Trying Out for High School Dance Team?

Deciding whether or not to participate in a high school dance team can be a difficult decision for a dancer. At our studio, we often have parents and students asking for guidance in making this decision. Can they continue to train as intensely? Can they balance everything with school work? Will it effect their technique? These are valid questions and any student considering dance team should take some time to really think them through before even trying out for the team.

First it is important to pin point the motive for wanting to participate in dance team. For some dancers,  it is a way to be involved in their school and serves as away to make some friends. For those who are entering high school as a freshman, it can be great way to calm nerves going into this new phase in their life. They will have older teammates that can look out for them the first couple weeks of school. Other dancers are excited about dance team because it allows them to do different styles of dance then what their studio focuses on. And some dancers are very into the uniform or performing at football and basketball games for their peers.  

The next step is deciding what the dancer wants to do in regards to training at their studio. Are they wanting to pull back a little, continue with the same schedule, or add more. Some of our dancers take class at the studio as a way to ensure that they MAKE the dance team at their high school. Once they do, they may drop down to one or two classes a week. Other dancers want to do it all; dance team, youth company at the studio and all the technique classes to go along with it. 

Finally and most importantly, you and your dancer must determine if they can balance this new life with the responsibility of school and any other activities they are involved in (sports, music, art, etc). It is important to set realistic goals for your dancer to avoid setting them up to fail. The demands of dance team are different school to school as are the demands of your studio. It is important to lay out a typical day for your dancer and see if it is something they can handle. Not every student is the same and some are better then others at balancing a busy schedule. 

As a studio director and a former pom at my high school I am always a little torn when a student approaches me about dance team. Does dance team effect a dancers training at a studio? yes. However those effects can be both positive and negative.

The Positives:

• More practice of pirouettes, leaps, etc. Dance teams drill these steps over and over which is great! 
• It can help dancers improve timing and it demands clean and sharp lines.
• Dancers are sometimes given the opportunity to choreograph routines for competitions and or games.
• It builds confidence- they are performing in front of their peers(not much else is scarier then that!).

The Negatives: 

• Practice is after school, technique/rehearsal is usually after that- us teachers are often getting the tired, worn out, crabby, and hungry versions of your sweet dancers which can lead to injuries and stall growth in their technique.
• Dance team = more absences due to games, competitions, etc. If a dancer is missing dance classes they are not able to improve their technique or learn new choreography. 
• Studio youth companies often take second priority to dance team. For the reasons listed above, this can create a frustrating scenario for fellow teammates who are not on dance team. 

Can you do both- yes! But it is not an easy path. Whatever your dancer decides to do, I would recommend going over the importance of making a commitment and sticking to it. There will be times where your dancer is tired and has a lot of homework, so why not just skip technique class? As the parent you should remind your dancer that this is what they signed up for and that the other dancers are depending on them to be there. Balancing it all is tough but honoring a commitment is a lifelong skill that will be worth the effort.