SUMMER PROGRAM TID-BITS FOR DANCERS

I know many of you are preparing to head out to dance in cities all over the nation for summer intensive workshops. Today I just want to encourage you with some tid-bits as you are preparing, packing, and getting ready. First of all, congrats on being accepted into a summer workshop! I know from experience that it is no easy feat to be accepted into a summer program, so first and foremost, know that that is a HUGE accomplishment.  Know that God has put you in this program and has planned for you to be there. So you can go into it confidently knowing that you are a beautiful dancer. If you are not a dancer, which I know many of my readers are not dancers, I hope SOMETHING in today’s post encourages you and that you will take away a tid-bit to encourage you in the season of life that you are in. Thank you for bearing with me today on this very dancer-specific post. And can I just take a moment to say, thank you ALL for taking time out of your day to read what I write. I am blown away by your sweetness! I don’t know where this writing adventure will lead, but I will always be grateful for you, the readers, who I just love. Know that I keep you in my prayers….okay anyhoo……

I attended many summer workshops in my teen years as a ballet dancer. I attended Boston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, the School of American Ballet in NYC, Ballet Austin, as well the Dallas Ballet Center, where I grew up dancing. I was young and naive and those programs really gave me a taste for the professional world of ballet, but more than that, they gave me a passion for it. But if I could go back and give myself a little pep talk before each of those workshops, it might have sounded something like this…

1. Be confident in who you are as a dancer. Don’t look around and compare your body, your feet, your anything to any other dancer. Instead, learn from more advanced dancers, but be who you are. Be who God created you to be. Delight in who God made you to be as a dancer and as a woman.

2. Make the most of every single class. The more you listen and take in corrections, the faster you will grow as a dancer. Be teachable.

3. Don’t be intimidated. There will be better dancers than you. There will be some intimidating teachers. Just focus on your dancing.

4. Make friends and enjoy your down time, but make wise decisions. Don’t stay up late or go out late…you will pay for it the next day.

5. Watch out for extremes. What I mean by that is, you will come across dancers who live by a certain diet, food rules, or food restrictions. Let them do their thing. I encourage you to eat what you crave between hunger and fullness to stay at your natural, God-given size. Eat when you are truly hungry, and stop eating when you are satisfied, not stuffed. Stand strong in this and be on guard because you will see a lot of different ideas and extremes. Don’t be swayed down the wrong path. Don’t be embarrassed or feel guilty about how you eat or what your eat. Enjoy the freedom of eating between hunger and fullness.

6. Make it a spiritual retreat. Spend time with the Lord. Bring a journal and record your thoughts. Talk to God throughout the process, lean on Him, and invite Him into this workshop.

7. When you’re homesick (and boy, was I ever!) call someone. Thank goodness for cell phones! Back when I was attending summer programs, we had to use pay phones! Stay in touch with the people who love you and are praying for you.

8. Write down corrections from teachers at the end of each day. Notice if there is a theme to their corrections, take note, and APPLY their corrections. Remember they are there to help you reach your full potential as a dancer, not to judge you.

9. Love your body. This is a tough one because as dancers, we are so critical of our own bodies. This will take prayer. Ask God to help you LOVE the skin you are in and the body He has given you. I know that is easier said than done when you are wearing a leotard and tights every day. Thank Him for the height He made you, the way your legs are shaped, the way you move, the way you can remember combinations….find things to thank Him for. Don’t look around and wish you had someone else’s body….it will only hold you back. This will take some deep awareness of your thoughts. Think on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 No matter your weight, your height, or your age, I know that our natural inclination is to want to change something about our bodies. It will rob us of progress in our dancing. Catch yourself in class or rehearsal when you are focusing too much on your body in the mirror, and not enough on your DANCING. Stay focused on the dancing and that will take your focus off of what you want to change about your body. Remember you are “fearfully and wonderfully made”. Psalm 139:14 God doesn’t want you to be anyone other than YOU. Remember that dancing is about performing to move an audience, not about striving for the perfect body.

10. Thank your parents. Somehow going to all of those workshops, it didn’t always hit me that my parents were paying for those workshops and also just willing to let me go off to a big city all on my own. Thanks Mom and Dad! Those opportunities are priceless!

11. Be friendly and respectful to the staff and to the other dancers. I was shy, shy, shy at those workshops because I was just unsure, intimidated at times, and really just trying to figure it all out. Step out of your comfort zone and make a friend. Smile and respectfully say hello to the staff and thank your teachers after class.

12. Shine. Be free to shine by remembering how far you have come as a dancer. Don’t be afraid to DANCE BIG. Don’t hold back in your dancing. Don’t hide in the back of the room! Step forward and dance confidently.

13. Work when no one is watching. When you are standing at the side of the studio, waiting for your turn, be thinking what you need to improve on when it’s your turn. Arrive early to class and stretch and do some conditioning to physically and mentally prepare for class. Stay after class a few minutes and go over some of the corrections you learned or stay and stretch…the ideal time to improve your flexibility. I say all of this because….you never know who might be watching you. An artistic director might notice your maturity and your work ethic. A fellow dancer might be inspired by your dedication. You are there to work hard.

14. Don’t try to do this in your own strength. Know that it is going to be physically tiring and challenging to say the least. Your feet are going to hurt. Your body is going to hurt. You are going to feel like quitting at times. But because you know Christ, you have a power at work in you. Lean on the Holy Spirit. “I can do all things through Christ who has strengthened me.” Philippians 4:13

15. Be gentle on yourself. Pamper your feet. :) Bring a bucket so that you can ice those feet and have happy feet. Bring a heating pad to lay on in the evenings to pamper your back muscles that are working so hard. Take a nap when you need to.

16. Pray through it. Talk to God throughout your time there through every single step. Trust that He has a plan for your dancing.

17. Go for it in your dancing and have fun! 

18. Before you head out, set goals. Ask yourself, “What do I want to get out of this program? How can I improve as a dancer? What are my goals as a dancer?” Read through these goals throughout the summer program to keep you focused.

19. Dream big, pray big, and let God take the lead. God has a plan and a path for your dancing and for your life. Just like when you are dancing with a partner and you have to let that partner lead, God wants to lead your life. He has the BEST plan and BEST path in mind for you. He puts desires on your heart. Listen to those desires. He wants you to dream big. He wants you to pray big and then leave it in His capable hands. Let Him lead your life step by step.

20. And lastly, the “mom” side of me would say….take care of yourself, have good snacks on hand in your dance bag, keep water with you and stay hydrated, go to the studio prepared with everything that you need every day, look nice for class and make sure your hair is super secure, don’t stay up too late so that you get the rest you need…. :)

I hope this encourages you as you head out to that summer program. Here’s a prayer to help you get your focus on Christ before you head out and while you are dancing:

Prayer: “Dear Lord, thank You so much for this opportunity You have given me to study at this summer program. Thank You for giving me the gift of dancing. Lord, help me lean on You in every aspect of this dancing opportunity. Be my strength and help me lean on Your power that lives inside of me. Help me be confident and love the body that You have given me. Guard my heart from extremes and help me keep my focus on You. Help me enjoy every moment, dance confidently, and shine from within. Help me focus on You and on my dancing. Use this time to help me grow as a dancer and as a woman. Help me come back home with a new level of maturity in my dancing and in my spiritual life. When I feel overwhelmed, help me run to You. When I feel exhausted, help me lean on You. When I feel homesick, remind me that You are there with me. When I feel intimidated, help me remember that You made me beautiful. When I feel nervous, calm my anxious heart. When I feel like quitting, change my perspective. When I feel insecure, remind me that I belong to You. Help me shine. Help me dance “full out!” “

Let me know what workshop you are headed to and I would love to pray for your this summer as you embark on this dancing adventure! sarahbethmarr@gmail.com