09/30/2026
⭐️Supporting Your Dancer Through Competitive Season: Tips For Parents⭐️
The Ontario School of Ballet and Persistence Performance Group collaborated to share some helpful tips on how you can best support your dancer, so they can make the most of every moment this season! Keep on swiping to find out the tips!
1. Keep The Focus On What They Can Control
There are many parts of dance that a dancer cannot completely control, including casting, competition results, what other dancers are doing, and how quickly certain skills develop.
What they can influence is how they approach their training.
Effort, preparation, persistence, focus, responding to corrections, and how they handle challenges are all things they can actively work on.
When something goes well, help them notice what they did that contributed to it. When something does not go as planned, help shift the conversation toward what they can learn or do next.
Instead of only asking, “How did it go?” you might ask:
• What are you proud of from class today?
• What did you work hard on?
• What correction are you focusing on right now?
• What is one thing you want to improve this week?
Over time, this helps dancers connect progress with the actions they can influence rather than feeling as though success is something that simply happens to them.
2. Remember That Every Dancer Has A Different Timeline
Progress in dance is rarely linear.
At this stage, so many things can influence how a dancer is developing, from growth and physical changes to coordination, strength, confidence, and the time it takes for new skills to really settle in.
It is important to remember that every dancer’s path is truly their own.
Where a dancer is right now is only one point in a much bigger developmental picture.
3. Use Comparison As Information
Comparison is a natural part of dance. Dancers train beside one another, watch each other, audition together, and often receive different opportunities.
Comparison does not always have to be harmful. It can also be useful when dancers learn to approach it with curiosity rather than judgment.
If another dancer has something they are also working toward, encourage them to ask:
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