It seems like a silly question when you ask "How do I attend a dance competition?" Well, it's not. There is a lot that goes into attending your first dance competition and the more you prepare for it properly the easier it will be for you, and definitely much more rewarding.
First things first.
Be sure you have prepared your students for the competition. They should know their routines and they should have rehearsed them over and over so that it is second nature to them. There is nothing worse than the judges looking at dancers onstage who appear to be unsure of what they are doing, where they should be onstage, and petrified of the audience.
Explain to them exactly what to expect. They should be made aware that they will not be the only "prima donnas"at the venue and will have to share dressing rooms with other students from different studios. Be sure they know that they should be on their best behavior, before, during and after the competition. Remember, they represent not only themselves, but your studio and you. You want the other teachers who are there to look at you at your next competition with respect and you are counting on your students to help make that happen.
One of the most important things you can teach them (and hopefully you have instilled this into them long before they arrived today), is how to treat their fellow performers. They should not only be respectful and nice to them but they should also appreciate what and how they act and perform. Everybody wants to be a winner but it isn't always possible. (The New York Yankees are a great team but they do not win EVERY game.) Some days we don't dance as well as we should or as well as we did last week in the studio or at another competition. Or worse, someone danced better than we did. This is not the greatest feeling in the world to know that today you were not Miss or Mr. Wonderful, but it does give you a good viewpoint of what you have to do next time to dance even better. Appreciate the other dancers. Applaud for them if they do a good job and NEVER show anger, jealousy or any kind of negative emotion. Remember, you will probably meet them again at another event and it would be nicer to make a new friend than a new enemy. A competitor is just that; another dancer who is trying to win just as eagerly as you are. Enjoy their effort and give them the accolades and support that you would like to receive from them.
Be sure they have everything they will need, not just their costumes and their shoes. There is a lot more such as makeup, hairspray, hairpins, combs and brushes, personal items and anything that could possibly help them in their rush to get ready. It is a miserable feeling to get ready to perform and then realize that you have left something behind.
Be sure YOU have everything you need. Did you bring the music for all the routines they are going to perform? (And that includes a backup CD in case the original doesn't work for some reason). Do you have all the instructions from the competition company since each company has different rules? Do you have the list of the times when the students are supposed to perform?
Be on time. NO! BE EARLY! You never know when the competition is running ahead of schedule and you must allow for that possibility.
When you and your students arrive at the facility go directly to the registration table in order that the competition director knows you are there. Give in your music when they request it and find out where the dressing rooms are and go take a look at them with your students so they know exactly where they are supposed to dress and how to get to the stage from there. Prepare them for everything. When you are comfortable with everything be sure to convey that to your students. If they feel that you are happy with the way everything looks, they will be happy too. A happy confident dancer will perform at their best.
When everything you can do is done, wish them well and leave them in the dressing room. It is now that they will have to be mature enough (at any age) to do the rest themselves. They should be able to get dressed, put on their shoes and makeup and look like the stars that they are and are going to be. They should be able to get to the stage when they are called, and give the performance of their lives. They should be able to find their way back to the dressing room when they are finished, get dressed back into their other clothes and leave the dressing room in clean, neat condition so the next person to use it will have as much fun as your students did.
We all hope your students did well and finished in a great position or won a huge trophy.
But most all, remember the old adage: It's not whether you won or lost but how you played the game. It's not whether you won the trophy or the cash prize, but how your competitors will remember you for the person you are.
Art Stone
Column Sponsored by Art and Nancy Stone
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