Who says parents just don’t understand? More and more dance parents are joining competition troupes to spend time with their children. The result: unforgettable numbers and an increased sense of team unity. Having to learn choreography also helps parents appreciate their children’s accomplishments. Those who had trouble seeing why their children struggle with triple pirouettes, for example, will gain a different perspective once they’ve been asked to do a single.
DT asked studio owners and teachers who’ve embraced this phenomenon to weigh in on the rewards and challenges associated with bridging the generation gap. Here, they share their tips for creating a harmonious “dance family.”
Rally the Troops
Getting a parent/child program off the ground will take some initial effort on your part. Though Dance Unlimited in Oceanside, California, now has more than 100 parents participating on teams, Director Erin Riley-Carrasco says the idea was a hard sell at first. To remedy parents’ hesitation, Riley-Carrasco “tried to get them over the fear that they’d look funny [onstage] and convince them what an incredible memory it would be to perform with their daughters.”
Riley-Carrasco called each of her students’ fathers personally to ask them to join, and also employed stealth measures by asking mothers to convince them. Putting up fliers at your studio, sending home a letter with students and getting the word out via your newsletter might also do the trick.
Once you’ve enlisted interested parents, prepare everyone for the financial commitment involved, and be sensitive to the fact that, with jobs and other obligations, these adults may not have the same time to devote to rehearsals as their children. Heidi Jacobson of Heidi’s Dance Center in Kansas City, Missouri, has had difficulty finding rehearsal times that fit into parents’ busy schedules. “We only had one practice with everyone there and that was at Nationals!” she laments.
In contrast, Vicki Harvey-Sanders of Studio D in Omaha, Nebraska, says that her parent/child team is able to practice for three hours on Saturdays a few times a month. To allow time for parents to rearrange their schedules, Harvey-Sanders gives them a Saturday rehearsal calendar at the beginning of the year. While she only allows children to miss three practices the entire year, she affords the adults more flexibility, reviewing material often for those who missed previous rehearsals.
Be Flexible
When adding parents with no dance experience into the mix, remember to create choreography that is not as challenging, concentrate less on perfecting steps and, above all, be flexible in your expectations. Jacobson focuses more on vibe than technique. “Since you can’t plan on everyone having their arms straight or moving in precision, you just have to have fun with it,” she advises. On the premise of keeping it simple, Jacobson’s choreography for a recent number included a few lifts, a kick line and an optional cartwheel that parents and children worked on together.
To work with adult beginners, summon patience and diplomacy. Adults may feel silly or get frustrated if they can’t master movements quickly. In catering to these students, tailor your choreography to play to each parent’s strengths: While one person may feel more comfortable with jumps, another might be more theatrical. Also, take advantage of the extra muscle power that dads offer to create some fun and visually appealing partner work.
At the same time, don’t underestimate parents’ potential. Riley-Carrasco says that within months, her novice fathers were doing Russians and taking private tumbling classes to land their back tucks. “I’d like to say that we just give them a chassé ball change or a jazz square, but it’s not like that,” she says. “They come in never having been exposed to dance and our teachers really push them.”
Dance Unlimited’s 2004 competition routine made full use of the dads’ new skills. Titled “Back in the Day,” the routines had dads performing breakdance combinations, stalls and challenging hip-hop moves that earned the team first place in the Adult Division at Spotlight’s West Coast Nationals. Riley-Carrasco adds that she’s amazed at the lack of stage fright exhibited by the parents: “I have lawyers, doctors and people from every walk of life on my team. They’ll be very conservative in the waiting room and when they get onstage, they’re just total hams.” For those who are not completely comfortable in the spotlight, organize a video viewing party of past performances so they can see that others have been in their dancing shoes and survived.
Think Creatively
To maximize the enjoyment of your adult and child dancers as well as the audience, consider choreographing a themed routine. Pirates, gangsters, cowboys, Dr. Seuss and movies such as Men in Black are just a few of the themes studios have explored in recent years.
When choosing a theme, decide what will resonate with both the adults and the children in your group. Most recently, the troupe from Heidi’s Dance Center performed “Generation Gap,” a number designed to poke fun at the family dynamic. (For tips on selecting music, see “Hitting the Right Note” at right.)
To give your number the perfect look, alternatives to purchasing traditional dance costumes include making your own and visiting local Halloween stores. To offset costs, Harvey-Sanders requires parents and children to put in 17 working hours helping to sew the costumes. She makes this policy clear at the parent meeting she holds every year before competition team auditions. After consenting to the rules, parents put down a deposit of $170, after which they are refunded $10 every time they contribute an hour of work. “Everyone has a chance to see what it’s like to make and help design costumes,” Harvey-Sanders explains of her system. “We like to get the whole family involved.”
Build Team Spirit
The nature of this category creates a greater bond between parent and child, but what about team unity? Riley-Carrasco makes it clear from the start that teamwork is the name of the game. To get members of her competition team acquainted with one another, including the parents, she pools prize money from competition to put on year-round social activities such as pizza and beach parties. Other bonding activities include “getting-to-know-you” retreats and karaoke parties.
Overall, entering a team in the parent/child category can make for an entertaining and fulfilling experience. Harvey-Sanders says parents often thank her for this unique opportunity: “A lot of parents say they never got to dance when they were young and would have liked to, so I offer that for them. So many audience members have told me that the adult group is wonderful and they wish it were offered at their studio.”
Jen Jones is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.
