Lessons from Dance

As you may know from my previous posts, I used to be a dancer. And growing up as a competitive dancer was not always easy. The time commitment and hard work that was put into it was often undermined by my peers. I can’t tell you how many times I heard “dance is not a sport”. And I couldn’t disagree more. Competitive dance is very much a physical sport. It requires technique, skill, memorization, precision, courage, strength and grace, all at the same time. One of the great things about this sport was the amount that I learned over the years. I truly grew and developed into who I am today because of some of the lessons learned from dance. So here are a few things I learned from dance (excluding pirouettes, fouettes, and other various combos):

1. Time management. I could not have possibly passed school and danced if I had not learned time management. In fact, to this day my mother credits my good time management skills to my time as a dancer. I had school all day and dance all night, with competitions almost every weekend, so it became crucial that I learn how to manage my time and fit homework and sleep into my schedule. Honestly, I have never been more organized and well prepared than I was when I danced.

2. Team work. Dance is a tricky sport. It’s very competitive, individually. (Actually that is mainly the mothers. I never felt very competitive against the other girls in my group, but the mothers compared us to each other all the time, making it slightly competitive). However, unless you are doing a solo, dance is a team sport. You train as a team, you learn choreography as a team, and if one member of your team is falling behind or struggling, it affects the whole group. So you learn to work with one another and play off of each others strengths. You learns that everyone has different strength and weaknesses and that is what makes you a diversely skilled group. You learn to lean on one another when necessary. And you learn that spending 6 days a week traveling, dancing, learning, and growing with one another turns you more into a family.

3. Giving it your all. Unfortunately I didn’t learn this lesson until it was too late. But in class we were always told to practice full out, facial expressions and all, so that when we got to competition we would be so used to going all out that it would just be second nature to us. However, I have always cared too much about what others thought of me, which actually served as a disservice to myself in some way. I never used facials. I never went all out for fear of looking silly or goofy or overly confident or over the top. However, when everyone else is smiling and “ooh and ahh”ing, you actually end up looking like the silly one for not making facial expressions. I was afraid to have too much fun with my dancing for fear of losing control and/or being made fun of. But looking back I realize that sometimes letting go is exactly what is needed. And sometimes giving it your all and really going for it is actually much less embarrassing then playing it safe.

4. Work ethic. You do not simply wake up one day being able to do a tricky turn sequence or one footed wings. You practice. You practice every day. You practice while you are in dance class, you practice while you are waiting in the lunch line, you practice when you’re day dreaming in class, you practice when you are brushing your teeth. You have a continuous loop of “5, 6, 7, 8” playing in your head as you mentally run your dances over and over again. (I have scuffed up every surface in my house and every grocry aisle and school hallway, marking dances over and over again). You work for the skills that you earn. Yes, some people are more naturally talented than others. But in order to memorize 5 or 6 different choreographies for a single competition, you have to practice. There is no way around it. There is something so wonderful about seeing “you get out of it what you put into it” played out in real life.

5. Sportsmanship. This was a hard one. There were so many times that Pierrette Sadler’s dancers were called for platinums as our team just sat and internally rolled our eyes. There were ever times when people from your own studio would win and you found yourself letting out a big sigh. But during the awards ceremony when you are sitting on a stage with all of the other dancers from the whole competition, and all of the judges and parents sitting in the audience watching you, you quickly learn to graciously accept whatever comes your way. You shake hands, you clap, and you cheer for other studios (while silently cursing them). Yes, of course you will probably pick apart the competition on the bus ride home, but in the moment you learn to appreciate the other dancers and handle yourself with grace.

So although some may not consider it a sport, I learned some vital life lessons through my years as a dancer, and I wouldn’t trade in those years for any other “sport”.

Here is one of my favorite dances that I ever did. I have never worked so hard at a dance in my life. We literally worked on this until it was nearly flawless. And while it was hard work, I have some amazing memories with my teammates. Plus it felt good to work so hard at something and get something so great out of it. Disclaimer: The video quality is crappy.
　

　

　

　

It's not just a sport, It's a way of life...

I remember a time in my life where dance WAS my life. I began taking dance classes at the age of 6 and kept on dancing until I was 15. I started off as a regular little girl who took dance lessons once a week and performed in the yearly recital. But by 5th grade dance had become so much more to me. I auditioned for a competitive group and made it. By the time I was in 6th grade, I had dance practice Monday through Friday, beginning immediately after school and ending well after dark, and production rehearsals on Saturdays from 8:00-2:00. I literally would wear my leotard under my clothes to school and go straight to the dance studio. We always had a 30-45 minute break at dance to eat or do homework, so we usually walked across the street to Subway or sat in the lobby and watched other dances. All of this madness was only during off seasons…during competition season, which spans from March to May, all of this time was spent at the studio, but Fridays after dance we would stay for costume fittings, before jumping in the car for competition weekends which lasted from Friday nights to Sunday nights. It was a lot of hard work and we trained hard, but it was so fun and exciting. I formed some of my deepest friendships at the studio, since we all had a common interest and spent so much time together. We laughed about things others wouldn’t find funny; the Dansco brand shoes someone bought by accident, the plum eye shadow someone had instead of violet, the fake eyelashes and the glue that stuck your eyelids together, the Vaseline on our teeth. We did crazy things for competitions….waking up at 5:00am to put in fake hair, makeup, Vaseline on our teeth, make sure you’re wearing the right tights, costume, and shoes. Is your hair in a low pony for this one or a high bun? Are you wearing your body tights, or the footless ones? Do you have an extra hair net, my 800 bobby pins ripped mine! Oh no, I left my red lipstick in my other dance bag! Mom, I have to pee but I’m wearing underwear, tights, spandex, and a unitard! Do I have time to eat a granola bar before we go on next? What dance is next? I know, I know, remember to smile. Kissy faces. Do I start stage left or stage right? Did you see how many judges were out there? The stage isn’t as wide as we thought, shorten all moves! My costume ripped, my tights have a run, and I’m tired. My hair piece doesn’t match my hair anymore! Why is HE in the dressing room? Where is my mom? Is the stage marked? Where the heck do I get a stick on bra that will fit me? Ew, the smell of the E6000 used for the rhinestones and maribou is killing me! Mom, we’re gonna run out of hairspray and destroy the ozone, can you stop it!? ALL of these things and more can be heard backstage at any given competition. It sounds stressful, and it is. But it’s what bonded us girls, and sometimes guys, together. There is no greater feeling then sitting on stage during awards and getting a platinum award while your teacher and parents cry with excitement and pride. There’s no greater feeling then going out to dinner with your group after a 15+ hour day and feel like you have all of the excitement and adrenaline in the world. There is no greater feeling then running through the hotel and finding all the other dancers, when really, you should have no energy left. And as much as I hated it at the time, there is no greater feeling then going to school on Monday and hearing what everyone else did during their weekends, and when they ask you and you try to explain all the hair, makeup, dancing, adrenaline, and awards, they roll their eyes. It’s a bond. It’s a release. And there is no greater feeling. I remember going to dance some days and being so stressed about school, homework, or family, but once my feet hit the smooth, grey floor, it all went away. Nothing mattered while I was dancing. And I miss that.

So, I know I’m about to win the award for longest post EVER. And if you are still reading, you deserve an award. But here are a few “you know you’re a dancer if” things:

-you dance down the hallway instead of just walking.
-a new leotard makes your whole day.
-your wardrobe is filled with T-shirts from dance competitions and performances (Dance Caravan)
-you have an entire drawer devoted to your dance stuff
-"I can't, I have dance." enough said.
-when you go to get your hair cut you tell them to cut it long enough to be able to put it in a bun.
-you know a combo to every song that comes on the radio.
-when outfits are no longer called outfits or uniforms, but costumes
-you are at the studio more than you’re home.
-you own hair gel. LOTS of hair gel. and you know the smell of Freeze-it.
-you can't listen to a song at a dance or party that you've danced to at a studio, without doing the choreography you were taught
-you can practically put on false eyelashes in your sleep
-you have spent Friday nights sewing sequins onto costumes
-getting changed in a tent outside with 20 other girls is completely normal
-when gold is not the top, but platinum
-you actually enjoy waking up at 5:30 to put on pounds of make-up and drive to Supply to be at the competition an hour before it starts
-when you are sick, you don’t stay home in bed. You go to dance and watch. And being able to just watch is worse then actually being sick.
-you start your homework at 9pm…after you get back from dance.
-you spend more time with your dance family then your real family.
-you have slept at the studio before.

So here’s a shout out to Dance Express and my DEPAS Divas, Ashley Kellogg, Emily Dodd, Kendra Branch, Samantha Severt, Kayla Holland, Elizabeth Whatley, Amy Schell, Kaitlyn Musser, Stephanie Thompson, Aricka Sidbury, Patrice Bowden, Ronita Hill, Kyla Trusdale, Lisa Gattis, Janine Johnson, Morgann Griffin, Lauren Smith, and all the fabulous mommas who spend countless hours at the studio with us. AND of course Mrs. Lynn, Mr. Bill, Ms. Amy, Ms. Lavonda, Ms. Tracy, Mrs. Danielle, and everyone else!