Hello, Kinderdance family! I hope you all enjoyed your recent Parent's Day!
Parent's Day can be a very exciting and very overwhelming experience for our dancers.
There is a distinct reason why our teachers preface each Parent's Day with: "We are not sure what to expect, and anything could happen!"
Anything and everything will occur at Parent's Day. From shoes being thrown at Mom's head, to perfectly pristine behavior. It is remarkable what a performance can bring.
Some children are affected by pre-show jitters, or "stage fright", and may not perform at all for their parents. Have no fear! Our focus is to build strength and courage!
For over a month, we have been practicing "Parent's Day" during our regular class times. I try to incorporate a few strategies to help the children prepare for an audience:
- We applaud one another. (which also encourages teamwork)
- We practice but do not "push" so that the children gain confidence in their rehearsing.
- We take each other seriously! (Ie. Our mantras "I am a dancer. Shh")
- We talk about performing one step at a time. If your child is uneasy to participate in front of an audience at first, we give them frequent opportunities to join us in our safe space.
These strategies can help each child emotionally prepare for watching eyes.
Till Friday,
Miss Lee