Is the competitive dance world really that vicious?

[Anonymous]

DD has been at her dance studio since she was 3. She turns 6 soon and her teacher wants her to join the competition team.

We aren’t strangers to travel sports. DS has played travel soccer for years and loved it but I’ve heard dance is a whole other world.

[Anonymous]

Judging from this recent thread
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1203218.page
it's definitely not for families who see dance as a hobby or filler activity for their kid to get more socialization.

[Anonymous]

It’s highly dependent on the studio and its culture at the top. Some studios have no tolerance for ‘viciousness’ and some encourage it. Regardless of studio, I don’t draw any parallels to travel sports and competition dance. Whoever told you it is an entirely different ballgame is correct.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the culture of the studio and the talent.

Are the kids competing for fun/hobby? The type of place everyone competes and gets featured?

Or are these kids winning titles and trophies? Is there pressure for more rehearsals and lessons? Dance above all else? Only you'll be able to answer.

Also know your kid- do they have what it takes for that environment? Do they have their thing yet? Are they a turner, flexible, good at tricks, stage presence?

Do they get featured in group dances during regular classes? Or will they be in the background? Can your kid handle criticism from their teachers but also judges?

Are they are sore sport?

If the teacher is asking that's good sign. Can your family handle the commitment? Often joining studio teams means commiting to X number of classes a week on top of competition rehearsal. Going to dance intensives and private lessons on top of all the above. How often to they compete? How far are the competitions? They have bonding activities between all this too. How late are you committed to staying at the studio during the week?

You still have time to get out at 6 if it's not going to work but if your kid enjoys it by 8-10 You're in it for the entirety of their schooling. And it leaves little room for any other extra curricular.

Unlike organized team sports or other after school programs universities don't hold dance competition to the same caliber.

But maybe your kid likes performing? Or goes into cheer, or college dance. But it's very different than training at a technical ballet school or something similar.

At 6- I'd stick to recreational classes unless my kid had a natural talent and skillset

[Anonymous]

Go yo a performance based school. No good comes of dance competitions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go yo a performance based school. No good comes of dance competitions.

Signed, a lady who has never competed or had kids compete.

Dancing competitively is an amazing sport, I was heavily involved, my best friends were all competitive dancers and I know no one who regrets it. It’s a lifestyle though that not all families have a desire or the energy for. I don’t see the harm in trying it for a year. Your daughter is obviously talented if she’s getting asked to be on it.

[Anonymous]

NP. My kids are all late teens/adults and out of all the many sports my kids did (now playing college), I thought competitive dance was one of the most inclusive and supportive. The other thing that isn’t talked about much is that it was also far and away the most diverse: dance brings everyone in. I am sure there is some stage mom drama but it was nothing compared to what I heard on the sidelines at soccer tournaments. I was actually a bit sad when my DC wanted to quit to focus on another sport.

The most vicious and nasty “sport” my kids participated in was competitive chess, FWIW. That has the distinction of being the only activity I pulled my kids out of because of off-the-hook nasty behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. My kids are all late teens/adults and out of all the many sports my kids did (now playing college), I thought competitive dance was one of the most inclusive and supportive. The other thing that isn’t talked about much is that it was also far and away the most diverse: dance brings everyone in. I am sure there is some stage mom drama but it was nothing compared to what I heard on the sidelines at soccer tournaments. I was actually a bit sad when my DC wanted to quit to focus on another sport.

The most vicious and nasty “sport” my kids participated in was competitive chess, FWIW. That has the distinction of being the only activity I pulled my kids out of because of off-the-hook nasty behavior.

Please spill the tea because I heard something very similar from a friend whose DS is very smart and loved chess until tournaments ruined it for him. In their case it seems there was lots of trash talk before, during, and after games, and several of the Chinese parents saying racist stuff in Chinese when they thought all the non-Chinese parents wouldn't understand. This was in California.