The end of the ballet year is looming and we know your dancer has all the feels right now. And, clearly you’re seeing it as well because we recently got several questions about how to support your dancers through the home stretch.
Are you noticing that your dancer is seeming a bit unmotivated to go to class? Most schools are ramping up for their spring recital, showcase or festival. Extra rehearsals can leave them tired, which can lead some to be less than enthusiastic about going to class.
By the end of the ballet season, kids are wiped out. They’ve survived nine months of intense classes, a few shows, evaluations and the news on whether or not they’re being moved up. That’s a lot to digest in less than a year! Understandably, they’re tired, and probably a little cranky!
And, for some, they’re weeks away from heading off for a summer intensive.
First, you know your kid best. For some of you, the end of the year might mean give your kid some space and let them just be. In our family, that was definitely the case. Some kids are just done and don’t want to talk. Everyone reacts differently to being tired.
For others, it may be ok to talk to them about setting small realistic goals on what they might consider focusing on for the final few weeks. Maybe it’s as simple as just getting through class. For others, maybe it’s a particularly difficult step or a focus on a basic technique like port de bras or passé placement. Also, these goals need to come from the dancer, not you. The main thing is to keep them attainable.
Perhaps this is the time your dancer wants to develop a new habit? One thing Abbey has found helpful is to keep a correction journal. She writes down all the corrections that were given, corrections given specifically to her as well as general corrections given to the whole class. As an aside, keeping track of corrections can be really helpful to see patterns in where a dancer might need to improve.
When your dancer is attending their summer program they will have fresh eyes on them. Maybe that correction they got during the year will connect differently and they will have an aha moment. Writing it down can be helpful to remember it when they return to their year-round program. Sometimes we hear people talking about goal-setting around things like “try harder” or “do your best.” Those kinds of goals are pretty hard to define and even harder to accomplish given how abstract they are.
Ok, let’s get back to other things that may be affecting your dancer at the end of the year. As we mentioned in one of our videos about friendships in the studio, kids can get stressed and that can manifest in a variety of ways. So, tensions in the studio can be flying high and it can mess with social dynamics.
Just remind your kids that this is all transient and it too shall pass.
The most important thing to remember at the end of the year is that most dancers are sorely lacking in sleep. And, they probably haven’t been eating very well. Between class and rehearsals, they’ve probably eaten whatever they can get their hands on. I know it was not uncommon to hear about vending machine dinners! So, this might be a good time to reset on nutrition!
Also, between the time when ballet classes end and they head off to summer intensives, it’s important that your dancer can effectively clear their head. Don’t be surprised if they sleep until noon for a few days! They want to arrive at their summer intensive ready to hit it hard. So, as the ballet year comes to a close, remember how important it is for them to have some down time.
This down time is also a good time for your dancer to do some goal setting for summer. Everyone handles things differently. Some kids keep a journal with all of their goals. Others simply think it through. Regardless of how they do it, it’s worth it to give it some thought. Goals might be as simple as making a new friend to something as lofty as gaining admission to the year-round program. Everyone goes to summer programs for different reasons and if your dancer can think through why they’re going and what they want to get out of it, it will help them be better prepared emotionally when they arrive.
Finally, once they have some time away from their home studio, it may also free up some headspace for them to start thinking about the goals they want to set for the following school year. Again, kids all do this in different ways and there is no right answer for how to set goals. Most serious dancers are thinking about what they want to accomplish and this is a great time for them to start goal-setting.
We also want to remind you that the end of the year should be fun! Sometimes we forget that. Sure, there may be things about the year that were frustrating or felt unfair. But, the final show is a reward for the work your dancer put in all year and it’s important to help your dancer focus on that rather than the small or even large frustrations they may have experienced. Performing in those spring shows is a great way to end the year on a high note!
We hope you find some of this advice helpful and give you a few tips to help your dancer finish strong and healthy! Until next time, have a great week.