We have our first comp this weekend, and today, after her solo, one of my senior division dancers freaked out and said she doesn't want to do her solo this weekend. This dance looks great, she dances it beautifully, but she says that she isn't connecting to it and doesn't feel it and feels that there is something missing. Watching it, you wouldn't agree. I told her it is ultimately her choice, but that she might find the thing that she is looking for on stage....which she does every year. She is always really nervous before the first comp, but always comes back from it wanting to do this this and this and tweak that that and that. She is a really smart student and really understands modern. I am not going to force her to do it since it doesn't effect the other dancers, but does anyone have any other advice?

It sounds like you are saying that the dancer goes through this every year before the first comp. I think you summed it up very well in your opening post. Maybe you should show her what you wrote to other dance teachers, it might build up her confidence and she will know how you feel.

Your right, ultimately she cannot be forced to go on stage, but the best thing for you to do I show her as much support as possible and make her want to go onstage. It sounds like you already have a good start, just tell her that she looks amazing when she's dancing and it will be beautiful at the competition. Tell her to use it as a learning experience. She'll get to go on stage and actually perform it to see how she feels then. If she is still uncomfortable, you can come back and change the parts of the dance she doesn't like, or alter it so that she connects with it more. Alot of times performing on stage is the only way to see how a dance really turns out, so try to convince her to give it a chance.

Good luck with this, I hope it turns out well for you both..

I ended up writing her a note with all of the things I love about her dancing and her solo and gave it to her the night before the competition. That way she can always pull it out when she is feeling low. She ended up doing the solo, getting a diamond and placing 8th place overall out of 40+ routines, so she did really well with it. And when she got off stage, she was so happy that she did it, and said how good it felt and that she finally connected to the song. I didn't say I told you so, but I was so proud of her!

Congrats! I am sure you are both very happy that she went through with it!