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How To Know If A Dance Team Is The Right Fit For You

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How To Know If A Dance Team Is The Right Fit For You

Alvina Ng
January 23, 2024
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It's that time of the year againnnnn! AUDITION SEASON. This is when that dream team of yours may become a reality!

See Related Article: How To Make Your Dream Dance Team

While it’s great to finally be on the dance team you’ve looked up to for so long, a team you admire may not necessarily be a team that is the ‘right fit’ for you. The team culture can make or break your experience on a team.It's a lot like dating – you have to have the right chemistry in order to have a happy coexistence.

See Related Article: If Your Dance Team Was A Woman... This Is How She Would Make You Feel

With that in mind, here are a few questions to ask yourself when deciding if a dance team is the right fit for you.

Are You Going To Feel Included?

Feeling socially included allows for more emotional headspace to handle other things.

The stress of not feeling included during practices when you spend so much time with a team can really bog a person down.

Even minute things as simple as inside jokes may seem petty to some, but bonding as a team inevitably results in having inside jokes, so if you don't feel included in these moments, it may be difficult to feel accepted as a team member.

See Related Article: How To Build A Network In The Dance Community

How Do The Dancers Show Appreciation?

Feeling socially included is one thing, but feeling appreciated as a dancer by your directors and teammates is also something that could deeply affect your experience at practices and on the team.

Do you feel like a contributing member of the team?

Do you feel comfortable with your relationship with your directors, in a way that allows you to feel like you can confide in them without being dismissed?

See Related Article: Why I'm Thankful To Be A Dancer

Will You Feel Motivated To Go To Practice?

If the idea of going to practice is met with dread, or if attending practice feels like a chore, the team is probably not the best fit for you.

The team, your teammates, and the dancing you do at practice should all be a therapeutic escape.

You should be able to feel appreciative of the time spent with your team, knowing it's a safe haven for you to unwind.

Life obligations and stressors are no joke, so why would you spend 4-5 hours (or more) being somewhere you dread being?

See Related Article: A Dancer’s Guide To Being On A Dance Team

What Is The Team's Dance Style?

It doesn't have to be a dance style you're necessarily good at (although if you are, great!), because discomfort with a team's dance style shouldn't be confused with an improper fit.

If you don't feel like you're good at the style your new team embodies but you admire it and want to improve on it, that discomfort is probably good for you, and you will come out on the other side a better dancer.

Your team's dance style needs to make you feel something.

You should find yourself enjoying the pieces you do, and/or the growth process that comes with adjusting to the team's dance style.

If you really aren't enjoying your team's dance style, perhaps it isn't the right team for you.

How Much Does The Team Perform Or Compete?

Given the hell weeks and team bonding (read: bonding via sleep deprivation or delirium) that happens, you should naturally be ecstatic about performance day.

Any performance or competition with your team is usually pinnacle of all your long, grueling practices.

But if thinking about sharing the stage with your teammates isn't really tickling your fancy, something could be said about the level of fit you have with your team.

See Related Article: Wanna Know Why Dancing On A Project Is So Unique?

Do Team Members Hang Out Outside Of Practice?

Hanging out with your teammates when you're AT practice is easy enough, but wanting to hang out outside of practice requires extra effort on your own behalf.

Wanting to making that extra effort to hang out with your teammates outside of practice is a great sign that you truly enjoy their company as friends, and they to you.

Ask yourself if you had met these individuals through some other chance meeting if you see yourself becoming friends with them regardless.

If the answer is a resounding 'yes', you're in the right place.

See Related Article: How To Cultivate Positive Relationships In The Dance Community

You're not always going to feel positive emotions while on the team, because that wouldn't be realistic.But at the very least, you should have some semblance of certainty while considering all these factors, that you've found a great team for you.What are some other ways you can tell if a team is the right fit for you?

If you think we've missed something, leave a comment below to add to the list!If you're on that training grind to make it to your dream team, try taking classes on STEEZY Studio! You'll be able to pick up choreographer quicker, and become versed in a lot of different styles. Try it today for free!This article was originally published on October 29, 2014.