A Dance Captain’s Handbook

For some final advice on how to conquer your year! Here are some 9 worthy tips to reinforce.  Set goals as a team Always keep your energy level high Be alert and adaptable  Manage time wisely  Be organized Remember why you were chosen for this position Lead by example Do not disconnect yourself from your teammates You're all on the team to DANCE! Always remember to take in all the little moments with your teammates. The good and the bad ones make your experience as captain, to what you want it to be! There will be rough days, but it is importantly to always keep in mind why you are the captain and in lead. You are the leader, and this is your team. However, there will be amazing days. And those are the ones to always remember. Being a captain is an amazing opportunity, and should be enjoyed to the fullest.  Do not forget to ever reach out to this blog on your good and bad days. And always remember to DANCE LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING !

Dwelling on my experience as captain, we always made time no matter how busy our schedule was for some technique classes. We called these days, "Technique Thursdays". On Thursday's, we would set time as side to go over our technique and aspects of ballet. It is important to remember that, the basis of dance starts from ballet and technique. Ballet is not every one's strong suit, in fact it was not mine. But going over the fundamentals every once in a while, creates a strong disciplined dancer.  As a little girl, I started my journey into the dance world as a "ballerina". Everything a little girl wishes for when she's younger. As I grew older, I started to distance my self from ballet, but no matter how many times I tried to ignore it, it always came back to me.  ---Ballet is the basic fundamental of dance!--- However, ballet is not just about technique, but about building skills ... The first thing that comes from ballet, is learning t...

Remembering some major KEY components when you are captain can be tough especially on your rough days. But, always keeping these components in the back of your mind can get you through successful leadership.  These 5 simple components are the easiest to remember! The first component is:  ALWAYS staying positive ! As a captain, is important to remember that energy radiates. When I was captain, if I had a bad day, I tried my hardest not to show my teammates because I did not want them to radiate this energy. Trying to motivate everyone to think positively, creates a goal as the basis of the team. The second component is:  Creating a relationship with your coach . Being a captain is basically being a "middle man". How do you ask? Well,  as a captain you are the person that connects the coach and the teammates together. Creating a relationship with your coach is key because you should be able to talk to them about your concerns and the teams concern...

"A quality captain strives to improve themselves and their team"   shorturl.at/cgrvz You are more than a leader when you are a captain. You obtain all these qualities that you yourself are not even aware of. From my experience of being a captain, I did not know I had all these qualities, until I sat down and reflected on my role. I would like to share with you all these qualities.  The 8 qualities a captain is: Friend Teacher Optimist Realist Encourager Trainer Player Worker Being a friend means, "You are approachable and available. Team members aren't afraid to come to you with questions". It also means that they can trust you with anything other than dance. Still till this day, I have former team members who call me and tell me things they know I'll keep my word on. This proves to show that as a captain, I was their friend. And they knew they had a friend in me As a teacher , "Your teammates value ...

There are many steps that lead up to getting this position of leadership. Auditioning to become a Captain can take one day, but it takes days and even years to prove you are meant to be. Proving to your teammates and current dance captain's that you are worthy of becoming next, takes place on and off the dance floor. Being a captain consist of CONTROLLING your team, making CHOICES whether it be big or small, and working hard for SUCCESS . The main goal when making a good impression begins with attending every practice, being on time, giving your all, and most importantly showing that you enjoy being on the team. When I became dance captain for my team, I auditioned my sophomore year to become an "Officer" for the team my junior year. Being an officer for my team, meant that I was one of the girls in charge but I was not the head person in charge. With that being said, everyone knew I was next in place too be named captain. With me knowing that, I still did not ...

Between balancing extraneous dance hours, performance schedules, and practice. It's always nice to give yourself, your body, and your health a little break. I may sound crazy, "A BREAK?" you may say. Yes, a break!! Taking a break is essential when being a dancer, although a lot of people do not talk about this. Needing to take a break is okay. It prevents your body and your mental health from burning out! Tips on how to prevent burnout: RESTING! The most important key component Eating well. This does not mean to eat boring. You can still eat delicious meals with lots of nutrition. This is what fuels your body Going out and having fun. Have a social gathering with friends, family, and even fellow dance-mates Set realistic goals for your day Returning when you feel ready and rested MEDITATION "No pain no gain"-faze this out! Mental practice (rehearsing choreography in your head) There is more to life than being in the studio Getting the correct ...

Being aware of how your body reacts to excessive an amount of training is an issue that everyone should be aware of, especially dancers. The common term known for this is "burnout". Burnout is defined as, "a state of consistent or unexplained tiredness, poor performance in a spite of normal training, negative mood state and increased incident of illness or injury"  A dancer who is dedicated and wants to achieve their highest level of proficiency, may experience burning out. This is often seen in dancers where training, rehearsing, and performing may not give them enough time to recover and rest. Some common causes that cause burnout are busy class and rehearsal schedules, fatigue, injury, poor nutrition, emotional/physical stress, and an inadequate amount of rest and recovery. As dancers we tend to ignore the "warning signs" or burning out. Although, there are no tests that can you the exact results, identifying them are simple: Constant feeling...

Going back to the issue on youth competitive dancers practicing for 30 hours a week and constantly training. I found an article from the New York Times, "Inside the High-Drama World of Youth Competition Dance", that covers this same issue. Being that there are other articles on this topic shows the wide range of problem this issue causes. It is happening in various locations. In this article, the author Lizzie Feidelson, focuses on a dancer named Angelina Velardi, who is a 12-year-old competitive dancer for the Prestige Academy of Dance. This article shows focus on the high intensity of stress and anxiety these youth dancers experience. The author mentions, Angelina practicing to herself in the corner before going on to perform by herself because of all the anxiety with practicing with other girls she is constantly around. This focuses on how practicing for extraneous hours consecutively with the same people, proves that after a while you get anxiety being around them. ...