Even though the weather gets warmer and the salty breeze and crashing waves are calling, my priority continues to be dance; for me there is no “off-season”.

Every Spring, I am repeatedly asked by my peers and parents of my youth students, “Should a dancer continue to train, or take a couple months off during summer like many other sports?” My answer is always the same: Summer is when you can get ahead of the pack, a child finds their passion and inner drive in their off time from school, to focus on what they WANT to do, and many times that is to dance, stretch, and condition without a break. Most of my students couldn’t imagine taking even two weeks off of their love in life, and don’t even want to go to tropical destinations for fear of missing out of something in dance while they are gone! Summer is the time as teachers, we separate who is in it for fun, and who does it as a way of life, who likes it to see their friends and socialize and listen to good music and who sees it as exercise instead of an art form. Summer is when dance becomes a black and white choice; you’re all in or you stop for three months; you must actively pursue something beyond your after school programs that don’t resume until September, and many studios only hold 6 hour a day intensives for the tough and driven. Flexibility must be maintained, as it quickly fades away into stiffness and frustration if it’s not addressed weekly through at least two hours of conditioning, it’s the same with balance and core strength. Those that do not continue through summer digress and the first month upon return find themselves scrambling to get where they were when they took a break three months earlier. Those that continue, find themselves leaps and bounds ahead of the pack that they traveled in through the school year. They can develop new skill sets, technique, and have new experiences in classes at different studios, visiting guest teachers, and all day long intensives with packed, sweaty bodies hungry to learn. A committed year round student pushes through the pain, doesn’t want down time, craves the feeling of stretching to levels they have never reached, pulling that extra turn that was never a realistic goal before, and broadening their individual artistry that only comes with continued self discovery in class and performance.

I am all for a week or two with family, especially as the kids get older and quality time is tough to get on a daily basis during the school year as life gets busy for all. But, as the academic responsibilities disappear, a more relaxed dancer can focus on technical issues or perhaps find a new discipline that they never knew they loved. Summer is a wonderful time of year, the strong willed and passionate students will KEEP DANCING, and though they may not realize it at the moment, they will be rewarded when the others return in September and need the first month of class just to catch up…

 

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be teaching weekly classes for students age 11-19 at Georgia’s School of Dance in Escondido. Specific information will be posted on my facebook page.

#dancerinserepeat,