The Dance Mom Thread

[missypie]

We're packing up to leave East Coasst Nationals...truly a once in a lifetime experience, like visiting another planet. I've never heard so many air horns in my life and have never before heard an airhorn at a dance competition.Do the airhorns/signs/flags/clappers only come out at Nationals or do y'all in the north and east get that rowdy at all the competitions? Rowdy rowdy Canadians....certainly doesn't fit the stereotype for the Texans to be quiet and the Canadians to be rowdy!

 

[AZMickeyfans]

We're packing up to leave East Coasst Nationals...truly a once in a lifetime experience, like visiting another planet. I've never heard so many air horns in my life and have never before heard an airhorn at a dance competition.Do the airhorns/signs/flags/clappers only come out at Nationals or do y'all in the north and east get that rowdy at all the competitions? Rowdy rowdy Canadians....certainly doesn't fit the stereotype for the Texans to be quiet and the Canadians to be rowdy!

I just saw this. This is really funny to me too as a good friend of mine is a Texan and she always talks about how Texans are so loud. She backs it up too!

 

[missypie]

I just saw this. This is really funny to me too as a good friend of mine is a Texan and she always talks about how Texans are so loud. She backs it up too!

One mom brought Texas flags for us to wave before our kids competed. We were worried that that would be too obnoxious. It wasn't at all.....Compared to the studios from Canada, NJ and Michigan, we seemed downright demure.

We were so out of our league at East Coast Nationals...it was like high school football champions playing an NFL team. We brought 28 dances. A studio from Michgan brought 10 times as many!!! Our Senior company practices 7.5 hours a week; we were competing against dancers who practice 30+ hours a week!

But we did see some amazing dances and dancers. Remember the guy who got cut from So You Think You Can Dance this season because he walked off the stage? He was there; I believe his solo got the most points of any all week. His company did an all male ballet to an orchestral cover of "We Will Rock You/We are the Champions"....21 boys of all ages on stage....enough to make our company director weep! (We have two boys total in all the companies.)

 

[Diamondintheruff]

21 boys of all ages on stage....enough to make our company director weep! (We have two boys total in all the companies.)

Wow they must have been a huge studio.

As a mother of a male dancer myself I know I am always excited when he gets the chance to dance with other males or better yet be taught by a male teacher.

I've just dropped him off for the next four weeks at our National Ballet School in Toronto. They held auditions all through Canada and there are only 7 boys his age that made it into the school. They combine the age groups so that his class is all male. I think it's great but he was worried about it. He's used to relating and dancing with girls only. I think he will get over it once he gets to know them all.

I can't tell you how wierd it was to drop him off for dance class this morning into a group of male dancers.

Rowdy rowdy Canadians....certainly doesn't fit the stereotype for the Texans to be quiet and the Canadians to be rowdy!

We can make some noise up here in Canada when we want to. Although I have yet to hear any air horns at a dance competition. But you should hear them at a Hockey game. You need ear muffs just to drown out the noise (or perhaps your own Hockey helmet).

 

[pixiepower1971]

Hi All!
I haven't posted in awhile but I wanted to let you all know that my DD12 will be dancing Sun on the Showstopper webcast. Her lyrical team placed 3rd overall in the teen small group division this morning.(Showstopper Mid America). The division starts at 945am cst. Her group will be next to last(#7) to perform. The name of the piece is First Breath.

Also....anyone in the Virginia Beach area? We are moving(next week) and are looking at dance schools in the area. Anyone with personal experiance at any of the schools?

TIA!
Hope everyone is surviving nationals!

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

We survived Nationals! And did well.

DD1 did 6 dances: duo, trio, tap, jazz and 2 hip hop. All the dances got GOld ratings. The 2 hip hop placed 3rd and 4th in their category; the other 4 placed 1st in their catagory! Then her trio placed 3rd overall for the age division. We had a great time, and we were all so proud of the dancers. The studio had several platinums and several overall 1sts as well. We even swept one catagory (pre-teen solo) in the overall taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd!

 

[dreamer17555]

Congrats Jessica and Pixiepower. You both must be so proud!

I wrote a mini TR about Nationals here:Can't Stop The Beat if anyone wants to read.

-Becca-

 

[cabanafrau]

Pixie, I believe Denise Wall's dance studio (Travis' mother) is in Virginia Beach. Sorry I can't say I have personal experience, but I just thought I'd point that out if you didn't know.

 

[pixiepower1971]

Pixie, I believe Denise Wall's dance studio (Travis' mother) is in Virginia Beach. Sorry I can't say I have personal experience, but I just thought I'd point that out if you didn't know.

Oh yes! We know! That is the ONLY thing making this move palatable to my girls. I just want them to try a few places before they settle on the right studio for them. No matter what the reputation, its so personal a decision. They might even be better off at different studios( I sure hope not) DD12 is a ballerina at heart and DD10 is a hiphopper! Gotta love their diversity!

The lyrical group performed brilliantly at championships. They recieved 3rd place overall in the teen division. I am so happy that this year is done! On to new challenges!

 

[cabanafrau]

Oh yes! We know! That is the ONLY thing making this move palatable to my girls. I just want them to try a few places before they settle on the right studio for them. No matter what the reputation, its so personal a decision. They might even be better off at different studios( I sure hope not) DD12 is a ballerina at heart and DD10 is a hiphopper! Gotta love their diversity!

The lyrical group performed brilliantly at championships. They recieved 3rd place overall in the teen division. I am so happy that this year is done! On to new challenges!

I totally agree with you, finding the right place for them to dance is a very personal choice & the cachet of the name can't necessarily tell the tale. I hope your upcoming move is great for all of you & your dancers get off on the right foot, as it were.

 

[EvieGirlsMommy]

Oh. I forgot to do the whole copy and paste thing. Oh well. So, my girl is 19 months old and I just enrolled her at a dance studio. So, obviously, she doesn't compete and she dances at the studio for 45 minutes a week and she dances at the house alllll day =) So precious!! I can't wait to see her shake her little booty in her sparkly tutu. It'll be so great. Okay. Done =) Did I forget to answer anything?

 

[kaysmommie]

Hello,
I'm new to this thread. I just found it today actually. I have read many of your posts. Anyway my DD Kaylee who is 8 has been dancing for 5 years. We have been at our studio in East TN for 3 years. They do have and ensemble but have to be age 9 is that the norm? SHe also danced at a studio in NJ for 2 years since she was 3 until we moved away. Anyway not sure the ensemble here does much traveling or anything. They do a Christmas show and one competition a year. Of course my DD has yearly recital. But she really dance and I'm not sure if I need to look for a new school that has a more active Dance team or Ensemble. Don't get me wrong we love DD's dance school and teacher but it seems like they are more studio/class based. Also they don't want to move DD to higher level classes because she is so petite. They try to keep her with kids her age and maybe a year older and she is bored. Not all of them are on the same level. After reading so many of your posts I wish our school went by levels. Any advice would be great and also if anyone lives in or around Knoxville and knows of a really Good school please let me know.

My DD has been in dance for 5 years. She loves dance and definately is talented. Ballet is her absolute best!! She takes Ballet, Jazz and Tap and plans on starting Modern this year. They have to be 9 to take Hip Hop here. They don't offer Lyrical or Acro but DD did take Acro in NJ.
Nice to meet all of you dance moms
Nichole

 

[luvflorida]

Well, I haven't posted on this thread in awhile, but I've been keeping up with it. Congrats to all the dancers that have done so well at competitions, recitals, nationals, etc. There are many beautiful, talented, and dedicated dancers here!

Anyone that has been following my daughter's dance progress knows that this was her last year of dance before going off to college. She began dancing at the age of 13 when she took one hip hop class. The following year, she was asked to audition for a competition team, and things just took off from there. She had four whirlwind years of dance competitions, recitals, and many, many classes. She took group lessons, private lessons, gymnastics, and spent a year apprenticing with a local modern dance company. She has taken classes in hip hop, ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, acro, breakdance, and lyrical. She has competed in hip hop, jazz, modern, and lyrical. She has competed solos in modern dance.

My daughter has been told by dance teachers, directors, judges, choreographers, and anyone else that has worked with her that she has that special something that can't be taught. The "it" factor, that thing that some dancers just have or don't have. Two local newspapers recently ran articles on her dance achievements.

Having said all that...she will not be majoring in dance in college. She has decided to pursue her interests in music (she is majoring in music theory, history,and criticism). At first, her dad and I were disappointed in her decision. I was heartbroken that she decided to give up something that she obviously has such a talent and passion for. But, we realize that she has to follow her own path and make her own decisions about her life. We know she needs to explore and discover other aspects of her self. I also know that she doesn't have the self-confidence (though it doesn't show when she is dancing!) that other dancers possess, and she has some kind of emotional block (for lack of a better explanation) when it comes to auditions.

My only fear is that she is playing it safe by studying music theory (no auditions, no putting yourself out there for the public to critique) and that she has decided to not pursue dance for the wrong reasons.

ANYWAY...I just wanted to share all that with you dance moms. There are many paths for our children to follow and it's up to them to do the exploring and discovering. They don't always take the path we think they will! We can only support them in their journey, and hope that in the end they will find the one thing that makes them happy, the one thing they are truly passionate about. And, that they then go out and find success in their chosen field. And, who knows, my daughter may still decide, after exploring other interests, that dance is really her true passion. Either way, it's been an exciting five years of dance, and worth every minute and every dollar invested in it.

Here is an excerpt from a note that my daughter gave to her dance teacher/mentor/studio director (who has been with my daughter for all five years) at recital last month: "Although I credit you for being the one who has made me the dancer I am today, nothing can compare to the satisfaction that I get every single day from knowing that, thanks to you, I have a positive outlook and levels of motivation and self-confidence that I never knew I could achieve. That is the real achievement."

She really put it all into perspective for me!

I want to post pictures of the senior board I made for my daughter, but I'll do it in another post as this one is already so long!! The senior girls displayed posters at their last recital.

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Evie and Nichole,

Welcome to the dance mom thread. I love this thread because we all understand the hard work and dedication each of our dancers puts into it. Plus this is the only place, outside of the studio, where I can say my daughter is 7, almost 8, and dances 12 hours at the studio each week this next year and people dont think I'm some psycho dance mom.

Evie, it will be so much fun to watch her grow up dancing if she chooses to stick with it. I love the little ones at our studio and they always steal the show!

Nichole, your daughter is beautiful. I love those pictures, thanks for sharing them with us. Our studio's ensemble, called Company, starts about 5 years old. They have the little pre-company girls who range in age from 4-6 who are just starting to dance or have been for a couple years and show great potential. They do compete twice a year but are not required to do the competitions. Then we have mini company usually 7-9, junior company 9-12, teen company age 12-14 and senior company ages 13-18 who are the most advanced dancers.

Those ages are just a guideline as my daughter who is 7 is in junior company along with her other friend who is 7 and we have a 10 year old in senior company and a 9 year old in teen company. There might be a few others who are above their age limits too but they havent placed all of them for the next season. Company workshop and auditions are the first 2 weeks of August.

Most studios I know of in Phoenix have placements about like this. If you have dancers that are are rockstars then they are moved up a level regardless of their age. The director bases it on who looks good dancing with who. Also, most of the ones I looked at start hip hop at age 5.

I know how you feel about the placement levels. Our last studio kept it strictly ages. My daughter and 2 others had been dancing since they were 2. Now I understand you cant become a superstar from 2 to age 6 but there was a HUGE difference in the girls who just started dancing and the girls who had been dancing for 4 years. They kept starting over with technique and I felt that dd was not learning anything and getting bored too. They would not move the better girls so there was about 3 diffferent ability levels in one class.

I'm so glad I made the move to where we are now. The studio and the training is exceptional. She only competed once last year but it was because the studio was new. This year its a full schedule from Nov on through July. I'm really excited because she is so happy here and is learning so much.

Not that any of this helps you with studios in Knoxville!

 

[AZMickeyfans]

luvflorida,

First of all we must have been posting at the same time and I feel bad for posting in between your pictures!

Secondly and most importantly, WOW your daughter has got some great persepective. Just with that note I was moved to hear her mature words. You must be so proud of her.

Dance may or may not be a part of your daughters future but it sounds like she's got a bright one whichever path she leaps down in life. I cant wait to see your pictures.

 

[luvflorida]

Okay, here is the senior board I made for my daughter. The first photo shows the complete board, and the other photos are close-ups of the different sections. I went with a "From Crib to College" theme. Photos show her at two year intervals from the time she was born till the present. Other photos show highlights from 5 years of dance. I hope you enjoy it!

I apologize for not being able to resize the pictures. They're rather large! And, some of them have flash reflections on them!

Here she is as the musician:

And, as the dancer:

And, just relaxing!

 

[AZMickeyfans]

What a great board! I remember my mom doing something like this for me. I still have it somewhere in the attic I think. That was a LONG time ago.

Some of those pictures of her are absolutely stunning. I love her picture at age 15. There is something about that one that keeps drawing my eye. So candid and beautifully natural.

She seems incredibly talented. either path she chooses I'm sure she will be very successful and passionate about it.

 

[luvflorida]

What a great board! I remember my mom doing something like this for me. I still have it somewhere in the attic I think. That was a LONG time ago.

Some of those pictures of her are absolutely stunning. I love her picture at age 15. There is something about that one that keeps drawing my eye. So candid and beautifully natural.

She seems incredibly talented. either path she chooses I'm sure she will be very successful and passionate about it.

Thank you so much! Yes, she is very passionate about the arts, especially dance, music, and creative writing. She's definitely a right-brained person, not at all mathematically or scientifically inclined!

 

[KirklandTutu]

Hello,
Any advice would be great and also if anyone lives in or around Knoxville and knows of a really Good school please let me know.



My DD has been in dance for 5 years. She loves dance and definately is talented. Ballet is her absolute best!!

Not a mom here, but a ballet teacher. I felt that I had to jump in here.

In east Tennessee, there are alot of schools associated with SERBA, a division of Regional Dance America. You can look them up via the RDA website. They are the schools that I would recommend if ballet is her favorite. If one of them isn't near you, you could call the closest and ask who they would recommend. Trust me, they will know. They will also know where NOT to go to.

There are many things that lead to a child's placement in a dance class. Age absolutly must play a role, even if a child is gifted with the physicality of dance, it is still important for them to go slowly in a class that is age appropriate. Little harm can be done by holding a child to an age appropriate level, much harm will be done by pushing them too soon.

Around the age of 13, students may begin pushing faster and further than their peers, but prior to that, they need to stick to the syllabus appropriate to their age.

 

[kaysmommie]

Evie and Nichole,

Welcome to the dance mom thread. I love this thread because we all understand the hard work and dedication each of our dancers puts into it. Plus this is the only place, outside of the studio, where I can say my daughter is 7, almost 8, and dances 12 hours at the studio each week this next year and people dont think I'm some psycho dance mom.

Evie, it will be so much fun to watch her grow up dancing if she chooses to stick with it. I love the little ones at our studio and they always steal the show!

Nichole, your daughter is beautiful. I love those pictures, thanks for sharing them with us. Our studio's ensemble, called Company, starts about 5 years old. They have the little pre-company girls who range in age from 4-6 who are just starting to dance or have been for a couple years and show great potential. They do compete twice a year but are not required to do the competitions. Then we have mini company usually 7-9, junior company 9-12, teen company age 12-14 and senior company ages 13-18 who are the most advanced dancers.

Those ages are just a guideline as my daughter who is 7 is in junior company along with her other friend who is 7 and we have a 10 year old in senior company and a 9 year old in teen company. There might be a few others who are above their age limits too but they havent placed all of them for the next season. Company workshop and auditions are the first 2 weeks of August.

Most studios I know of in Phoenix have placements about like this. If you have dancers that are are rockstars then they are moved up a level regardless of their age. The director bases it on who looks good dancing with who. Also, most of the ones I looked at start hip hop at age 5.

I know how you feel about the placement levels. Our last studio kept it strictly ages. My daughter and 2 others had been dancing since they were 2. Now I understand you cant become a superstar from 2 to age 6 but there was a HUGE difference in the girls who just started dancing and the girls who had been dancing for 4 years. They kept starting over with technique and I felt that dd was not learning anything and getting bored too. They would not move the better girls so there was about 3 diffferent ability levels in one class.

I'm so glad I made the move to where we are now. The studio and the training is exceptional. She only competed once last year but it was because the studio was new. This year its a full schedule from Nov on through July. I'm really excited because she is so happy here and is learning so much.

Not that any of this helps you with studios in Knoxville!

Thanks for posting. Your DD schools sounds great! I wish they had more different classes available for at my DD's school. I agree you can see a huge difference in the girls that just started compared to the girls who have been dancing 4-5 years.

Not a mom here, but a ballet teacher. I felt that I had to jump in here.

In east Tennessee, there are alot of schools associated with SERBA, a division of Regional Dance America. You can look them up via the RDA website. They are the schools that I would recommend if ballet is her favorite. If one of them isn't near you, you could call the closest and ask who they would recommend. Trust me, they will know. They will also know where NOT to go to.

There are many things that lead to a child's placement in a dance class. Age absolutly must play a role, even if a child is gifted with the physicality of dance, it is still important for them to go slowly in a class that is age appropriate. Little harm can be done by holding a child to an age appropriate level, much harm will be done by pushing them too soon.

Around the age of 13, students may begin pushing faster and further than their peers, but prior to that, they need to stick to the syllabus appropriate to their age.

Thanks so much that information . I'm certainly going to look into a school assocaited with SERBA. My DD's is best at Ballet but of course she loves Jazz because it's so fun. She just absolutely loves dance. She has been in cheer and gymnastics and it's just not the same for her. Thanks for posting about the levels too. I just get annoyed when they put some beginners in the advanced classes (happens in Tap alot) with girls who have been there 4-5 years. Seems to hold the advanced girls back from learning anything new and they get bored. Still I know that I shouldn't push her far ahead though but and advanced age appropriate class would be great.

Luvflorida
Great pics of your DD!!! The board you made her is really nice too. Sorry she is not dancing anymore but I'm sure she will do great with music as well. Seems like a very talented young lady.