Dance Teamwork
There is only so much time in a high school kid’s life. With busy school and social activities crammed into their schedules, they must play a precarious balancing act between extracurricular activities. Enter: dance teams and dance studios. Traditionally, the two institutions have had to battle for high school dancers’ attention. While this struggle hasn’t exactly disappeared, many studios and dance teams are finding ways to create a little flexibility for a child caught between acts—and in the meantime, benefit from both interests.
Scheduling Conflicts
One of the most prevalent conflicts between dance teams and studios is overlapping rehearsal time. Both require a large commitment from their dancers, especially if both the dance team and studio are competing. Inevitably, a high school dancer may be asked to be in two places at one time, and many times the studio takes the hit. “If I have a rehearsal the same night as a dance team rehearsal, I kind of take second place,” says Phyllis Balagna-Demoret, owner of Steppin’ Out dance studio in Lee’s Summit, MO. “At first it was frustrating, but I’ve learned to deal with it.” Balagna-Demoret and her peers have learned to hash out rehearsal times by notifying the local high school dance teams of their competition and practice schedules far in advance. If the two groups coordinate with each other ahead of time, they can avoid fighting over missed practices.
Technical Difficulties
Historically, the most blaring difference between dance teams and studios is technique. While dance teams stress sharp, uniform movements, studios often work from a more organic place, pressing through motions and feeling lines from within. “Dance team is very external,” says Balagna-Demoret . “Their approach is stiff, regimented…I find it very square and linear—almost stick figure looking. Their precision is based on the placement of the arm, as opposed to the movement through the line.” Often, studios and teams clash over highly advanced technical moves. While a dance team coach may need a student to hit a triple pirouette to keep up with her team, a studio teacher might refrain from pushing the movement. “I do feel they teach à la seconde turns before the student is ready,” says Kimberly Thomson, owner of Dance Unlimited in Miami, FL. “I have girls coming to me and telling me they can do 32, but they aren’t doing them correctly. So they get the ‘OK’ from the dance team, but the ‘no’ from the general studio.” On the flip side, studio-trained dance teamers might have trouble adjusting to changes in placement for the sake of a unified look. “It’s something we go through every year,” says Veronica Scott, coach of the Lee’s Summit West High School dance team. “I have to tell them that yes, that is the correct way [to do the move], but this is the way dance team does it because it’s more clean.”
Yet, dance teams and studios can also benefit from the positive elements of each other’s technique. Modern-day dance teams are more and more requiring technical studio training from their dancers. “It’s really hard to make our dance team if you don’t have the technical stuff,” says Scott. “Most of our girls are currently in or have just recently been in a studio.” Studios gain from dance team training as well. “They get much stronger with their jumps, leaps and endurance,” says Thomson. “I do believe in abdominals and cardiovascular. The conditioning that we try to do at the studio, if they experience that at dance team, it becomes easier for us.”
State of Mind
Dance teams and studios not only differ in technical approaches, but also in philosophical ones. While studios often place weight on the individual dancer, dance teams are all about the team as a unit. “They have a great sense of unity, which we’re always trying to bring into the company as well,” says Thomson. Bringing those dance team concepts of team and togetherness into the studio could lead to a more cohesive and harmonious group atmosphere. Another positive state-of-mind quality of a dance team—stage presence—helps studio dancers who are used to spending a majority of their time in front of a mirror open up while performing. “Sometimes, it works to our benefit,” says Thomson. “Sometimes, it becomes a little fake, which we try to get out of that and make it come from within, instead of forced. But, I think it helps them not be so fearful.” On the other hand, dance teams composed of studio competition dancers benefit from the wisdom of a student who is used to the pressure of performing in front of a row of judges. “Studio dancers are more prepared to be on a dance team,” says Scott. “They’ve been through the whole competition thing. They’re ready.”
Cross-Training
Once local studios and dance teams open up communication and start a dialogue, they can combine forces to strengthen the quality of dance education for their dancers. The Lee’s Summit West dance team takes class together at Steppin’ Out at a discounted price. “I don’t require the team class, but I do highly recommend it, so everyone ends up doing it,” says Scott. “I think it’s good just to get somebody else’s point of view, somebody else helping them as a group.” The team benefits from technical instruction and the studio benefits from pulling more dancers through their doors.
Many studio directors and teachers do guest work with high schools, stopping by to offer short technique classes for stretching, across the floor, or leaps and turns. Some teachers are even asked to set choreography on teams, and in doing so, are able to offer new technical perspectives. “I’ve kind of tried to blend the best aspects of the dance team movements with the best aspects of artistic, classical training,” says Balagna-Demoret . “I believe my routines are doing well at state championships because they are from a technical perspective. I’m kind of sneaking it in the back door.” By reaching across party lines, studios and teams increase the diversity of training for students. “They’re getting both sides of the coin,” says Thomson. “I do believe in training them in all aspects, all areas and all disciplines. I think it’s important for them to experience a kickline. You never know. You might do an excerpt from ‘A Chorus Line.’”
Cross-Promotion
Teams and studios can scratch each other’s back in another important way: business. Balagna-Demoret finds that her good training attracts the attention of dance team parents who notice that top dancers are coming from her studio. “It’s great advertising,” she says. “I’ve gotten new students from other studios as a result of seeing these kids.” Balagna-Demoret in turn helps out the dance team by offering free rehearsal space at her studio and discounted prices at her dancewear shop. But, dance teams give back to the studio in important ways other than visibility and promotion. Scott has created relationships with three different studios in the area, and she uses her connections at the school to allow them to use the building for their recitals.
However, dance teams and studios must be careful to balance their give and take. “I think it has to be even keel or it’s not going to be a good relationship,” says Scott. “If one takes more from the other, it just causes some friction.”
Flexibility
As dancers grow and become more entrenched and advanced in their training, they often have to let go of many of their extracurricular school activities, be it softball or the band. Before dance teams became popular, dancers who wanted to reach a competitive level had to look outside school for involvement (unless they belonged to a performing arts high school). Now that dance teams have entered the picture, they no longer need to choose between school and dance. Faced with possible missed classes and schedule interruptions, some studio owners ask their dancers to commit entirely to the studio. However, that approach can backfire. “At one point I didn’t support the girls on [dance team], so what was happening was they were in a situation where they would have to choose,” says Balagna-Demoret. “They would choose the dance team and I would lose them for senior company.” For studios that don’t want to lose their dancers to the team, the best option is to be flexible. Some dancers may need to cut back class hours or competition routines, such as solos, duos or small groups. Studio directors who sit down with students and parents can hash out ways to keep the dancers involved in the studio, instead of offering an ultimatum. “I can’t emphasize enough. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” says Balagna-Demoret. “If you don’t work with the dancers, you’ll lose them.”
An understanding of the mindset of students who want to dip their fingers in a lot of activities is crucial to keeping them on board. However, that understanding can only go so far. “I think it’s important to realize that in this day in society, you can’t expect kids to just do one thing,” says Scott. “You have to be flexible, yet demanding. If not, you’re not going to have a good team.”