A Parents Guide to Surviving & Thriving the Dance Competition Weekend
It’s officially my favorite season. No, not summer or spring, but rather the dance competition season! Child and parent alike have dedicated their blood, sweat, and tears to rehearsals, private lessons, prop building, and rhinestoning costumes to make it to this exact moment! Congratulations on getting here. It can be tempting to think the hard work is over, but the journey is just beginning. This season will be loaded with excitement, stress, glitter, and enough adrenaline to power your electric car all the way to the competition and back. Whether you are a first time dance parent, or a seasoned pro, these few months will be undoubtedly some of the more stressful and yet rewarding times for you and your child. So let’s discuss how to navigate them with a little more fun and a little less stress.
Preparation is key when it comes to the dance competition weekend. Create a simple checklist of all the items your dancer needs and begin to pack, even days ahead. This will help you feel confident your child won’t be the only one without their sparkly hair piece on performance day. No one wants to arrive at the venue and realize they forgot something 2 hours away at home.
After you have made your checklist, and packed up all the necessities, you will want to create a schedule for your departure day. There are sooo many things we need to get done before we head out the door! It is easy to run out of time and lose our cool as we try to glue on that fake eye lash for the 47th time. Creating a schedule with plenty of time for all the things we need to do before we leave can help us maintain a calm(er) experience and make sure we leave on time for our fun weekend!
Arriving at the competition can be overwhelming! The immersive smell of hairspray and sugar mingled with nervous energy is something one must experience to understand. As dance parents, we now become the backstage manager and cheerleader to our child, navigating the dressing rooms, call time sheets, and emotional mood swings of the day. This can all be very exciting, but also stressful. Managing the physical needs and emotional expectations is key to survival.
Starting with the physical, it is easy to overlook solid food and nutrition with all the commotion. Packing good food and remembering to eat will help both you and your child have enough energy to make it through all the fun without a crash. There is no guarantee the venue will have what you want and when you want it, so packing your own is key. Check your schedule and pencil in your best times for food so you don’t miss a meal. With your nutrition in check you can more easily navigate the emotions.
Setting achievable goals for your dancer that are beyond the awards and placements can take some of the emotional pressure off of your child. Focus on cheerleading your dancer’s personal accomplishments such as performance, energy, or nailing a move they have been working on. Winning is always fun, but never guaranteed. Redirecting the goal toward development over winning will encourage them to see beyond the awards as they return to their studio to continue to train.
As the adrenaline and caffeine that has fueled this weekend runs dry, it is important to think about recovery & self care for you and your dancer. Competitions are fun, but the post comp Monday hangover is a real issue for many of us if we aren’t careful. Finding the things that bring you comfort and relief can also help as you acclimate to life beyond the competition space. For physical recovery, a pair of Apolla Socks is always a good choice for parent and dancer alike. Emotionally the competition experience will come with many highs and lows. Keeping a journal can help sort out and place into perspective the feelings and experiences you and your child have had. As you reflect, remember not to be too hard on yourself and to give yourself and others a lot of grace.
The feelings of fatigue after a competition weekend will fade, I promise! But the memories of joy and community with your dancer and teammates will last. Utilizing these tips will help you go beyond just surviving the weekend, and into thriving in it! Two Dance Moms Podcast discusses topics related to dance parents to help bring more fun and less stress to their competition dance experiences. Sharing stories & tips, along with interviews equipping dance parents everywhere. Listen to our weekly episodes wherever you get your podcasts!
Two Dance Moms Podcast
A weekly podcast with Amira & Cayse. Sharing their own wins and fails as dance moms,
with the tips and tricks they've learned along the way! Helping dance parents find a little more fun and a little less stress at their dancers' next competition.
LISTEN:
SOCIALS: