Dance Moms: The Struggles are Real!
Parents of competitive dancers want the best opportunities for their artist-athletes. We want our child front and center! We want our dancer to win scholarships, to receive invitations to the best intensives, to book professional gigs, and to bring home first place trophies. But as with every journey, the pathway from having the dream to reaching the goal is fraught with challenges. In our upcoming series of articles, we tackle some difficulties that dance moms (and dads) face, and discuss ways to navigate them!
- Time Commitment: Balancing the dancer’s rigorous training schedule, competitions, and daily life
- Financial Costs: Competitive dance involves expenses for costumes, travel, entry fees, and lessons.
- Emotional Support: Providing encouragement and dealing with the emotional highs and lows of competitions can be challenging.
- Physical Demands: Supporting the dancer’s physical health and recovery is essential.
- Sibling Needs: Balancing the needs of other children in the family can be a struggle.
- Pressure and Expectations: Coping with the pressure to excel and meet high expectations can be stressful.
- Scheduling: Coordinating the family’s schedule around the dancer’s commitments can be complicated.
- Travel and Accommodations: Attending out-of-town competitions may require travel and accommodations.
- Parental Involvement: Finding the right level of involvement without becoming overbearing can be tricky.
- Financial Sacrifices: Investing in the dancer’s training may necessitate financial sacrifices in other areas.
It’s important for parents to find a balance and support their child’s passion while taking care of their own well-being and family needs.