general dos and don't of parents of dancers

[Guest happycc]

What are the do's and don't of parents of dancers?

 

I am getting the feeling that I am not doing something or learning about something that I should about this whole thing.

 

Basically I have been chauffering, cheering and watching.

I started shopping for dance wear as opposed to finding stuff in the school's lost and found-actually the directors have been giving me bags of stuff as the lost and found is filled with really expensive nice stuff and nobody claims it. It is so sad. My girls have gotten some awesome stuff and we found some awesome dance shoes. I keep a whole bunch in various sizes in my closet so when one seems tight we move on to the next size up. I also pass down shoes. I am surprised at how much wear and tear these shoes can handle.

 

I haven;t gotten any magazines about dance yet and just learning about these summer intensives or what have you. next year brandon will be qualifying for their summer camp-which really looks intense with a lot of dance going all day. I am not sure if that is a summer intensive. what is the difference between summer camp versus summer intensives and are there only summer intensives for just ballet or is there one for general dance?

 

But I just feel like I am not on the right track per se and just sort of winging it.

[Victoria Leigh]

Happy, while some people call the Summer Intensives "camp", they really are not camps at all. They are ballet intensive programs. My idea of a camp is something out in a forest by a lake with tents! I really kind of hate it when Summer Intensives are called "camps". There are, however, some places that are camps, and offer ballet. The programs are not ballet intensive, but they do dance part of the time. Dance Magazine will have ads for these programs, as well as the true SI programs, in their December and January issues.

 

For younger children, like under 12, the camps are probably quite fine, but for a serious ballet student they would not be ideal. Most of the top SI programs are connected to a major Academy or professional company. They hold auditions around the country during January and February.

 

You might check out the many threads on the SI programs to get a better idea of what they are like. There is a whole forum here about them!

[BW]

Here is a hyperlink to one of the threads on the Summer Intensive forum that deals with just this question about Defining a Summer Intensive.. If you find that interesting and have any comments, please post your replies on that thread... Then be sure to look around at the first page and read the "stickies" - those posts that are at the top of the page.

 

P.S. The Moms and Dads forum is also filled with information, as well.