The Dance Mom Thread

[cabanafrau]

DD13 is currently taking her tests for pointe & I'm holding my breath. It's her top goal in dance, but as her mom it's been one of my biggest fears because of the toll it takes on the body. Fortunately DD watched a documentary w/ me a few years ago about a prima ballerina from the Royal Winnipeg & saw what her feet looked like . DD agreed she didn't want that for her future & recognizes if her feet/body/dance ability don't come together ideally for her to go en pointe, no thanks.

Reading the comments about types of dance studios & moving your dancer if the studio isn't focused in the same direction as the dancer, have any of you ever gone to competitions & known what studio a group is from just by the body types of the dancers on stage? We have one in our region that seems to only accept dancers severely in the anorexic redzone & I've noticed a lot of concern in the audience watching. Granted, DD is quite slender & she has 2 friends at dance who eat at least double what she does pretty much every meal, yet they struggle to build any muscle tone because they are just built w/ literally no meat on their bones. I just can't imagine the confluence of forces necessary for a single studio to have 3 to 4 dozen girls of this body type.

 

[UMTerp]

DD9 got a Gold award at Headliners for her first duet competition!!!!
She and her partner also got a judges award for "Terrific Teamwork"!

She was so excited!

UMTerp

 

[missypie]

DD15's school drill team just finished the two competitions they do every year. They could not have done better. They beat most of the varsity teams. What was kind of sticky is that on Saturday at Crowdpleasers, they only gave 6 Technique awards....our JV team got one of the Technique awards but our varsity didn't....ouch!

 

[juligrl]

Reading the comments about types of dance studios & moving your dancer if the studio isn't focused in the same direction as the dancer, have any of you ever gone to competitions & known what studio a group is from just by the body types of the dancers on stage? We have one in our region that seems to only accept dancers severely in the anorexic redzone & I've noticed a lot of concern in the audience watching. Granted, DD is quite slender & she has 2 friends at dance who eat at least double what she does pretty much every meal, yet they struggle to build any muscle tone because they are just built w/ literally no meat on their bones. I just can't imagine the confluence of forces necessary for a single studio to have 3 to 4 dozen girls of this body type.

Grant it my DD is only 5ish and is in dance purely recreationally at this point, I'll be honest - one of the reasons I chose her dance studio was because the owner and most instructors had real sized bodies, obese but not size 0 either. That's also reflected in the "elite" competition group. Girls can find enough places that will tell them they should hate their bodies, they definately don't need it coming from an activity they love.

 

[missypie]

Grant it my DD is only 5ish and is in dance purely recreationally at this point, I'll be honest - one of the reasons I chose her dance studio was because the owner and most instructors had real sized bodies, obese but not size 0 either. That's also reflected in the "elite" competition group. Girls can find enough places that will tell them they should hate their bodies, they definately don't need it coming from an activity they love.

I agree. I like to see the heavier girls who are great dancers, the high school girls with large chests competing at a high level, etc.

I had a very eye opening experience when I attend a college gymnastics meet. I was so used to seeing 15 year olds who are 4'10" and 80 lbs. at the Olympics. The college girls are normal sized...some very curvy, some even heavy...but all fabulous gymnasts. Bars looks like a totally different event with these big, powerful girls competing.

 

[undercovermom]

There is a girl on my older dd's cheerleading team who is probably 40-50 pounds overweight, but that girl is amazing...a great cheerleader and a very outgoing young lady.

Last year we had a girl on the dance team who was also considerably overwieght, but was one of the best dancers on the team.

I hate the idea that you have to be borderline anorexic to be a cheerleader or a dancer. It's not what I want for my daughters.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

I totally agree. Because of DD's strong interest in dance, I watch her pretty closely. She eats mostly healthy, has a very positive body image. I don't want her to lose that.

 

[luvdisney00]

Hi all! I just saw this thread and i guess i belong here too. I have 3 daughters 5, 10 & 12 and they all dance.

DD12, does ballet, tap, jazz, modern, lyrical and pointe. She competes in regionals and nationals 4-5 competions a year plus workshops. She puts in about 12 hrs a week. She is competing with her first solo 3/7 and is very excited about it. It's a lyrical number.

DD10 does ballet, tap, jazz, modern, acro, musical theater and hip hop. She competes as well at about 4 competitions a year Reg. & Nat. She puts in about 10 hrs a week.

DD5 takes 2 rec classes (no competition yet) a combo ballet and tap, and pre-school acro. She loves it just like her sisters.

Our mantra is definetely, "We can't someone has dance class!"

 

[luvdisney00]

So where do all the dance mom's purchase their leotards for dance class?
__________________
If anyone is a member of Sunshine Rewards, All About Dance, give 5% back. We dance Mom's have to save where we can because it is an EXPENSIVE activity!

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I totally agree. Because of DD's strong interest in dance, I watch her pretty closely. She eats mostly healthy, has a very positive body image. I don't want her to lose that.

A few side notes hear. DD15 was at a "ballet studio" and Pointe was not offered until students were around 12-13. They had to have enough muscle tone and strong enough ankles for the teacher to allow them to begin. Needless to say once DD started she picked up the technique quite quickly and has progressed at a strong rate. On the down-side, this is also the teacher who wanted her to lose weight (5' - 105lbs.). We pulled DD out of that studio and she went to a "just for fun" dance studio for 3 years. Now she dances on Dance Team in HS and with the school band. She will take lessons privately in college and will minor with dance. She is currently 5'2" and 125lbs. Her body tone is perfect to me but she keeps in shape with soccer and track also. She doesn't want to be the perfect size 0 prima dancer and realizes that health is more important than any performance or competition... Makes a Mom smile to see she has adjusted so well

 

[palmtreegirl]

My kids take dance just for fun.

 

[Sleepy]

My kids take dance just for fun.

There are many days when I wish my son did.

 

[AZMickeyfans]

DD9 got a Gold award at Headliners for her first duet competition!!!!
She and her partner also got a judges award for "Terrific Teamwork"!

She was so excited!

UMTerp

Congrats to her that is wonderful!!

 

[STLDisney_Freak]

Well DD Autumn had class last night. They have picked out recital outfits. Her studio decided on a pink outfit with rhinestones. It very pretty with a feather boa. I'm going to get a rhinestone choker that was picture in the photo as well as some rhinestone hair accessories. I am wanting to do some light make up on her (remind you she is only 5) for just the experience of it. She is a definite dance girl. Does anyone have suggestions where I could get some decent, but not so expensive dance makeup?

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

I just use basic make-up from Wal-Mart. Especially at the young ages, they really don't need a whole lot, and you don't want them to look "tarted up". Depending on your girls' coloring, I would go with the shade you get for yourself, only lighter (less tone? I'm blanking on how to describe it). For DD4, I just use blush and lipstick. And hair glitter, but our studio is pretty mellow about that. Some places like the girls to all have identical everything. DD12 wears eye liner/shadow, foundation, the works.

Since I'm a backstage hair/make-up mom, what I do is, pick up a bunch of cheap-o lipsticks at Wal-Mart. Samples are even better/cheaper. Then I just let the girl keep it. And I'm the most popular mom there because I'm liberal with the hair glitter!

 

[CraftyMouse]

Ooops...double post. See below!

 

[CraftyMouse]

I'm going to get a rhinestone choker that was picture in the photo as well as some rhinestone hair accessories. I am wanting to do some light make up on her (remind you she is only 5) for just the experience of it. She is a definite dance girl. Does anyone have suggestions where I could get some decent, but not so expensive dance makeup?

I would definitely ask the teacher or studio director about the choker and hair accessories before you purchase them. Sometimes they want all of the girls to have the same accessories and I'd hate to have you purchase them and then not be able to use them.

As for make-up, we just use regular items that you can get at any drug store/dept. store. You could probably use whatever you have in your own make-up bag. One suggestion...if you are going to use lipstick I'd suggest purchasing something like Covergirl Outlast. It is lipstick that does not come off or smudge so it won't get all over her costume. You'll need make-up remover to take it off, but it's worth it. I've seen too many little girls with lipstick smudges on their costumes to count!

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Well DD Autumn had class last night. They have picked out recital outfits. Her studio decided on a pink outfit with rhinestones. It very pretty with a feather boa. I'm going to get a rhinestone choker that was picture in the photo as well as some rhinestone hair accessories. I am wanting to do some light make up on her (remind you she is only 5) for just the experience of it. She is a definite dance girl. Does anyone have suggestions where I could get some decent, but not so expensive dance makeup?

On my daughter I use my Bare Minerals makeup because it looks natural but I can apply the blush and shadows heavy if need be for stage. I also dont have to worry about her having a reaction to it. Then we use Volum' Express waterproof mascara from Maybelline and the absolutel best lipstick that stays on I have found is Cover Girl Outlast All Day lipcolor. I would think it would be very drying on the lips for daily wear but it works for performances. We only have to touch up the gloss on top!

 

[UMTerp]

I have a question that maybe you "vetern" dance moms could answer. When preparing DD and her partner for their duet, one of the older girls "glued" rhinestones to the outside corner of their eyes. Any idea what this "glue" is? And where do you buy the rhinestones? This is the first time I've seen these and I want to be prepared in case they want our girls to wear them at the next competition.

TIA!

UMTerp

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Yeah, I go with the cheap stuff mostly because I "share"--I would really not have a bunch of girls using the same lipstick, so I buy cheap and let them keep it. Actually, DD12 has her own stuff, and I bought some special for her BFF as well. Maybe I'll get them the Outlast stuff for the next recital, since DD has so many numbers and outfit changes and so forth. For DD4, I'll stay cheap for a few more years.

As far as the rhinestones go, I know they sell them at Discount Dance. They probaby come with some kind of bottle of glue.