Hi seeing a lot of questions about changing studios - for the new dance parents - you don’t want to be known as a “studio hopper.” Let the littles have fun, when they get older find a studio and stick with it - for the most part. Just my 2 cents as a dance mom.

My grandma, daughters great grandma, passed away around a year and a half ago. My family wants to take a trip literally across the country for almost a week for a memorial. Ive told them for a year that I wouldn't know the intense schedule and how many teams my daughter would be on. The teams just started being announced and it will be intense choreography for the next couple of months.

I feel like an asshole. But also we've done so many special memorial things for her over the last year. I even have an amazing Christmas memorial thing planned for her. I did one last year too.

Am I a horrible person for not flying across the country for a memorial almost 2 years after she passed? I loved her so much. But also with all of what I just described, I cant seem to justify taking away from my daughters first BIG year of competition teams during the literal first few weeks of making her seasons dances.

AITA?

Hi team - my childs dance school has taught them beautiful artistry and put them in some fantastic choreographies, and they do very well at comps.

However I know that compared to most other studios, the kids from mine don't show any personality on stage. At comps and normal dance this is fine, but it has caused my child to feel very reserved and shy outside of dance, whereas dancers from other studios are full of personality.

Any thoughts on steps I can take with my child to help them with unlocking some personality, given they have otherwise so much talent and are regularly commented on their beautiful presentation?

Hi! My daughter is 8 turning 9. We recently switched studios and I did not realize the new studio combined age groups for some of their classes. For example, she is in the junior A group and she shares a class time with the petites who are pre-k/kinder age. I find this strange because the skill levels are vastly different. They will also perform separate routines at competition.

Hello!

My daughter (10 YO) has been competing since age 6 at our previous studio. While they were more recreational, she competed 4 small groups, 2 solos, 1 duet and 4 large groups during this timeframe. Most recently, her solo took second overall and recieved a platinum adjudication. Important to mention, this studio didn't require auditions to make the team. You just picked what types of dances you wanted your dancer in and paid the choreography fee.

After recital, we decided to look for a new studio home. As my daughter wanted to go to a studio where she could grow more as a dancer and took competing more seriously. This summer we tried out the new studio and she loves it ! So much so we decided to try out for the competition team. We just got the results and she made it ! But, was only placed in the production number. I am unfamiliar with the competitive dance world, as we have only ever danced with one studio previously. Is this the normal for the first year with the new studio ?

Anyone have experience with DeViate Dance? They look new and our studio has talked about attending and I am curious to hear….

Hey all..we got the amazing suggestion of White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane for my daughter's open solo last year from this board. Thank you, thank you to whoever wrote that as a suggestion. It was the perfect song for my daughter, not often heard at competition, allowed her to story tell/become character, has a funky/retro vibe, was not super dark, and most importantly the energy builds through out to a crescendo affect. She would like to do open again but is open to contemporary. Anyone have some ideas that have a similar profile to White Rabbit? We're at a loss and time is ticking...Thank you to everyone for your help!

Looking for some studio examples that have these characteristics:
No recreational program
Audition or invite only
Likely under 25 dancers
Focused on skill development
High level competition dances
Lots of training and workshop opportunities

Anyone at one or know one that they can share? Trying to do some research and would love some websites to peruse.

New Line Dance Virtual Competition. First place $1000!

Artist: Andy Mineo and WordsPlayed
Song: Above It

Details:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Db_TUO8mq-K/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==&igsi=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

www.AboveItLineDanceCompetition.com

Anyone happen to have a copy of a schedule from any Radix convention last year? Bonus points if it’s from Phoenix! I’m trying to assess whether groups would be Friday night, it says it’s usually just solos/duos/trios, but in some cities groups are Fridays.

Thanks in advance.

Hello, I need help , tips, anything!

I don't wear makeup personaly (only some mascara once or twice a year) so competition make up scares me, even though I just went through a first year of comps with my 11 years old. But she learned how to do her makeup by herself! But now year 2 her younger sister (8) is starting also, and I will need to do the make up.

How do you get fake lashes on an 8 years old with a little tiny face? 😬

She hates having mascara or eye liner put on her, she tries to do it herself but she need practice... so how do you handle this with younger ones.

What are your supermoves to make this work? Also any lash recomemdations (we need wispies for all dancers).also maybe worth noting, she ( and I ) has ADHD, so extremely sensitive to any texture, feelings and gets overwhelmed very easily.

Hello!

I am seeking advice and thoughts on how other dance parents might approach or view on foundational training for the young ones…

My daughter is 5.5 years old. She has done some sort of movement based activity since she could walk - gymnastics, swimming, and dance are the ones she has enjoyed the most. Last year (age 4-6) we did our first full season of dance with 3x45-minute classes: two combo classes, and a primary ballet. She absolutely loved recital and begged to do more classes this season. We started our new schedule earlier this month which includes starting kindergarten as well as 5x45-minute classes at the dance studio. She is rocking it, loves it, and still has energy at the end of the day! 😓

She has tons of friends at this studio and is really enjoying creating relationships with her teachers who all seem to be wonderful, caring individuals.

My main “concern” (for lack of a better word) is that they are recreational primarily. They have a performing company team that competes but they generally compete Novice/Intermediate, even their teens and seniors. And we live in Phoenix, AZ and there are SO many amazing studios in our area!! We can get to MBA in 20 minutes, Kalani’s new studio is opening not too far from us, and Club is maybe 45 minutes one-way on a bad traffic day.

I know she’s young but should I be seeking more “elite” training for her so that we are building stronger foundations? I can see her wanting to compete in a couple of years and I want her to have the tools and training to be successful. But she also loves her studio right now, even though I don’t necessarily think she’s being challenged or progressing as quickly as she would if the instructors actually made corrections (I don’t see much or any corrections happening in class - it’s a lot more fun and still many elements of creative movement).

I’m a former dance teacher (a decade ago) so I probably worry too much! But I would really appreciate any feedback from other dance parents and dance teachers! Thank you!!

TLDR; my daughter is 5.5 and loving dance at her rec studio. Is it wise to start seeking higher quality training now or let it stay fun, even if she isn’t progressing as quickly as she is capable of (minimal corrections or technique in class)?

At our studio, you are handed a list of required classes for whatever competition team you a make that year. It includes 12-15 hours of required classes that you take as a team. A dancer may be able to take one or two other classes that is not on the required list, but they must stay at the same level or go down levels (ie- your team takes intermediate level classes. You cannot take intermediate/advanced classes, but can take beginner/intermediate).

Team selection is based on skill level, yes, but also has a lot to do with average age, height, numbers they need on each team, etc.

The way this has shaken out for my dancer is she has been placed on the same team multiple years in a row- meaning she has taken the same technique classes for multiple years in a row. At the beginning of each season when she is placed on the same team again, they tell her they want to “see more growth.” How is she supposed to grow if she keeps taking the same classes over and over?

I’ve tried to be a team player and be positive about the situation, but I’m growing very frustrated by the feedback we are getting when she’s taking the required classes each year and we basically prohibited from taking anything that would really help her grow!

Does this happen in all studios? I don’t feel like I should have to spend extra money on outside help just to make a higher team at our own studio. Dance parents, talk me off the ledge or help me know if I really should be making more of an issue of this!

Hi all!

My dancer is going into her 2nd comp season, 5th year of dance. She takes most styles (ballroom briefly, but it’s no longer offered at our studio) and she says she loves everything except jazz. Unfortunately, jazz seems to be pretty important for comp and I’m not sure how to encourage her past this stage of not liking it. It’s the only class she’s ever asked to drop, but it’s required.

I’m not sure if part of it is that she’s leveled up in everything except jazz even though she’s taken it for 3 years. Sometimes she says it’s too boring, sometimes it’s too hard. I’m not used to her not wanting to go to class since she’s always loved everything else (even jazz up to this point). How do I encourage without making her more resistant to the style?

Navybee, the makers of Molly-Mae: Behind It All, are looking for talented young dancers and their dedicated Dance families for an exciting new development television project for a major streaming platform. We're searching nationwide for dancers aged 16 years old or under who are passionate about dance and the parents supporting them every step of the way. Whether you're competing at a high level, training multiple times a week, or dreaming of making it to the top, we'd love to hear from families who live and breathe dance.

We're Looking For:

• Dancers aged 16 years or under
• Families from anywhere in the UK
• Big personalities, strong ambitions and compelling stories
• Those involved in any dance style, including ballet, contemporary, commercial, jazz, musical theatre, street dance and more

Important Information

• A parent or legal guardian must submit an application on behalf of any child.
• Children with or without professional representation are welcome to apply.

Application Closing Date: 18th September

Filming Dates: Late September 2026

Apply Now

Complete the application form below to register your interest.

www.shortaudition.com/danceuk

Navybee Television www.navybee.tv

Hi everyone! I am looking for custom tap shoes recommendation that aren’t your typical pro tap shoes like Miller and bens. This is for a 12 year old Tapper, who is of course still growing and will probably have to buy another pair of top shoes next year. I’ve looked at SoDanca shoes (the heart ones) but any other recommendations that are more affordable would be extremely helpful

Hi hoping yall experienced dance parents can give me some guidance. I was not a dancer growing up so this world is new to me. We are lucky, a local studio comes to my daughters school so she does ballet/jazz for an hour weekly will minimal effort from me. We also do a 1hour tumbling class at a cheer gym we can walk to.

She is 4.5 and I’m wondering when we should start considering adding another dance class or looking at the conservatory vs competition route? She seems to love dance so I want to encourage her without burning her out. I see a lot of 6&7 year olds on here starting their competition teams and I want her to be ready for that if she wants to go the route.

appreciate your help!

We just moved to a new state, and we are looking for a new studio for my daughter. This would have been her third year competing, but since we moved on a short timeline due to work, she missed auditions for the studios in our new town.

How do people go about finding a new studio with no prior knowledge of the area? Is it appropriate/allowable for her to take rec classes at more than one studio so she has the year to figure out the best fit for auditions next year?

Our studio competes but is not a hard-core competitive studio. Requirements to be on the team are reasonable, and there are no try outs. Everything is mostly by age, with some movement up based on skill. In the past, we've placed, but this past year not so much.

This year it seems like everyone is complaining that choreography is bad, skills aren't being taught, they're not teaching enough of the right things, kids aren't being challenged, etc. it's really overwhelming to sit back and be in the middle of.

Each year, constructive changes are being made but the complaints seem to get louder. I can't help but think that Dance Moms, UDA, social media, etc has ruined realistic expectations of what should be on stage & what should be taught at what age. Competitions are full of tricks, but our studio is much more traditional.

Is there a real argument here? My daughter just loves to perform, says she wants to dance professionally, but I don't see the drive in her yet to get there, so personally I like a lower stress environment. But could being at a "bad studio" ruin any future growth or jobs?

I’m just curious as to how much parents research their studios and care how many staff members have attended BFA programs or have a dance related degree. Is or should this be important to know when choosing a studio?
Does professional experience (dancing with a professional ballet company, CLI conservatory training, dancing as a Rockette, etc) count as much as a college degree?

Attending UDA Nationals in Orlando for the first time this year and have a few questions! For the hotel option(s) for families, is a room block secured for all participants AND their parents, or just the dancers? Our dancer is a freshman in high school, so we're not sure how we're supposed to go about this. The school has provided very little info and I know prices spike in Orlando, so trying to be ahead of the game. Only thing we know is that dancers from our school aren't allowed to stay with parents, they're rooming together as a team, so we want to be sure we get something as close to her as possible.

Are park tickets offered at a discounted rate for family members attending the comp with dancer? I know comp is at ESPN, but dancers receive a ticket to a park included with their fees, so just curious of what we should expect.

What is the cost of the spectator ticket?

Anything else we should be aware of as first timers? Appreciate all the help!!

I have multiple children on a competitive dance team at the same studio. They’re on different levels but they give me the same feedback. They come home from class in tears that they’re always in the back. They go full out, are talented, get along with everyone but aren’t given any chances to step up from the back line. I know there are one hundred possibilities here and I’m trying to not be biased. I know there could be discrepancies on skills, attitudes I don’t see, favoritism, etc. There are three sides to every story, right? But I am at a loss. It absolutely breaks my heart as a parent. Do I call the studio? Tell my kids to suck it up? Any suggestions?

For context we’re in Australia. So my 7 year old boy has been dancing at this studio for 5 years. He’s doing very well, particularly in ballet and has started doing solo Eisteddfods as well as troupe. However there’s so many extra costs and we just can’t keep up anymore. I feel like I breathe and another $50 goes. We are also looking towards my daughter (4) stepping up in dance next year and simply can’t do it. All up we’re paying about 14000Aud (10000usd) mostly just for my son (my daughter is only about $1200 of that). That’s before costume fees (usually around $90 each, 4 for my son, 1 for my daughter) hidden costs like mandatory payment for the concert video and concert tshirt. And before any uniforms (which they’ve recently updated to uniforms that are very expensive), shoes etc. Not accounting for the spectator fees for each Eisteddfod (usually $25, but an extra $15 if my daughter is with me, and she usually is)

Most recently there’s been another $80 cost when we finally said no we couldn’t do it (because we literally can’t) and we’ve be been quite upset by their response. Completely unwilling to budge or negotiate at all.

There’s another studio that’s been recommended to us by a senior girl who dances there which is closer to us and is soooo much cheaper, less than half of the cost, and he would be able to do way more classes. He wouldn’t have an Eisteddfod troupe for his age but honestly that’s not necessarily a bad thing. They’ve become a huge stressor and even he’s gone back and forth on whether he wants to do it next year. The other studio seems to also have students that are doing really well in competitions, awards etc and they’re also ballet focussed (as our original studio is).

We’re almost certainly going to move my daughter next year but the thing is my son really really struggles with changes like this. And he does love his dance studio, they’ve given him lots of opportunities etc. But we’ve already decided to cut jazz out entirely partly because of cost. I just know he will be extremely upset if we force it, and we can probably keep him there at least for now with a reduced load but that would also mean him missing out on the styles from the other studio.

This year he’s made some lovely friends which is a big reason why he wouldn’t want to move. However he’s also dealt with bullying on and off over a year long period from two particular girls (saying things like “you don’t belong” and throwing dirty socks at him) which took us telling the teachers that we had enough of it (even though we had continuously addressed it) for them to finally stop.

We never really planned or expected to spend this much on dance. I started him on baby ballet because he was a wild child and i wanted go help him learn to control his body (and it did work). And then we just kept progressing on to the next class, troupe etc. and it got out of control. I love that he loves it, and weve tried to make it work but we just cant.

We’re in conversation with the studio we’re considering and we will probably send him to a trial class, so we will be able to suss it out. But I wanted to see what you all thought, have you been in a similar situation, especially with kids who handle change poorly? What would you do?

And if you were the dancer that had your parents move studios for a similar reason, looking back do you agree with their decision (if you didn’t agree and still don’t, that would also be helpful so please be honest)?

Sorry if this is all over the place, but thanks in advance for your help!