Pro Tools: At the Head of A Successful Squad, Coach Anna Itman gives some helpful Hints
If only there was a simple secret to becoming a great dancer, an esteemed coach or having a distinguished team. The truth is there’s no magic pill or know-it-all trick. We have all grown to accept that we won’t wake up one morning with some newly acquired skills, although a girl can dream, can’t she? So that leaves us with hard work, dedication and long rehearsals. These labors of love—coupled with talent—can get you there and get you noticed.
Nothing will replace diligence and practice, but there are a few tips that can provide some new perspective and strategy for coaching a dance team and making them successful, while still having passion and fun. Anna Itman is the coach of the Eden Prairie High School Pom Squad in Eden Prairie, MN, as well as a dance teacher at The Dance Warehouse in Chanhassen, MN. She has many accomplishments to her credit as a former head instructor and territory manager for United Dance Association (UDA), winning awards for her choreography and working with both universities and professional teams.
The Eden Prairie Pom Squad is competitive in jazz and pom and was the 2009 Champions at the UDA Nationals in Orlando, FL and the United Performing Association (UPA) Nationals in Minneapolis, MN, winning first place in the jazz category for both. They have also worked their way to the top five in both pom and jazz almost every year since 1996.
Itman knows a thing or two when it comes to maintaining a good team and she shared some techniques and tips she utilizes every day to keep her dancers motivated, challenged, in sync and rewarded by their own accomplishments.
It all starts by putting together a great team, either because you want to win or, more importantly, because you want a group of dancers with great dynamic both on the dance floor and off. The EPHS Pom Squad holds auditions every spring to select dancers for the upcoming year.
“My try-out secret is I hire really good judges,” says Itman, who gets local talent and studio instructors to hold the auditions. “The expectations are high and they know what I look for and they are very objective with the selection of the team.”
Although she is not active in the selection process, like every coach and teacher, she seeks dancers with strong technique, experience and potential. There are times she says, “If I could set my hands on them they can be really good,” and those dancers are often great candidates for the team.
Once the squad is together, there is usually a competition or championship looming in the near future. Teaching new choreography can become time consuming and it must be cleaned and refined before performing. Itman has experience working on both sides of the spectrum from teaching at a dance studio, where dancers have class once or twice a week, to coaching the squad, with practice every day. At the studio, she finds giving dancers choreography in smaller increments is most efficient for the schedule and needs of the dancers. For teams, on the other hand, she teaches all of the material at one time, leaving the students more time to work on it.
Eden Prairie Pom Squad
Photo by Sandra Chmielewski
“I am amazed at how quick they learn material and master it,” she says of the squad. “I throw as much at them as possible.” Remarking that they often have it learned, cleaned and ready to present in about eight practices.
Unity is an ever-important aspect of dance team and all-star competitions. Like being in the corps de ballet or chorus line of a show, it’s not about how high your leg goes or how many pirouettes you can do; it’s togetherness and uniformity that can give the team an edge.
Itman inspires teamwork and team spirit by using the girls to critique each other. “They are very vocal in practice,” she says. “I do small group stuff and pattern work.” She adds, “If I just talk, it falls on deaf ears.”
Recently, Itman set up a private YouTube site where she posted videos (that only the team members could view) and asked that they respond with a couple of comments. The visualization of how they look from the audience can help them see what needs to be corrected and where.
When conducting practice or rehearsal, an even balance of technique training and practicing choreography is crucial. The dancers should be just that—dancers, not dance routine robots. Their technique must be strong and not just because they practiced the series of steps over and over for six weeks. This will benefit the quality of performance, as well as allow the choreography to shine.
“Consistency is key,” Itman remarks. She does a warm-up, then works on technique and then sets time aside for the dances themselves; every practice is the same.
Whether the dance team is part of the high school, like the Eden Prairie Pom Squad, or in a separate dance studio, the demands of school, friends and all the other stresses that fall on a teenager can easily lead to distraction and loss of motivation. So, how can a teacher keep up the morale and energy of the dancers? This is where Itman’s consistency becomes beneficial. Once at practice they are moving and active, making the most of their time and ready to work because they know what to expect up front.
“They really use the studio as a place of refuge. It’s that saying ‘leave everything else outside,’” she says. When their bodies become worn down and they are feeling emotionally drained, especially before a big competition, Itman developed an imaginative way to give her team a lift.
“We make a quote chain every day leading up to the practice before Nationals.” With enough for everyone to read, they take the quotes on paper and string them together on a chain. “I ask them, ‘What does [the quote] mean to you and how can you use it in practice,’” explains Itman.
It is not just practice and a good dance that will get you to a competition it also costs some money. Competitions have their price tag, which often leaves many teams with no choice but the “dreaded” fundraiser. However, with some creativity you can collect some money while also bringing the team together. “We’ve done a lot of classic carwashes, but we do a dance clinic, which is the most popular, and recently we did a golf tournament, which was the most time consuming,” she says.
Teaming up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the EPHS Pom Squad held the event at a local golf course, with different activities at each hole, prizes for golf scores and a silent auction. “It was very profitable, but took lots of work and focus to get it together.” The squad raised a lot of money for competitions and also donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
A valid obstacle when coaching a team is making sure any behavioral issues are stifled immediately. During practice, or at competitions—when pressure and stress can amplify any attitude problem—it is best to address it before it even occurs. By keeping her girls focused on the goal, Itman ensures the squad is mindful of why they are there in the first place. “We go in as a team, so they’re my responsibility when they’re there,” she asserts. “There is no time to sit with their parents or friends. We do everything as a team and they are there to give their very best performance. It’s setting expectations beforehand.”
As the season comes to a close and all the competitions have finished, it is important for any coach to ensure their dancers keep active and fit during the summer. The dancers that return the next year should continue dancing so when practice resumes everyone is ready to jump into new choreography and routines without too much time used getting back “in shape.”
“They know it is part of their responsibility if they make it on to the team to stay fit and dance in the off-season,” says Itman. As a coach, she tries to make summer opportunities known to her girls, although they are not required because they add additional time and money. Dance camp as a team and local conventions allow them to maintain their technique while also stay connected as a group. Itman also takes the juniors and seniors on a trip to New York City to take classes at Broadway Dance Center.
After training dancers for years, there are many valuable lessons and experiences one would gather. Yet, Itman did not emphasize drilling tips or stress how to win; she impressed the importance of showing the girls her dedication and support— leading by example.
“Before every time they go out I tell them I believe in them,” she says. “Part of being a good mentor and a good coach is believing in them.”