Parents Don't Think so Much Dance is Necessary.

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>The one thing that is stressing me is my parents not believing I need to be dancing as much as I am right now!
I am dancing 1hr 30m in school daily and then i have ballet/jazz after school at my studio mondays - 645 til 930
modern 715 to 845
lyrical 700 to 830</p>

<p>i think its needed. I feel like I am unprepared for my auditions. That could just be my critical self thinking but....
I mean i have been getting better.
but I want to have as much OVER the other male auditions with my dance experience.
did you students go through this with your parents!?
Parents what do you think?!</p>

<p>how do I cope?!</p>

2

<p>I think it’s wonderful that you are working hard to improve your dance skills. Just a few questions though – how long have you been maintaining that kind of dance schedule? It’s common for serious dancers to take that many classes each week – but if it’s something new for you, I can see why your parents don’t understand! And here’s another question – are you spending any time working on your vocal and acting skills? Don’t forget they are important too – in fact, I feel that acting is often the most neglected skill, and a place where most students need improvement. </p>

<p>It’s true that many parents who are new to this process underestimate the difficulty of it. It might help if you can steer yours to this website. Many of us are quite familiar with the college admissions process, as parents and/or as coaches, and could answer any questions your parents might have. I’d be happy to give them some input if they want to PM me with their concerns. Good luck!</p>

3

<p>Who is paying for the lessons? If your parents are paying for them all maybe get a part time job and pay for part of them to show you are willing to contribute and take responsibility for your talent and career choice. I am not saying you are not already doing this (as you are clearly very committed) but it shows your parents that you are willing to see their side.</p>

4

<p>It is hard to respond to this issue without more information. </p>

<p>How long have you been dancing? (number of years)</p>

<p>What kind of dance do you have for 90 min. each day at school? </p>

<p>What are your parents’ reasons for thinking you don’t need this much dance ? Is it about the cost? Or is it about that they may feel your time is overloaded and not balanced? Are there transportation issues?</p>

<p>I would really need to hear the answers to those things first. </p>

<p>If you have been dancing many years, you likely will be fine with less hours of dance at the moment (though I understand wanting and keeping the hours you have now). </p>

<p>If the dance at school is ballet or jazz, you already are dancing a significant amount just at school. </p>

<p>If your parents’ reasons are time and balance, perhaps you need to examine what their reasons are…are you able to keep up with your academic studies (important to do)? Are you fitting in song and acting prep? (important to do).</p>

<p>Also, even if your dance hours were cut a little, you would still be left with a significant number of hours of training and so put this in perspective as it is not like all or nothing. </p>

<p>It is important that you attain dance skills and so I don’t know how long you have been dancing and you are right that you will have it over some boys who don’t dance, in this regard. However, IF you had to cut back SOME dance (and you would still be left with a significant number of hours), I would keep all ballet and jazz. You have both lyrical and modern right now and those are kinda similar and maybe you could (if you HAD to for some reason we don’t know that your parents have…maybe cost? time? driving you?), you could pick EITHER lyrical or modern (I would have picked lyrical). The two disciplines that most BFA in MT programs have at auditions are ballet and jazz. So, keep those (I don’t know what style you dance at school). While not part of college auditions usually, it is good to know how to tap dance in MT too and you will be taking that at college. </p>

<p>If you can answer the questions posed, our help may be more appropriate to your situation.</p>

5

<p>Hey! Its blackbelt. Sorry I just changed my account for some technical reasons. Um.
I pay for all the other expenses but my parents pay a $135 montly fee for my classes. And I pay for my competition fees. Its a competition studio and thats something I wanted to do just to discover other choreography and just get as much feedback as I can, ( i want to go into choreography later on.) </p>

<p>At school I take ballet, modern, jazz, on different days of the week. </p>

<p>My parents haven’t exactly given me a reason why. I believe its because they think I am wearing myself out or I wont be able to maintain my grades. My grades are good right now. But I honestly dont think this will affect my grades…</p>

<p>It’s just, I can’t just stop taking class because I have committed to the studio and I am in pieces of theres. And I have just started dancing intensively last spring. So it hasn’t been very long.</p>

<p>I think its one of those things i just have to keep doing and show them they were wrong.</p>

<p>And I do take an intense theatre course at school. So I am getting theatre and dance training. With my schedule I have not been able to receive vocal lessons. However that is my strongest of the three.</p>

6

<p>Tyler, it might help to ask your parents their reason to understand it better and to have a productive conversation. If it is because of academics, then be sure to show them you are keeping your academics at a high level. This is a valid concern of theirs and so you need to demonstrate it is not a concern by maintaining very good grades. Your grades are part of your college admissions process after all and need to come first. </p>

<p>That said, if you are part of a competition group at your dance studio, it makes sense to stay in it as you are committed to ongoing dances and so forth. I am not clear if that means you need to be in both modern and lyrical or not, for example. </p>

<p>In my opinion, your training needs more balance if you are taking NO voice and this much dance. My own daughter took dance 13 hours per week and was in a jazz dance repertory group and a tap dance repertory group as well (our studio doesn’t do dance competitions), but while this was more hours than voice, she still took private voice lessons and chorus and a select a capella group and other music endeavors such as two instruments and jazz theory. Your voice may be your best skill but it is something that should be continually trained (I mean you are even going to continue and train in that skill set in college after all). And now you are prepping for college auditions and so voice is a big part of the MT audition and it makes sense to not only continue with technique but also some vocal coaching on your songs with a a voice teacher. And so if it is a matter of time, I would say do one less dance class to fit in a voice class or lesson. (your dance class fees seem low to me and I do not know if money is an issue to add a voice lesson but see what you can do even if you just do six sessions prior to auditions)</p>

7

<p>Tyler, if you can do so, it would be smart to begin taking voice lessons now, even if it means cutting back a bit on dance. It’s wonderful that you are so committed to and excited about dance and have such an extensive background. But (and people here will correct me if I am wrong) I would posit that how you sing and act in your auditions for BFAs in MT is, in most cases, more important than whether you are an expert dancer.</p>

8

<p>Tyler, please listen to what NotMamaRose wrote as it is very good advice. </p>

<p>I agree with her that it is terrific that you are getting so much dance training. In fact, you will have it over the boys who can’t dance at college auditions in this way. </p>

<p>Most BFA in MT programs would ideally like candidates to be strong at singing, acting, and dance…all three areas. However, most programs are willing to take someone who is strong in two areas but can demonstrate potential in a third. But the one area that truly can’t be the weakest of the three is voice. I venture to say that being weak in voice of the three elements is the least likely profile to be admitted to a BFA in MT. While you say you are strong in voice (I don’t doubt you), the fact is that you are currently not training in voice or being coached by anyone on your songs for BFA auditions. You are going to be competing for a slot in BFA programs against kids who WILL be taking voice and being coached on their songs (most true contenders will fit this description) and you will be at a disadvantage in this regard. So, no matter how great your dance skills are and I fully support keeping those up as it will help you, it can’t be at the detriment from taking voice lessons and coach prep for your audition songs. If need be, cut a LITTLE dance out to make room for at least six vocal sessions prior to your auditions.</p>

9

<p>Thankyou all for the advice. I do have time to add some lessons or even get feedback and help on my audition pieces from music directors I have worked in the past. </p>

<p>About my parents, the subject has been dropped. I think I just have to Show them by my actions and the outcome of college acceptances or rejections that it was worth it… All of it!.</p>