Importance of Ballet

People in dance always say they "hate" Ballet. They say it is boring and slow and they just don't like it. What people don't understand is that Ballet is everything to become a dancer. You need to have Ballet technique to be able to do the other types of dances you like to do and it creates a strong foundation for them. According to doctors, it strengthens bodies and can also correct posture if practiced correctly. Ballet is a very difficult style of dance and usually isn't taken very seriously by younger dancers. Ballet is also used for other sports to strengthen your body such as, gymnastics, skating and even football. Many guys take ballet because it helps with their balance, speed, agility and it keeps them fit and helps them with their other sports.

Another reason ballet is very important is because if you want to become a better dancer you have to practice ballet. The more you practice that style of dance other types will come easy to you as well. It will also help with your flexibility which is everything for a dancer, it will decrease you chances of injuries. It is also proven to show more confidence in yourself and you will feel better after a class.

Dance is a mindset. If you say you can't do it then you wont. You will be able to do everything you set your mind to. If you really want to do something you can, you just need practice and some help from an instructor. "Practice makes perfect" is so cliche but very true.

If you want to go into dance as a career, the instructors are going to look at your ballet technique the most out of everything.

"Learning is a wonderful thing for children even if they never become dancers. It is wonderful because it teaches discipline, grace, and manners."      -Anna Paskevska

Dance Moms vs. reality dance

I know most of you have seen the show "Dance Moms", and it is crazy and so over dramatic. "Dance Moms" is very different from most dance studios in the U.S.

Moms do not fight that often and do not scream at each other, there isn't usually a favorite or a "star" at the studio, and the dance instructors are not usually that strict or mean. If you have seen the show you would know that when the girls compete they perform different dances each week. Most studios do not do that; they learn and practice multiple dances and then perform the dances they have learned every weekend. Also, when they announce awards, the judges don't just announce who got first, second, third, and so on, they also announce how most of the dances did itself and who got best choreography and lots of different awards like that. "Dance Moms" just announces who got first and second because it is faster and it is the main award that people care about most. You have to remember, this is a T.V show and they have to keep it entertaining so people will watch. It is clear that most of the things you've seen on the show are made up, no one would stay somewhere for that long just to be tortured in my opinion. There are many dance studios around the U.S and if they are willing to go across the world to compete then I don't think they would mind going across the country to be at a studio where their kid is treated right.

Based on this information, dance is not as bad as it looks on t.v. Dance for most kids id fun and relaxing, its suppose to relieve stress not create it. If you want a real and more accurate opinion over dance, talk to real dancers instead of watching a "reality" t.v show.

How to prepare for a dance audition

Dance auditions are very stressful; everyone wants the same spot you want. You are constantly feeling like you have to do perfect. There are so many ways you can prepare to do well, but I have three major steps on how to succeed.

First, you are going to want to stretch every day, not just in practice. It would be horrible if you were to hurt yourself before you try out. Flexibility is a huge step into becoming a great dancer. Also, make sure you are stretching every part of your body; your head, neck, shoulders, hips, all the way down to your toes. Use the stretches that your dance teachers tell you to do if you’re not sure what to do. You should stretch whenever you possibly can. Try to stretch for 25 minutes if not more a day.

Another thing you should do is PRACTICE! Practicing your dance for the audition is so important. What a lot of people do is practice by them and then calls it good. That is not what you want to do, you audition is front of judges so you need to practice in front of people to get your nerves out of the way and that way they can critique you. If you could practice in front of people who have dance experience that would be the best, that way when they critique you they actually know what they are talking about. 

The last step I have for you is to just be confident with yourself. Don’t be negative; stay positive because you can do it! Don’t let the other dancers intimidate you and just worry about yourself. You should come out of the audition knowing you did your absolute best, not that you could have done better.

Too much homework, not enough freetime

People are always saying "Ugh I don't want to go to practice", and it seems like every kids time is being taken from sports or other activities. Nowadays, you have to be so dedicated to your extra-curricular activities, that you don't have time to do anything else. I know competitive dance is one sport that leaves you with no time to "have fun". 

It's not long before summer ends and kids go back to school and dance always starts back up. I wouldn't even say dance is starting again because the new season starts but with being in competition, you don't get a break. You start the new season in August and dance every day until February comes around and then you are at competitions every week. Until March but while doing that, you are also needing to have practices for recital in May. After recital the end of the year is "over", but not for people who are in competitive dance. 

You try out for competition the week after recital and have to do Summer classes and then start all over again in August. People are always saying, "We shouldn't have so much homework, because of our other sports/activities and we still need free time", but maybe if the sports would shorten their practices or didn't have so many of them we would have more time to do homework or "free time". 

I think the true question is whether or not dance is the reason we don't have free time or is it actually homework.

With this being said, I feel like we should think twice before blaming all the homework and school and maybe think about not using all our time up for sports (dance). I feel like dance should definitely not be all year long. It’s too much to handle and kids need a break.