When learning the fundamentals of dance, most young students begin training as an after-school activity. Taking one or two classes per week, they focus on building basic coordination while teachers instill a passion for movement and creativity. The time commitment is limited and expectations are mostly that a child shows up consistently, is focused, and has a good time.
As students mature and enter middle and high school, it is common for them also to advance in their dance training. This advancement comes with additional responsibilities, as well, from taking additional classes to cross-training and preparing for greater involvement in rehearsals and performances.
Naturally, as expectations grow in dance training, the same is true of academics. Not only do materials become more advanced, there are more extensive amounts of homework and studying required to excel. This often puts a great deal of pressure on burgeoning young adults.
As more senior students begin considering a future beyond high school, it is common for dancers to begin skipping dance training to gain extra hours for homework, studying, and test prep. But these extra hours away from dance for academics can cause dancing to suffer. Not only does missing class put dancers behind their peers, it also puts them at risk of developing injury since they will be less conditioned to perform more advanced, risky skills.
While teachers do need to be understanding of the multitude responsibilities and pressures put upon young dancers, it can also be frustrating when once-committed dancers begin missing classes and rehearsals more frequently. How does a student who excels in both academics and dance follow through with their commitments without becoming so overwhelmed that they drop the ball?
Pre-Plan:
Use a calendar app or buy an old-school calendar and pre-plan entire semesters at a time. Pull out academic and dance calendars and look at the entire semester of events and deadlines. Write them down in the calendar. If you notice an important test around the same time as preparations for a performance, devise a plan to manage both on your schedule. Looking at the days around the more difficult deadlines may offer guidance where you can offload some tasks on the harder days.
Strategize Your Daily Schedule:
Once a dancer has pre-planned for the semester, they should take time to look at their schedule day-to-day. It is important to note which days have earlier wake ups, classes with more homework, pinch points in travel, more dance classes/rehearsals, and later bedtimes. Once a dancer understands the finer details of their weekly schedule, they can strategize to find pockets on their schedule where they can get ahead with studying, homework, choreography review, and rest.
Communicate:
Sometimes, dancers feel as if they have no voice. But learning how to communicate effectively is extremely important to any child’s development in and out of the studio. If a dancer has a competition or performance coming up, they should feel empowered to talk to their academic teachers to see if they can assist in preventing an overload of work due the days surrounding events. On the other hand, a dancer should also notify their studio director of big tests or projects coming up to ensure additional rehearsals or requirements won’t be scheduled during those periods.
Prioritize Rest:
Once a dancer develops tools to understand where difficulties and stressful periods may arise on their schedule, they can look to calmer periods for rest and recovery. While down-time may not always be a possibility each week, calmer periods surrounding more stressful times can be very beneficial to catch up on rest and to spend extra time with friends and family.
Remember Your Commitments:
While everybody has busy periods in their lives, young dancers tend to have more pressures beyond their control. When a student skips class to prepare for a test, it is often a parent choosing to break their commitment. It is important to teach youth to follow through with their commitments, even when the going gets tough. While some don’t put dance training at the same level of importance as academics, it is important to keep in mind that when a dancer signs up for classes and performances, they are making a commitment to themselves, their peers, their teacher, and their school. If a dancer skips out on their commitment, everybody suffers. And missing class or rehearsal just displaces current stress and moves it into the future. Lastly, it is important to teach impressionable youth to follow through with commitments, otherwise they may make breaking commitments at stressful moments a habit.
By: Berry Kerollis
