Interview: A Dancer's Mental Health

This time of year can be the most exciting and full of promise, and then on the flip side it is full of anxiety and often disappointment for dancers looking to make that varsity routine.  Maybe you won’t make that team, or last year’s experience was one you’d rather forget.  There are things you can do to prepare mentally for the tough issues you may face at the start of winter season.  

Today we’re talking with Danya Espinosa, Mental Heath Practitioner specializing in childhood mental health.  She’s based out of Winona Minnesota (and a former high school classmate of mine).  You can learn more about her at www.danyaespinosa.com

Erin:  So Danya, the audition time of year for dancers can be full of anxiety and worry about performing at the highest level and impressing their coaches.  Any advice for girls and parents going through this process for the first time?  What can be done to mentally prepare and not get in your own way?

Danya:   As a student, be confident in your skills and ability to perform. If this is something you love, your enthusiasm will be portrayed in your dance. As a parent, it is important to confirm feelings of fear and anxiety for the child. Telling someone not to worry only makes that person feel as if they shouldn’t worry. When that person worries anyway, how much help is that comment to begin with? Those feelings are there. Address them.  In regard to preparing mentally, it is important to take care of your body. Obviously practice is important, but getting enough sleep, eating nutritionally balanced meals, and participating in activities that bring pleasure and relaxation are just as significant. When stress becomes overwhelming, it is time to take a break. 

Erin:  Every team with a division between JV and Varsity seems to have girls who are disappointed with what team they were placed on.  Anything parents can be doing at home to support their girls? 

Danya:   I think it’s important to remember why you are dancing in the first place. Yes, there is a lot of competition, but each person is important to the team. The best thing a parent can do is to listen to their child’s concerns. Telling a child it doesn’t matter what team she made disregards her feelings – because it matters to her. Telling her to try harder only tells her that she must not have tried hard enough the first time. Promising that she will make the team the next year doesn’t help either because we can’t make that promise. We have to ask ourselves, “What did other girls do to make the team I wanted to be on, and how do I learn those skills?” It may not guarantee a spot the next year, but at least her dancing skills have improved and she feels more successful. 

 Erin:  What about quitting teams and resulting bitterness over a bad audition?  Is there a benefit to sticking it out or when is it best to leave things behind?

Danya:   Quitting activities and starting new ones are a part of life; however, if there are mixed feelings about quitting that involved feelings of bitterness, these feelings need to be addressed. A bad audition doesn’t mean the chance of success is over. When it comes to sticking it out vs. leaving things behind, it is really up to the individual. Rash decisions shouldn’t be made in the heat of the moment and often it is important to see things through to the end. But most importantly, are YOU happy doing what you are doing? When the answer is no, it may be time to find something else that does make you happy. It is also important to note that if dancing was once a much enjoyed activity that isn’t enjoyed anymore for unexplainable reasons, it may be time to see a mental health professional to discuss potential depression. 

Erin:   Some teams/dancers had a rough season last year with various bumps in the road.  Any advice about moving on and making this year happy and healthy?  What if there are unresolved issues?  Should old events be brought back up?

Danya:   I think looking at the new year as a fresh start can start one out on the right foot. If there is a way to learn from past mistakes, then it may be beneficial to discuss old events, but if it is to muster negativity, it may not be worth time and energy. Know that you define your future by what you do right now.

Special thanks to Danya for giving us some perspective on the upcoming team tryout periods and starting fresh this year.  Good luck and keep a positive attitude, season starts next week!

New Parents 101: Sage Advice From Parents

When I coached at Cannon Falls I had the privilege to work with a family who had 4 daughters who all danced for the team at some point.  I couldn’t think of a better person to talk to for some advice for new parents than their mom, Beth Jensen.  

Erin:  Tell me (because I really can't keep it straight) how many girls danced for Cannon Falls? How many years/state medals/competitions do you think you've racked up after all that? 

Beth Jensen:  Well, that would be 4 girls. Starting in the 01-02 school year, up until last year. Anna danced 4 years, Beka 4 years, Sarah 6 years and Maria 3 years. State medals: 1 -3rd place (Jazz), 4 -2nd place (kick) and 7 first place (kick). We sat on bleachers for 11 seasons. That probably makes over 80 competitions.  

Erin:  Holy Cow!  That’s an impressive set of stats.  Do you have any tricks for getting through a long day of invitational?  Things to make it smoother/easier/better?  

Beth: Meet days are long and start early.  It’s probably not a lot different from other sports in that you want to charge your cameras and pack your bags the night before! Encourage your dancer to keep her meet bag packed with the things she needs for every competitions, so there isn't much to do Friday night - of course it’s important for them to get to bed at a decent time. Allow plenty of time to get there - so you have time to find the right side of the gym to sit on and get settled before they close the doors. Also, bring ibuprofen!  We liked bringing our own food to keep meals healthier and cheaper.  The first fan shirt I bought was a sweatshirt - way too hot for those packed gyms!   

Erin: Any advice for making family time at home better during dance season?  (work/life balance issues)  

Beth: We struggled at first with their 5-8pm practice time as it was over dinner hour. But decided to just make our dinner hour after practice so we could all sit down together. Worked for us.  Dinner conversation? Yeah, you guessed it.  Christmas season is always a challenge because the weekends leading up to it are busy with meets. Shop early for gifts if you can. And if your team does sister gifts and/or cards, encourage your dancer to get them all ready in November, before the competitions begin. Saves you from the Friday night "Mom! I need a sister gift!" panic. 

 

Erin:  What kind of special challenges come up when you have sisters on the team?  

Beth: In our experience, it was always a plus. (well, unless you count expenses) They supported and encouraged each other. The older ones taught the younger ones difficult moves, and how to keep organized, did their hair and drove them to practice. They watched many hours of state tapes together, learning from the best teams. We even had a situation where older sisters were coaching a younger one - went just fine.

Erin: Anything else you think we should know about?   

Beth: Be involved, if you can, in the parents' association - or start one if your team doesn't have one.  It makes it more fun, helps the team and you can make new friends. There are lots of levels at which parents can participate - you don't have to do everything, just pick one or two (or three or four for those over-achievers). Dad's can participate too! Bob used to graph out formations and transitions with the girls and was on the parents' association board at one time.  Learn about the how the judging is done. Get one of the judging sheets that explains each of the categories, and ask a coach, experienced dancer or parent to explain it. Watching the meets is lots more fun if you understand what to watch for. 

Sarah Jensen:  Dancers - get a copy of your music on your iPod or a CD and keep it handy in the house, so you can practice whenever you have a few minutes, it’s a great break from studying!  One of the best things we happened to have at our house was a picture window across from the kitchen that they could use as a mirror at night. An inexpensive mirror can be a huge help for practicing good form and arm angles.  Most of all keep it fun - dance is meant to be a joyful, fun activity! Make the most of it!

Interview: Judges Association of Minnesota

The Judges Association of Minnesota (JAM) is beginning its 14^th year of officiating dance team for Minnesota high school teams and I got a chance to catch up with the ladies of the Core Group to see what’s new in their organization this year.  The combined experience and backgrounds in that room were quite impressive – it’s easy to see why we have such a strong base of officials for our sport that any other state would envy.  Be sure to check out JAM’s website – they have an excellent history section and information about using their scheduling team and who to contact.  They can be found at 

http://www.jamdanceteams.org/  

Let’s get into some highlights of our conversation: 

Erin:  Fill in the readers about what it really takes to be a JAM dance team official. 

●         JAM training is a required event for all officials regardless of experience.  There is always something new to learn or a skill set to sharpen up on.  We also have a required trial judging and mentorship program where new officials team up with experienced officials to do some test judging that doesn’t count in the meet, but allows conversation and questions about judging effectively to occur in a real world setting.  We require new officials to trial judge at least 3 times before their scores can be counted in a meet.

Erin:  Walk me through your training day – what are you doing all day? 

●         We start with a session on professionalism, image, and representation of JAM and the sport, then we move on to learning the kick counting/timer position and the tab room jobs.  Then we have live technique demonstrators come in and show both basic and advanced skills and combinations.  We spend the majority of the day focusing on the scoresheet criteria and watch video to practice using the scoresheet effectively and correctly.  All of our training is very interactive and focused on discussion.

Erin:  So ladies - what’s new with JAM for this next season?

●         Coaches should be seeing their CCC newsletter hitting inboxes each month.  The CCC (or Coaches Contact Committee) expands the ability of judges and coaches to get questions answered and keep the updates going about the happenings of JAM. 

●         Annual training for new members is coming up on November 3^rd or November 17^th.  Registrations for officials is ongoing until September 30^th – if you’re thinking about getting into the world of judging, there is still time. 

●         Fall (only) coaches are now able to join JAM as officials.  Now that the separate fall and winter seasons have been well established, they can be worked into the existing judging system with conflict of interests in mind. 

●         JAM currently has approximately 120 members and is growing for this year!

●         The scheduler position is now a two-person team.  One point person is contacting schools directly about scheduling dates and number of officials, and then there is an additional position handling the scheduling of the individual members into the meets.  Hopefully this new structure will make things more efficient and timely.  

Erin:  Any reminders for teams as we head into the choreography season?

●         Uniforms and/or questionable moves can always be brought to attention of the Superior Judge or a Rules Coordinator prior to the meet. Don’t hesitate to ask or have a move demo done.  Judges hate giving out a penalty as much as you hate getting them, so be sure to ask if you aren’t sure.  Keep in mind, however, that the judging panel for your meet that day will have to rule based on what is seen and executed on the performance floor.

●         Remember that the rules about uniforms and moves are coming from a safety perspective.  If it’s questionably safe, perhaps its best to leave it out.  Even uniform rules aren’t there to be restrictive, rather protective of those girls who may want or need that extra coverage to be comfortable on the performance floor.  

Erin:  Any advice for those on the fence about coming into the judging world?  What if you just aren’t as qualified as the current membership?  Just graduated?  Or has a limited interest or schedule?

●         By all means don’t be intimidated to join JAM if you think you have a passion for the sport, We can provide the training, mentoring, and career-long support you want. You are not left on your own to fend for yourself. 

●         There are also tons of options and jobs you can fill.  Some people only kick count/time, others love to tab, and some judge just one style, or even one weekend a month rather than a full schedule.  JAM can work with your needs and you only begin judging “for real” once you’re comfortable.  If you want to trial judge for a full year, you are able to do that. 

A special thanks to the JAM Core Group for taking time to share a little behind the scenes and some updates with us!  Parents and dancers – be sure to take some time to check out all the hard work judges put in to scoring meets for you – they are a dedicated bunch!  Coaches look for your CCC emails and don’t hesitate to keep that communication going.  We can all benefit from the services JAM provides to ensure a successful and safe competition season ahead.  Keep an eye out for more updates from JAM as we get into the competition season. 

The JAM Core Group is comprised of Stacy Abel, Amanda Ballensky, Lauren Barnes, Colleen Christensen, Sara Hordyk Portner, Becky King, Katie Ohlund and Emily Puza.

Interview: Satin Stitches Talks New Costume Trends

Today we're going behind the scenes at Satin Stitches, Minnesota's custom costume home.  Talk about sparkle overload - if you ever get a chance to stop in the Coon Rapids showroom, you'll be amazed by the sheer number of sample costume creations they've done in recent months.  Satin Stitches regularly has booths at popular competitions - be sure to stop by and check out the photo albums of years and years of custom dance team costumes they've done.  Truly amazing.  This time, I'm talking with the owner of Satin Stitches, Deb Nelson, about costume trends for this year and what we might be seeing hit the competition floor come November an on.  

Erin: So what kinds of things are popular this year?  Anything to pay special attention to?

Deb:  This year we're seeing lots of texture combinations.  Myst with velvet, zsa zsa, sequins, lace and mesh all being used together.  Many times the color family is similar, with texture being layered and used together.  We're also seeing lots of ruffles in collars and skirts, bright neons, tendril pieces, real sequins over zsa zsa sequins, and draped fabrics on jazz biketards and dresses.  

Erin: Tell me about using zsa zsa fabric - that is relatively new, but beautiful!  

Deb: Zsa zsa is a tiny flat sequin sewn on the fabric in a random squiggle pattern.  The trick is that you need to line or at the very least, bind, the fabric so that the underside doesn't snag and drop sequins all over the floor.  This ads to the time, cost, fabric, and weight.  Something to consider when using it in design.  

Erin:  Design.  That can be a tricky area for those of us with no mind for it.  What do you do if you don't have an idea when you're ready to order new costumes for the year?  

Deb:  We're visual people around here so bring in examples of what you like, don't like, and concepts you'd perhaps want to incorporate.  If we know what your general tastes are and a basic silhouette, we can get you started. 

Erin:  You have some great design software to see things prior to cutting and sewing.  Tell me about that.  

Deb:  Our new design software lets you see costumes in various colors, textures of fabrics, and even womens, mens, or child size bodies.  We can even place all the rhinestones on the drawing so you can see the completed look.  

Erin:  Lets talk about sizing.  I hate the guessing game of what size to order and how many extras (if any) you should get.  Any tips?

Deb:  Use our full range of sample sizes of the basic silhouette you ordered to try on and be sure.  We have extra lengths or extra short cuts for torso, sleeve, and inseam.  There isn't anyone we can't fit.  We also carry the only Medium/Large in-between size for better fit on each dancer.  For sizing that will fit year after year, consider using a V cut sleeve with a band around one finger-  this keeps the sleeve down and in place while moving or if the size isn't quite right.  For extra sizes, if you order some, think about what girls you have on JV that might be moving up at some point - what do they look like?  Any special sizes there?  Otherwise think about what your girls might look like next year and anticipate any height and weight changes.  

Erin:  Satin Stitches has some unique policies like your guaranteed delivery schedule.  What kind of time-frames are we looking at if we haven't ordered anything yet?  

Deb:  We're at the 13 week guaranteed delivery schedule this time of year.  That might seem like a long time to wait, but we are the only company to guarantee delivery at any time.  This leaves you knowing that even if you're not ready for the first meet with a costume, you will know exactly how long you need to have a plan B in place.  If you're thinking you may order, come in and get started on designs, even if it's just for one style that you know you have an idea for.  Waiting until you have everything ready with music and tryouts can make the process take longer than it needs to. 

Season starts in 6 weeks!  Its not too late to get some amazing designs put together, thanks to Satin Stitches for letting us behind the scenes.   

Spring Tryouts Season is Here!

Spring is here (hello 70s!) and we’re already ramping up the spring tryout season for dance teams across the state.  This can be a high anxiety time for dancers who want to make that step up to varsity, new girls who’ve never had the chance to join before, and for coaches who need to make those tough decisions when the season is still so far away.  I got a chance to catch up with a few of our area coaches about their tips and tricks for running tryouts smoothly and what they’re looking for in a spring audition cycle.  Joining me today is Lisa Roth from Aitkin, Molly Carlson from Mound-Westonka, and Bethany Morrisey from Rochester John Marshall. 

Erin: Teams across the state all have unique ways of picking their next team.  What do you prefer - bringing in outside judges or using only your coaches?  Do you have a formal scoresheet with points or some other system?  Do you do audition in groups, solo, or as a full group with no set times?

Lisa: No I do not bring in outside judges.  Just our coaching staff does the judging. We have a score sheet that you write the dancers number on.  On the score sheet it says Kicks:  we then can write how high their kicks are, how their kick technique is, ect.  We have a spot that says split, Right and left.  We write flat or how many inches they are off the ground.  We then have another spot that says other.  This is where we let the dancer show us any other skills she may have, like russians, pirouettes, leg lifts, 2nd turns, ect. We also have a spot to circle A   B   or C.   A meaning varsity, B is JV Black, and C is JV Red.  I do have the final say if coaches cannot agree where a dancer should be placed.   I use one gym and we divide up the kids by grade level.  I split up my returning varsity members and assign some of them to each group.  I then will go over proper kick technique and what I am looking for.  The groups then work on this as the judges come around and take notes on each dancer.  I think this really takes the pressure off of the dancers.

Bethany: I bring in outside judges. All coaches are present and taking notes during process, however outside judges create the breakdown of scores. We have used both a scoring system and a scoring/ feedback sheet. The feedback sheet is nice as we are able to then reproduce to hand out to those that do not make the squad. Gives them something to work towards if interested in the future. We audition in groups of three. They audition in ability level groups, so beginner, intermediate, and advanced. These groups are determined the first day of tryouts by the coaching staff.

Molly: We have really benefitted from bringing in one outside judge each year to help us with tryouts.  Our 3 coaches judge the tryouts, along with our guest judge.  We try to bring in someone who has had MSHSL coaching or judging experience, and it is so nice to have their input.  As much as we try as coaches to be unbiased, it's really hard!  We tell our returning dancers that they cannot wear any apparel that indicates that they have been a part of the team before.  We also do not tell our guest judge who is returning or what grade any of the girls are in.  This way, we can look at their scores without the bias of "she's a senior, so she should make it," or "she was on the team last year, so she should make it."  We love to consult our outside judge on these difficult matters.  We also like to be able to tell parents who may question decisions made at tryouts that we brought in an outside, unbiased judge.

Erin: Any tips for dancers on how they can be the most prepared or make sure they get noticed at tryouts?

Molly: We definitely encourage dancers at our pre-tryout meeting to take advantage of any "dance team prep" classes that are offered in the spring at several metro dance studios.  We also dedicate our first 2 days of tryout week to technique clinics in which the girls simply work on jazz/kick skills without any choreography.  The girls who really take advantage of these clinics, ask questions, seek out help when needed, etc. really benefit from this time.  We also tell them that even though they are not being "judged" during the clinic or choreography days of tryout week, we really like to see their work ethic during this time and how well they catch on/improve in a short amount of time.  We tell them that we have often taken girls on the team who may not have had a lot of previous experience, but definitely showed us a strong work ethic along with potential during tryouts week.

Lisa: They need to have excellent presentation with good technique.

Bethany: Be aware and knowledgeable of what you are trying out for. Attend all clinics and ask questions if needed -- coaches notice attendance and work ethic during the tryout week process. Stay positive and do your best.

Erin: Deciding to take those "bubble" girls between varsity and JV can be a tough choice.  Any tips for how you decide who goes up and why someone might stay on JV?  

Bethany: We take a full squad in spring based on who is ready and those we feel progressed well during the tryout week. We will then be able to work with them during the summer months. We open up tryouts again during first week of season to place our athletes as well as welcome any new/ transfer students. During this week squads are set for varsity, jv, and b squad. We used to do alternates but found that this worked against those athletes as they did not get the performance aspect of the sport. We decided to remove the concept of alternates and when an athlete was ready to move up they moved up and were immediately put on the floor. No in between. You either could do it or not.

Molly: A lot of this has to do with the girls' age for us.  We have found that it doesn't seem to work well to place seniors on JV.  At this point in their dance team career, their heart just does not seem to be into it when they are a senior dancing on JV.  We have, in past several years, had seniors who are not varsity-ready be alternates for our varsity jazz/kick teams.  This has gone surprisingly well.  By the time they are seniors, they seem to care more about being with the varsity dancers at practice and competitions than they do about actually being out on the performance floor.  I have had seniors tell me flat out that they would much rather be a varsity alternate and experience everything with their friends than they would want to compete at the JV level.

It is difficult to know what to do with the younger girls who are "on the bubble."  We are torn between wanting these girls to learn the varsity dances and the practice the higher-level skills, and wanting them to gain the performance experience/competition experience that goes along with competing at the JV level.  We have actually done something the past 2 years that has worked well.  We have had a few girls practice with the varsity jazz team for October/November/December and learn/practice the higher-level choreography.  Then, over winter break, they have learned the JV jazz dance and competed in all of the January competitions with the JV team.  This has worked out great and given these "bubble" girls experience in both areas!

Lisa: When I have to decide between some dancers I always to try to take the dancer that had a good attitude last year and worked hard.  I do not like to take a bubble kid that is a slacker.  I also will consider what grade they are in and also their presentation.

Erin: Do you have any ideas to share that have worked well for your tryout process that others might not be doing?  

Lisa: The thing that works the best for us is getting this done in one day. I also quit teaching them a routine.  I felt that this was just a waste of time.  There are really excellent dancer that are not quick learners.  I am looking for presentation and kick technique.   I have a rule that this is the only day you can tryout and after tryouts varsity and jv black teams are closed.  If someone wants to join before the season starts they will be placed on jv red.  This gets all the kids there because I do not have a 2nd tryout.  After tryouts I give the girls a lunch break and then the coaches place dancers on each respective team.  Once they are placed we give each one of them a letter to read that lets them know what team they are on.  I like this because the dancer can take her letter and go off by herself and read it and then she can let her friends know what team she is on instead of saying it out loud.  They also then can put it in their scrapbooks.

Bethany: I really like placing the athletes in groups based on ability. It really allowed us as coaches to see dancers succeed and show skills at tryouts rather than fail or not come back because too hard. It also was a way to challenge the returners with more difficult tryout combinations. Based on how these athletes audition we as coaches had a good idea where to start for training during the summer months as well as prepare for squad numbers during the season.

Molly: I mentioned this above, but the 2 days of technique/skills clinic followed by 2 days of choreography, followed by tryouts day has worked out great.  The technique days help not only our new girls, but also provide a great refresher for our veteran dancers.  I also like that there are only 2 days to learn the tryout dance.  It lets us see who can pick up choreography in a shorter amount of time, which is so important.  Then on tryout day, having a guest judge really helps.  It also really helps us to not only see the girls in partners, but also see how they blend in a group of 6-8.

Thanks to our coaches who contributed – lots of great insights on how tryouts are done all across the state.  My advice to dancers as they prepare for upcoming tryouts is to always know what your coaches/judges will be looking for in advance and make sure you’re doing what you can to look your best – not coming in unprepared.  Best of luck to everyone in their upcoming tryouts!  Keep checking back at mnhsdanceteam.com for updates on tryouts, coaching changes, summer camps, and new ideas for fall.  After all, dance season never ends.  Happy Spring!