critiquing each other and building each other up.” Competitive dancing will also help your child develop social skills by interacting with other children. This camaraderie will in turn give your child a confidence boost as they develop a support system that will extend beyond the studio. Plus, your child will be prepared to take on life’s challenges. “It’s lots of team building and creating relationships with each other,” Simeon says. “They get to hang out with each other, win together, lose together, and also learn about how to take criticism. There are lots of life skills that go into the competitive side of dancing just because they are dancing more often than those who come to class once a week.” The cons, however, should be considered as well. Dance competitions are a big financial and time commitment. So, if you have the funds for your child to enroll in a competitive dance team, keep in mind that your child will be spending more time away from home and in the studio or at a competition, which can take place over the course of multiple days and require them to miss classes. Debunking Stereotypes & Myths The biggest stereotype of parenting a child who dances competitively is that you are a “dance mom,” which refers to the TV show, Dance Moms , in which
moms are notoriously too demanding of their daughters, who participate in dance competitions across the world. However, this doesn’t make the reality TV show, well, a reality. “It is not this Abby Lee situation,” Amy laughs. “I have only encountered one group of crazy ‘dance moms’ in the last two years, and nobody liked it. We did our changes and got out as fast as we could. Otherwise, I’ve made a lot of friends with these moms. We are there to support our girls, even if we are on different teams.” “Because of Dance Moms , that’s what most people think of when they think of dance competitions. There is some truth to it, and some scripted parts as well, but as far as the overall cattiness, for us those attitudes don’t normally happen,” Simeon notes. “Moms can take it to heart if their child doesn’t do well, and the stress of the whole weekend can bring out that cattiness, but I don’t personally do that to my students. I don’t even give them critiques until we get back to a studio space. If a parent is concerned about that kind of atmosphere, my advice is to interview the studio before you enroll your child.” Mental Effects & How They Combat These Issues
Being a dancer requires a lot of work on your self- esteem; you have to build yourself up and accept critiques of your craft. These critiques will ultimately make your child a better dancer and learn that nobody is perfect, but it can be detrimental to a young person’s mental health if you are not careful. “Kids get up there and get personally critiqued by three to four people they don’t know,” Simeon says. “Nowadays with social media, the stress can be a lot for some dancers because they compare themselves to others.” Simeon has witnessed a few dancers battle depression-related illnesses and emphasizes the importance of open communication and sitting down with the student to figure out what is best for them. “Sometimes it’s not the dance aspect that’s stressing them out,” she says. “Most students find dance as a release, but they need some kind of help. Parents or teachers can push them to learn all these dances, but we need to step back and figure out what’s best for that student.” It’s important to understand that winning isn’t everything because dancers grow in technique, strength, and confidence whether they win or lose. If your child is ready for the commitment, dance competitions can be a rewarding experience, even if you don’t bring home a trophy.
NOLAFAMILY.COM | AUGUST 2023 19
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