify if the fitter is fitting you properly or by sales pitch.

Pointer #2 Preparing Shoes and Feet:

*Preparing shoes takes some time and experience to find out what works best for you.  For me, I wet down the box with water before class and hammer out the box to soften by about 30% from the original mold hardness.  I do this to make sure I have flexibility in my demi-pointe work and fluidity of footwork to rise up to en pointe.  If the pointe shoes are strictly for practice and classroom, I will only sew on elastic, similarly to ballet flats.  If it’s a performance shoe, I will only sew on the ribbons and no elastic.  I also bend the shank repeatedly, I don’t exactly break it, but this also provides better fluidity with the shoes.  

I do all of this but I have a high arch and very strong feet and ankles, so I require less support.  A beginner student would not want to mess too much with the shank until they gain some experience with the feel of pointe shoes, but I do recommend working the shank on some pointe shoes for dancers who have a lesser arch or even flat feet.  Again, this needs to be determined on what feels right to the dancer.  Seek out advice from your instructor or more seasoned dancers, but ultimately this has to be evaluated by trial and error over time.

My preparation of feet for pointe work, I know will be contrary to a lot of what dancers do today, but I personally don’t believe in a lot of stuff in my shoes.  I believe in good old *toe wrapping and maybe a little lamb’s wool, but today I see a lot of students putting so much padding and toe flows in their shoes, I have to wonder if they can feel the floor at all.  And some of the newer manufacturers of shoes have built in padding!  This may alleviate the first pain of the experience of toe shoes, but I also believe if you never mold the shoes to your feet and feel what you’re doing and go through the rites of bloody blisters or losing toenails, you may be dancing numb, which may hinder your progress or even inspire injuries.  I also have to wonder again if the use and recommendation of all these “extras” is part of the sales pitch to get students to rely on having to spend this additional money since their feet will rarely get the calluses needed to go without all the padding.  One may also need to consider, after researching all your fitting guidelines of the shoes, is all that padding throwing off a proper fitting? 

To wrap your toes, it’s easy and cost effective to use some medical adhesive tape (this is recommended because it will stay on well even if your feet are sweating) and a little cotton to make a “dance band-aid”) and apply this wrap to your more blister prone areas, i.e. pinky toes, large toes.  If you have a long rehearsal ahead of you or a performance and you are struggling with the pain of some blisters, I recommend using some baby teeth numbing gel/ cream on your toes.  It doesn’t completely numb the toes, but it will make getting through the rehearsal, class or performance bearable.  Last, when your toes ache or you sustain blisters, suck it up.  It is a recipe for injury to “limp” around on pointe.  Either dance through the pain and focus on your dancing or take the shoes off and try to recover.  Blisters are part of the “thrill of your newfound pointe status,” if you don’t dance through it, pointe work will always be painful (calluses have to be developed).  Many of us felt it was also a rite of passage if we were able to dance through our bloody blisters and even be able to show the blood soaked through on the shoe.  It was our equivalent to being tough and our “macho” contest, rather than wimping out.  I realize some may not be that competitive but if you aren’t, that’s where it’s best to just take off the shoes to avoid stepping or rising incorrectly because of the pain and possibly sustaining an injury.  Soaking your feet in Epsom Salt will help to draw out the soreness when you begin dancing on pointe in the beginning.

There are probably many different methods to *tying shoes, but this is my recommendation:  1) Criss-cross the ribbons in the front of your ankle 2) Wrap the ankle about 1.5-2 times so that both lengths of ribbon meet in the inside of the ankle (Note: one ribbon length will be longer than the other) 3) Tie a square knot and place the ribbons in tandem to one another with the longest ribbon length on top 4) Tuck them in to form a square.  I burn the ends of my ribbons to ensure they don’t fray.  Never use safety pins to attached pointe shoes, always sew them.  It’s also a huge peeve for almost every instructor to see ribbons hanging out or tied in bows, it looks awful and it’s unprofessional.

Pointer #3 Extending the Life of Pointe Shoes

Serious ballet students and dancers quickly learn that pointe shoes are a major expense for your career.  Some dancers need 20 pairs a month, others only 20 pair every few months, a more beginner dancer may think 20 pair a year seems like a lot.  In either case, we want to try and make pointe shoes last as long as possible.  Depending on the wear you put your shoes through; it’s possible to get another performance out of a shoe and/ or another month or so out of shoe, by *‘cooking’ the shoes.   If you take some floor wax, and apply it to the box of the pointe shoes, both inside and outside (be careful on the outside if you are trying to use for a performance and some floor wax brands will change the color of the satin, making it darker, but usually this can also be covered with pancake make-up or paint), place the shoes on a baking sheet (I always remove the ribbons and re-sew them on after baking, but I’ll leave elastic on) and baking them in an oven this will temporarily re-harden the shoe.   Ovens can vary so you will need to watch carefully and develop it over some tries, but I would recommend starting with 250* and baking for approximately 10-15 minutes.  You should always check this every five minutes until you get your “recipe” just right.

I will also take a “dead” pair of performance shoes and completely hammer out the box and de-shank the shoes.  Remove the ribbons and sew on elastic, and voila!  I have a very good pair of ballet flats that also work my feet a little harder in technique class.

*Stay Tuned for Video Tools related to these topics - Coming Soon! 

Photo 1: Dancer Model Credit: Elliana F.

4 Guidelines to Selecting a Dance School

With the school year starting and the coming of Fall, an important step for many parents at this time is selecting a dance school for their child/ children.  Selecting a dance school can be a daunting task.  Depending on your area, there are usually many to choose from and selecting the right fit for your student is critical to their happiness, their dance education and their long-term success with their dancing career, should they decide to pursue that avenue.   It’s true that while many young students looking for their first school, perhaps around the age of 3-6 years old, the following guidelines may be a bit premature.  However, it’s still beneficial to have your dance student start that young if they show an interest as it always begins the process of fine tuning motor skills and balance and lays the foundation for other benefits for life skills that dance provides.  And, as your dance student matures and shapes their focus, being at the right type of dance school is critical.

1. Know What Your Dance Student Wants

This again is largely dependent on age or in some cases, drive and maturity.  A first time student and/ or younger student may be trying dance out.  The parent may be looking to expose their child to various activities to see what holds the highest interest.  If this is the case, most any school choice will be fine, keeping in mind more personal conveniences such as lower tuition costs, schedule ease, proximity to home or regular school, etc.  

Many schools can offer little more than a glorified social atmosphere and the dancing is amateur and more of an extracurricular activity.  For some, this is the type of school you want.  If your child is merely looking for the social and/ or fitness aspect, then most schools will be okay.  However, if your dance student is perhaps older, has an established interest in gaining skill and ability, and has expressed enthusiasm for pursuing dance on a more serious level beyond an extracurricular activity, a more pre-professional school will be a better fit.  A great way to determine where your child might be happiest is if when asking your child how their dance class went, if your dance student  responds with a one-word answer like, "Fine" or "It was okay" vs. being descriptive about what they learned, and describe the fun aspects of the class or upcoming performance, etc. that is a way to understand the commitment level your child has. 

Another perspective to consider is most parents, especially after some years of the dance student attending classes, will want to make sure that the money being spent on lessons is serving a greater purpose than just another place for their child to socialize.  The next “level” in dance schools to identify is the performance opportunities.  While almost all dance schools will provide their students with at least some sort of annual performance or recital, some of the more professional schools will offer additional performance opportunities, including competitions and Spring and/ or Holiday performances or other smaller opportunities, in addition to the annual performance.  These schools will also support students either attending other summer intensive programs or provide their own.  Most students of these types of schools will be avid students until they graduate high school but may even continue their dancing afterward and will gain knowledge of life skills that they will use time and time again outside of the dance world.

The most advanced level of school is one that provides the multiple performance opportunities, combined with serious study and educational parameters.  These schools provide a structured curriculum and educational path of development specific to age and level using classic methodologies, such as the Vagonova Syllabus or the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus.  On the ballet side for ages of around 11 years+, the school will require a minimum of 3-4 ballet technique classes per week as well as pointe and other disciplines.  The school also provides seminars and master classes from other professional dancers and instructors, usually with some renown within the dance world, as well as brings them in for choreography to expose their dancers to other styles and build their professional resumes and networks.  Their staff are all true ex-professional dancers from professional ballet companies and/ or Broadway, and/ or have professional certifications in a classical methodology.  This is not to say that there aren't first class teachers out there even if they were not professionals, but down the road, your dancer may want to be "raised by a dance family" as I call it, that has established connections and a network with other professionals within the dance world, as this is a useful aspect in garnering a paid position at some point.

The very highest pedigree of schools also provide scholarship opportunities for their students.  This is not just a tremendous benefit for students and their families facing the very large financial investment (perhaps even burden) of pursuing dance, but it is also a major indication that the school is stable (discussed more below) and well-managed.

2. What You Can Tell (or Can’t Tell) From a Website

One the first things we notice about websites before reading content is to notice their

images and photographs, and a dance school website is no different.  If the images presented on the website mainly show kids hugging each other or an instructor kneeling down with their arm around a student, they are usually an amateur type school.  Pictures showcased like this tell me they have no real dance photos of their students and they want to project that they are a school that fosters team work and nurturing environments.  And again, there is nothing wrong with this atmosphere, especially for the younger or first time student, but just don’t expect the dance education to be high caliber or actual pre-professional.  Although it might be possible, in general, your dance student’s skill to be an advanced dancer is unlikely if this is the type of school you choose.

For a more advanced school, their websites will generally showcase actual photos and sometimes videos from their performances.  Beware of the “staged” dance photos taken in costume, with static poses in front of a back drop.  These are like school pictures and don’t really show anything except whether or not the school has tasteful and age appropriate costume selections.   

Another defining factor between various schools is if they lean more towards competitions or towards a repertoire.  A competition school will showcase the competitions they attend annually and what awards they have won (the studio is usually littered with trophies), and their focus tends to be on hip-hop, jazz and tap.  A ballet or professional arts school will showcase repertoire with classics the school performs, such as The Nutcracker and other classic ballet works or other famous works of great choreographers, whether it be full productions or excerpts.

Faculty and instructors are usually also provided on the websites.  If you are looking for a more advanced school for your student, the faculty experience and background is critical to review.  If most of the faculty looks like they are in high school or college, they likely have little to no professional experience.  Beware if this is the ballet instructor depicted if you are looking for an advanced ballet school.  If the dance education is limited to college courses or their own education at a local school, it’s likely not going to provide a professional level of expertise.

Dress Code on dance school websites may sound like they are very strict and disciplined schools, citing the requirement for black leotards and pink tights only for ballet class.  However, dress code is never an indication of the discipline instilled or skill at the school overall.  Many of the mid-level schools boast a strict dress code on websites but they aren’t really enforced and many professional schools rarely have to cite a dress code because a professional dress where instructors can see the lines and technique of your dance student is simply a given and not necessary to cite on a website.

3. Observe a Class Before Registering

If a school won’t allow you to observe a class before registering, run away.  Observing a class is the best way to find out what is true about the school and what is fluff.  In particular, note how the teacher is and how the body of students responds.  Does the teacher have full command and respect of the class, or is it basically social hour for the students every time the music stops?  Do the students have varied levels of skill yet are all grouped together in the same class perhaps because they are close in age?  This is important to note if you are looking for a more serious school; intermediate to advance level classes will have a uniformed skill level regardless of age with only a few exceptions, if any.  If the class has varied skill levels, it is usually indicative of a school desperate to fill classes (see #4.guideline) rather than shaping a meaningful curriculum.

Also notice how the teacher teaches, even if you yourself have no experience with dance, you will be able to notice the following:  

• Does the teacher critique individuals or lectures the same critique to the whole class every time?  An instructor that does not provide individual critique is not providing enough instruction.  It is important that both you and your dance student recognize that critique from an instructor is invaluable and is a positive aspect.  Generalized instruction to the entire class is fine some of the time or especially if a new step is being introduced, but most critique should occur at the individual level. 
• Does the teacher themselves have an expert education with regards to steps and vocabulary?  This one is a bit trickier to pick up on, but it is possible without a formal dance education.  If the instructor demonstrates everything and does not call each step by the ballet term (French adjective), it's safe to assume they don’t really know the steps to be teaching them, or if they do, they have not made it part of their teaching to pass that along to students.  And unfortunately for some reason this is becoming an increasingly lacking piece to dance education.  For example, the director of a school I once taught at gave her students a leap to perform in several competition pieces and they practiced them across the floor in her jazz classes.  When they came into my ballet class, I instructed them to do a [grande] coupe jete entournent, the students looked confused and protested they did not know the step and that they needed a demonstration of it.  I thought this curious since I had seen them do it in their dances several times, and once I demonstrated it, they responded with “Oh! You mean ‘The Russian!’” I was appalled that the director of the studio would make such an egregious teaching error, and as you can imagine I did not teach there long after that incident.

4. Understand the Balance Between the Business and the Education

Almost all schools, even the professional ones, must maintain a balance between keeping the studio a profitable business and ensuring the best education for the students.  While it may seem that these are intrinsic to one another, they can often lead to opposing objectives for the owner/ director.  Due to this, I always recommend that even if your student is “trying it all out” make sure you ask up front what all the fees are:

1.     Trying it out for a month 

2.     Continuing for a year 

3.     And continuing on their advanced path or competition path for the next few years.  

The reason this is important is because there can be many unforeseen costs that you would never expect and having a student continue their dance education and/ or have them participate in all the offerings is an investment and often times an expensive undertaking.  Understand and ask about fees such as: Registration, recital & performance fees, costume fees and outright purchase costs, attire costs to stay within dress code requirements, shoes, competition fees, competition music fees, Summer Intensive program costs, Master class costs, audition fees, private lessons and coaching, etc.  Fundraising efforts you and your student will be expected to participate in, if you choose a competition school or a non-profit dance organization, ask about local competitions vs. their participation in national competitions and the travel costs associated.

Many schools make their profit in this way.  I personally don’t believe that any of it is frivolous for the most part, and as long as it is clearly provided what to expect and why, this should not be viewed as a “scheme to take your money.”  Dance is expensive, but that’s why you want to make sure you and your dance student are receiving in turn the true type of education you are investing in.  With these fees and the investment, your child should be exposed to all the opportunities that have been listed here.  The very best of schools are managed well enough to also offer scholarships and financial aid to a) families that demonstrate the need and b) the student that truly deserves it; meaning they want a career, they work hard and they have a good attitude.

A Last Warning
I have heard that some schools want their students to sign contracts and sometimes loyalty contracts, ensuring your money is spent only with them.  If the studio you are looking into has this, run away.  This is where I would say the business means more to the studio, than the education or that the school is not being managed well.  Loyalty to instructors and coaches is earned and the best instructors and coaches will encourage their students to take from as many good instructors and other dance opportunities as they can, especially if the school is smaller or under-funded, to ensure their students get the most out of everything that is available to them.  When instructors or directors get petty about other places you might be learning from, it may be time to evaluate where their true interest lies.