Ballet Help Desk

Ok, remember how we talked about your tribe or your pack? I’m stealing a bit from soccer goddess Abby Wambach. In her book, Wolfpack, she emphasized eight ideas. One struck me as particularly applicable to ballet parents.

Old Rule: You were on your own.
New Rule: You’re not alone. You’ve got your pack.

Trust me. As you navigate your way along this ballet path, it is  important to connect with other parents and build a community of support for yourself.

Connecting with other parents in the dance community can be helpful, especially as your child becomes more serious about dance. You’ll likely see the same parents at competitions, performances, and events, and building relationships with them can provide valuable support and resources.

Networking can also help you stay informed about opportunities for your child, such as summer intensives, workshops, and auditions. Other parents may have insights or connections that can help your child further their dance education and career.

In fact, Sam would never have ended up at the Houston Ballet had it not been for Brett’s pack. I told her about an audition that was happening the next day down in Houston. Brett threw her son on a plane and hightailed it there. After the audition, she called two parents of former dancers at Houston to get their advice and opinions on whether or not he should pursue the opportunity. Without her pack, it’s pretty unlikely Sam would have ever made it into the second company there! Remember, you are NOT in this alone. 

In addition, building relationships with other parents can provide emotional support and camaraderie, as you navigate the ups and downs of your child’s dance journey together. For example, this past Saturday night, Brett and I both went to see Romeo and Juliet at the San Francisco Ballet. Brett came with another ballet parent friend and we then ran into several other ballet parents. The cool part? Almost all of them had kids who had finished at San Francisco Ballet School and were off in trainee or second company programs. And, one is in a well-known university dance program and looking at company options.

We’ve all known each other for years and we don’t see some of these parents too often. But, when we do see each other, we pick up as if we had seen each other yesterday. And, everyone is excited to hear where the kids have all ended up. What worked with these parents? They all supported each other and the kids. When one succeeded, we all cheered. And, when one hit bumps, we were there to help them pick up the pieces.

Also, be willing to give as much as you get.

Sometimes I hear that parents don’t want to share information because it might mean that your dancer may lose their edge. This rarely happens. If your dancer is talented, they will still be talented even if others know about a particular master class, audition or other sort of opportunity.

So, don’t be afraid to reach out and connect with other parents in the dance community. You never know what opportunities and friendships may arise!