Dance Survival 101: Tips for High School Dancers
By Ciyanna Rogers-Taylor, Brown Girls Do Ballet Ambassador
The transition from middle school to high school can be especially difficult for performing arts students. Having to juggle the new heavy workload of high school and continuing after-school training can have a large toll on your mental health and stress.
As a senior Dance major at LaGuardia High School, I’ve spent the past 3 years of my high school experience going through trial and error trying to balance the load. I’ve come up with a few tips and tricks for incoming freshmen, and even sophomores, juniors, and seniors who may need some guidance on balancing it. Whether your school is based in the performing arts or it’s just based around academics, these tips and tricks will help you out!
Related: College Tips for Dancers: Pair These Minors with your Dance Major
Managing Academics
One of the first things I struggled with when I went to high school was trying to stay awake to do my homework after coming home from dance practice. Doing homework is something everyone dreads, but of course it’s necessary. I would finish dance class at around 7:30pm and get home at about 9pm. Taking a shower and eating would finish around 10pm - which would be an ideal time for me to go to sleep, especially since I wake up for school at 5am. Unfortunately, I would have math, science, English, and history homework to do.
For a long time, I waited until I got home to do my homework, so I was going to sleep at almost midnight every night. This began to affect my health, as lack of sleep and dancing is not a good mix. My mom and I began to look for ways that I would be able to get some more sleep. We tried to see if I could get it done before dance class, but there was very little time. So we strategized and this worked for me: I would do some homework at lunch and finish the rest on the way home on the train. Not only was this beneficial and more efficient, but I also got more sleep, which helped improve my dancing.
To be a dancer, your body needs to rest. With no rest, you are more prone to injury, which is not the best. So, my tip is to find time where you’re not doing much during your day and finish a few math problems. It will never hurt to just get some work done during free time because when everything is done, your free time will be better spent and cherished.
Tackling Burnout
Another big thing I struggled with was burnout. Burnout is the state of consistent tiredness. Burnout can have lasting effects on not only your mental health, but also your physical health. Burnout makes dancers more susceptible to injuries and illness. It makes you have trouble focusing and you can lose your love and passion for dance. Dancers can face burnout when pushing themselves to do too many things at one time. Sometimes dancers can feel like they need to be in numerous training programs to get better. Doing these programs, plus the school workload can be very draining and tiring.
Related: Dance-Life Balance: An Interview with Constance Stamatiou
At my high school we dance during the day, and I chose to go to dance after school as well. I also am an overachiever academically, so my course load in school is much larger than the average student’s. I chose to take many AP courses and classes that are higher than my grade level. These courses require more time and effort to pass, because they are more difficult than normal. I was trying to juggle the course load, and dancing both at school and after school, which was extremely stressful and tiring. This was very detrimental to my dance journey and I became so tired, I almost wanted to quit. I overworked myself so much that I ended up injuring my knee. After injuring myself and having to sit out of dance, I began to think about how I can filter things that weren’t helping me grow.
We, as dancers, have to learn when to put certain things aside and let things go. I had to let go of certain things that were not serving me anymore. I started to better organize my time and take breaks when necessary. It’s important to know when your body and your mind needs a break. Your body will tell you when you need a break and it’s important to listen. Dancers don’t need numerous training programs to get better. It is about the quality of your training, not the quantity. Find things within your schedule that are extra and stuff that you know you can do without and remove them. Once you take away certain things from your schedule and allow yourself to take breaks, you’ll be less likely to experience burnout. I’ve learned to take breaks when it comes to dance.
My senior year of high school, I’ve lessened my academic workload because I have college applications and dance performances and rehearsals this year. I want to be well physically and mentally so I can participate in everything to the best of my ability. Be sure to take care of your mind and body, dancers! We need to be both mentally and physically strong to be able to practice and perform our art!
These are just two of my tips that I’ve learned through my high school experience. Some may think this is common knowledge, but in middle school, I had no idea that some of these things even existed. Being in high school consists of a lot of other things other than just going to school and coming home. You’ll want to take part in social activities and more. High school is all about balance, and learning when you have to let things go prepares you for college and your life as an adult. Remember to be productive with your time, and take breaks before you need them!