Competition time can be a crazy period.  

I have created a checklist here to help relieve the anxiety associated with preparing for a dance competition. 

Some of these items may be organised by the dance teacher and some you will need to do but I have included them all so that you can double check that things are running smoothly. 

2 Months Before

• Double check with the teacher which events your son/daughter is eligible for (the teacher will consider age and competency levels, minimum and maximum numbers for troupes as well as whether there are restricted syllabus steps that need to be performed).
• Pay any competition fees in time for registration.
• Find out and write down their rehearsal schedule.
• Clarify whether  you need to purchase any costumes or whether the dance school will be supplying them. Often dance schools have a costume levy to cover these costs.
• Find out where the venue is and look up the directions from your home – especially  if you have never been there before.
• Clarify starting times for the competition. 

1 week before

• See if your son/daughter can perform in front of an audience to get practice and feedback. It’s important to practice actually performing to learn to perform.  A lot of people make the mistake of only rehearsing in the studio which is not really the same as getting out there and performing under pressure in front of a real audience.
• Find out the running order on the day so that you are aware of their performance times.
• Get hair cut (if appropriate).
• Find out how your teacher would like them to wear their hair and practice putting it up/styling it if you haven’t done that style before.
• Purchase make-up and practice putting it on in the preferred style.
• Prepare all costumes. Have them on separate coat hangers or in separate labeled bags. If each costume has separate jewelery or other accessories to go with it, use a zip lock bag (they come in various sizes) to put all the items in it, seal it and then pierce a hole in the top of the bag and hang it on the coat hanger with the matching outfit.
• Make sure you pack spare copies of your music (if you are part of a troupe your teacher should do this for you). Make sure that your cd’s are labeled correctly with your name, troupe number and song number on the cd itself not just on the cover. 

The day before

• Most importantly make sure they get a good night’s sleep!
• Check start times, door opening times and make sure you have the paperwork/tickets etc..

Double check that you have packed everything that they will need:

• costumes, shoes, tights, warm up clothes, hair accessories, wigs, hats, props, music, jewellery, make-up, make-up remover/baby wipes in case they have changes between numbers.

Other items that could be useful:

• sewing kit, small first aid kit, baby wipes, hand towel, scissors, tissues, safety pins, bobby pins, glue (for stray sequins), lots of water and healthy snacks. 

On the day

• Arrive at the venue early
• Check that your son/daughter has been correctly entered into the appropriate events
• Find the team/teacher
• Have a look at the stage and if possible check out the floor to make sure their shoes will not be too slippery or sticky.
• Find a copy of the running order of the day to check that nothing has changed and highlight  the categories relevant to your little one.
• Find the change room if there is one
• Stay close to the teacher/group at all times so that he/she can instruct you as to what is happening next. They may want to go over routines in between events so staying close will avoid missing out on this and will relieve tension of the teacher if they can’t find all the students. This is also important for team cohesion.
• Wear a dressing gown over your costume when eating so that you don’t accidentally spill anything on your outfit.
• Make sure your son/daughter stays warmed up and focused on the performance.
• Go over your choreography before you go on stage. 

If you are a mum or dad preparing your child for a dance competition, the most important thing to remember is to encourage your child, give as much positive feedback as possible, especially on the day when all the preparation is already done and remember that there is nothing worse than a “stage mum” hurling negative destructive comments from the sideline at your nervous dancer throughout the day. 

Good Luck and please let me know if there are any items that I have left off that might be useful for other dancers.