COMPETITION SEASON BRINGS ALL THE EMOTIONS: excitement, anxiety, exhaustion, disappointment, joy, sadness, fear and everything in between. As an ambassador for the growth of your dancers you take on the feelings of your dancers while navigating your leadership position and often suppressing your own emotions throughout. This is not easy to balance. You likely won’t have a lot of free time in the coming months to prioritize recovery, so thinking ahead and preparing recovery strategies is more important than ever. Get yourself organized now, identify what helps you manage.
GET OUTSIDE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
Fresh air helps! but so does the natural light! theatres are like a black hole of darkness and when you spend so many hours in dark loud environments natural lighting and moments of quiet are the best replenisher.
MAKE YOURSELF AN ESSENTIALS TOTE
Make yourself a teacher tote and keep it in your car all season. Store things that will make your life less stressful.
Kit Ideas: Essential oils, Headache killers, Snacks, First Aid, Book, Journal and Pens, Small tarp and blanket so you can sit outside on the grass during breaks, Teacher essentials like hair spray, bobby pins and backup music.
SET BOUNDARIES FOR PARENTS
How and when can they contact you on your cell phone or social media?
RESERVE TIME FOR MOVEMENT
Try and find time to move....can’t swing it? even just a 20 minute stretch will go along way to feeling better.
BE OK HAVING YOUR OWN FEELS
Teachers spend so much of their time addressing the disappointment of their dancers that they supress their own feelings. You get to feel too. Share your feelings with someone outside of the dance industry, they are a refreshing friend to lean on during the season.
CULTIVATE COMMUNITY
Be nice to other teachers and studios. Everyone is in the same boat doing the same grind. It is so much more pleasant for everyone involved when teachers are friendly and positive and create community. Events should be fun, but highly-competitive-win-at-all-cost attitudes are major vibe killers for everyone. When the community is built on positivity and support you’ll have fun too and that does a lot for mental health.
GET ORGANIZED EARLY
Pack, plan, organize and download schedules earlier this year. You’ll be thankful you’re not in a last minute rush.
RESEARCH WHERE TO EAT
If meals aren’t provided for you, research where to eat before the event so that you can fuel yourself with quality nutrition instead of fast food.
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