Supporting your child in their passion is always important, but dance has a much different dynamic than other sports. 

Observation: Similar to sports, parents are not usually able to sit in and watch practices during the week. In dance classes, parents are not normally allowed into the dance studio because it is important for the dancers to be able to focus on themselves and not on their parents. Some studios can allow for parents to observe during a set observation week that can occur a few times throughout the year, but this is a special opportunity. Parents are able to come in and help children to feel comfortable about dancing in front of someone other than their dance teacher. 

Volunteering: Depending on the studio, there will sometimes be room moms in the dressing rooms for the children, or they may need parent volunteers to be backstage helping with quick changes. If you do volunteer to be in any helping role, you should remember to be professional. Your child is still yours, but you need to make sure that you are watching over all the children equally. It is also important to be able to let the other moms help your child if that is a part of their job. 

Performance Mode: Before the show, you should be professional because this is the time that your child needs to focus get into the performance mindset. The key to being a good, supportive dance mom is knowing that everyone is working together for the common goal of putting on a good show and making sure the children have fun performing. In that performance space, your child needs to be able to focus on themselves and the performance ahead of them without needing to worry about you. If they specifically come to you with something, of course you should help, but do not seek them out. 

Trusting the Teacher: In the dance world, as a parent, you need to take the passenger seat in a way. The dance teacher is the expert in this situation, you need to allow them the space to teach your child just like you would a teacher in school. The teacher knows what is best for the performance.

Handling Conflict: If your child comes to you with a problem, the first thing to do is NOT march in and yell or talk to any of the staff workers about it. Assess what happened with your child and figure out what they need. Sometimes they just need to talk to you and get it off of their chest, sometimes they need advice for how to handle it in the future if it does happen again. Very rarely do they want for you to step in and talk to the teacher.

*This is where it gets difficult. Unfortunately, there is a fine line between what is seen as a parent that is complaining vs. a parent that is coming out of genuine concern. The dance world revolves around respect and discipline, it is important to listen to your child to understand how they want to move forward. 

Key Takeaway: As the parent, you only see the before and after of what happens to your child. You are not able to see the whole picture or truly understand the process behind the scenes. This is the reason why your child needs to take the lead when it comes to things relating to dance. They are the ones living and experiencing this. It not only teaches them responsibility, but also more about themselves. You are there to help them navigate that learning process. By doing this, you will help your child in more ways than either of you can realize. Knowing that you are there to support them, gives them the confidence and motivation to persevere and thrive in dance.