It's Not Really About Dance

17: A Competitive Weekend for the Middle Phases

There is so much happening at a competitive kid's weekend event. Some parts are great for certain phases, while others are not so great. In this episode, we explore the best parts of a competitive weekend for the upper elementary and middle school phases, and the parts that are less important, or even worth avoiding. For those leading or parenting 4th-5th graders, 6th graders, or 7th-8th graders, this one is especially for you--some food for thought to help you make the most of the phase of kid you have at your next event.

16: Caring For Your Own Heart--Tryouts, Auditions, and Casting

The emotions of putting yourself out there for a team or program and waiting for results are not just carried by the kids themselves, but by their parents and the leaders setting up the programs as well. In this episode, we sort through the messiness of being the grownup in these situations and how to make it not about us, including some practical ways to handle the before, during, and after of an audition process.

15: Competitive Dance 101--Routine Types

In this episode we decode all of the descriptive words for types of routines--age groups, dance styles, routine sizes, and even our take on levels. This is your translation guide for routines listed in casting or announced as they enter the stage. Ultimately we look at how these different types of routines fit into the big picture to influence dancer growth.

14: Tween Takeover

We've brought our second born daughters on as special guests this episode! At ages 10 and 12, they're here to keep it real, answering questions about what competitive dance is and has been like for them through the years, asking us some questions of their own, and having some fun too! These two are each the tenderhearted ones of their families and have opened their hearts up in some ways that we know some other young competitors will relate to. So proud of these first guests ever on the show!

13: It's Really About.....Knowledge

In this episode, we share some examples of both the expected and the unexpected knowledge that has been gained by our kids (and ourselves) through dance, performance, and competition, and how all of these experiences have turned us into "someone who knows stuff."