I have a competition group that has certain guidelines they have to follow. The latest issue is absences. They are allotted 3 absences per year, however, I tell them that they should not miss unless they absolutely have to (i.e. very ill, etc.), not for a social event, etc. I have discussed with them time management and that it is important to use their time wisely since they are so busy. I preach against procrastination and tell them that if they have a huge project due the next day and they come to me and say they are going to be absent because they put it off for two weeks, that is not excusable. I have a few students trying to fight me on my reasons for absences and what is excusable. Do you assign absences? If so, how many, and do they have to be excusable or can they be for any reason? What do you do when students break the rules How do you get your kids to be truly dedicated? In addition, what do you do about disrespectful kids that think they are your equal and don't understand that teachers are in charge? While I am ranting, what do you do about kids who are influencing other kids by talking negative about you or other students? I am mostly speaking of competition students, the ones who are supposed to be more serious. Thanks.

Five years ago, I bought a 25 year old small studio, in an older declining suburb. We are known for performing Nutcracker, so we never had time for a comp team, as well. I'm having similar problems as you mentioned because my few teen/adult dancers know I'm stuck for performers. If I got too strict, I wouldn't have enough dancers to put on our Nutcracker. Years ago, when there were twice as many children in the township, the original studio owner could easily replace dancers who missed too much, and they knew it. I've had to make the best of a bad situation, until I can increase the school's enrollment. I'm not happy, but I intend to be here another 20 years, and things are SLOWLY getting better with time.

This also causes me to have to put up with "drama queens" who think they should be getting more solo roles. Consequently, they stir the others up and challenge my decisions. (These are dancers I inherited from the prior owner, who was not well liked.) I just grit my teeth and manage the best I can, and look forward to the day my younger students can ultimately replace them, so I won't need them anymore. Today's teens have no respect for authority, and texting among themselves, to gossip, just seems to exacerbate that. They can spread nasty rumors, and make a mountain out of a molehill.

If you can live without them on the team and will be aboe to follow through on the consequences you've laid out I think that if you allow them three absences - let them use them how they want. Then if they use them up on silly irresponsible stuff and then have a real reason to miss, they've lost their spot because they didn't think ahead manage their time well. I've found you can beat consequences into their head and preach time management and responsibility until you're blue in the face, but until they see that their desicions (like bad choices of absences) do really effect the outcome they just won't get it.

I had a great demonstration team (16-20 years old), but they became arrogant. When I set rehearsal times, they told me to change it because they had other things to do at that time.
(I was soooo pissed off!)
I completely passed those girls, selected some younger ones (12-15 years old = too young for me, not well enough, but GEE they were motivated!) and did the next demo with them.

During the rehearsals for this demo, after some time one of the 'old' team members asked me for the new rehearsal times as they had asked for (GRRRRRRR!).
And I responded: "You couldn't come on the times I set, so I asked someone else who could come on my times." After my answer there was a HUGE silence from the old members to me, by mail and in class, nobody said a word about it.

When the demo was done, the old members asked me if they could see the video. I was (so naive) pleased that they were at least interested in the performance.
They weren't. They were just looking for who the new members were. Disappointed because they didn't know most of them. They were not interested in their skills or the choreography.


I told the new members what I expected from them (motivation, presence, hard work, dedication) and they gave me that for about a year. After that it dropped too. They had done some demonstrations, they knew what it was like, the fun was over. Other things became more important for them.
This is the microwave generation, long lasting endurance is unknown to them. They have never experienced the results of investing in themselves for years. Too impatient. Too quickly bored.


I shifted the demo team to another teacher. Hoped she would be motivated to work with them (I wasn't anymore). Hoped she could give them a new boost.
In her first rehearsal, only TWO kids showed up. That demo was cancelled.


We did auditions, but also said that accepted team members had to pay for the rehearsals and the costumes.
Two girls showed up. NONE of the former team members auditioned for the new demo group. NOT ONE.


Now I have no demo group anymore. The kids aren't motivated, neither am I. Some time ago one of the former members asked me about the demo team. And I said: "I've spent many hours for free working with the team and you didn't even bother to show up in rehearsals. When I asked money for my work, you refused to join. None of the teachers in the house wanted to continue with the team you after I told them how the team has treated me. THAT's why there are no more demonstrations."
She got the message.


Do you NEED a competition group?

Are these first year competition dancers? I have a small, young studio but I don't tolerate rule breaking at any age or level. People will try to push you limits but you must stand strong, Say what you mean and mean what you say. If you make empty threats or let one person slide everyone else will try to get away with breaking the rules. Rules are rules not suggestions.

I offer many non-competitive performance opportunities so I consider competition to be a bonus and a privilege. I hold auditions for the top group. At auditions and efore the season starts I let competitive students and their parents know what is expected and the consequences for breaking the rules. The rules are also in the mini handbook they get. The parent and dancer must sign that they understand these expectations before the new comp classes begin.

Do you assign absences? If so, how many, and do they have to be excusable or can they be for any reason?

Excused absences are illness, graded school functions and family emergencies. That's it. If a student misses, excused or not, she is responsible for learning the new material and there is a big possibility that she will not be included in the new choreography. If a student has already learned the dance and is missing rehearsal I can pull them from part or all of the dance. It's not fair to those who are coming to class. I have done this in the past and my students know I will do it again.

In fact I scheduled a new rehearsal next month that a student can not attend due to a previously scheduled school conflict. Both the dancer and her mother separately asked if she would be pulled from any part of the dance. I don't intend to but if I did, no one would be surprised.

What do you do when students break the rules

Actions for competitive students
1.Verbal Warning
2. Strong talk, notify parents
3. Probation/final warning
4. Dismissal

I have put 3 students on probation(one quit the team) and dismissed another 2 students (both were some of my strongest dancers). It hurt in the short term but in the end the groups did very well. The dedicated students appreciated each other more and worked even harder.

How do you get your kids to be truly dedicated?

I tell them that dance takes effort and dedication. I live in a strong competition region so I can say look at studio XYZ. Or look at So you think you can dance, watch youtube etc. those dancers worked hard, came to class prepared etc. etc. I also take my students to conventions and they always get motivated after that. If you want to achieve your personal best in competition you have to push yourself. Dancers who do not want that extra push should not be on my comp team. However they are are than welcome to do other performances.

If your dancers haven't been to a competition before they probably don't have a clue about how their laziness is hurting them. Take them to watch a comp if you can. Prepare them as best you can and after the first comp they will see it for themselves.

In addition, what do you do about disrespectful kids that think they are your equal and don't understand that teachers are in charge?

While I am ranting, what do you do about kids who are influencing other kids by talking negative about you or other students?

I will not and do not tolerate this! This is stated from day one and is part of my rules. I don't put up with students disrespecting other students, me or my staff. I also have no tolerance for gossip and negative talk. Doing so will result in the actions listed above and if continued dismissal from the studio.

I think you are just deciding how firm you want to be in general but if you made the rule I think you have to stick to it, otherwise you lose credibility all over. For example next time they're goofing off in class and you say Pay attention or you will have to sit out, they are going to assume that you don't mean it. I think you need to just make a decision about what your policy is going to be and stick to it. My studio allows 2 absences for any reason, and 2 excused absences that are due to illness etc...and that's it! Period-if you miss more than 4 classes in a year (Since the studio is only open 10 months and off for holiday weeks that is about 1 absence every 8 classes) you aren't dedicated enough to committ to a competitive level program and you're dragging the rest of the group down so you are dropped and offered a recreational class instead.

There was another thread recently about dealing with attendance problems that you might want to check out: www.dance.net . . .

With children and teenagers, when there are rules, there should also be consequences for breaking the rules. If there is an attendance policy, there should be some things that will happen - or not happen - if a student ends up with more than the acceptable number of absences. My first suggestion would be that missing more than three absences means that the student is pulled from the competition dance. Not only is that a disciplinary action, it's practical, because one person missing so much classtime and rehearsal time is detrimental to the rest of the group. That one person is behind and has to be caught up before the group can progress, the things they had down and polished before this person came back go bad again because they weren't there to receive the corrections, etc.

Your reasoning for excused versus unexcused absences is perfectly reasonable, by the way. Don't let a couple of self-centered teenagers try to guilt you out of it. They have to learn about commitment and making choices sooner or later, and it may as well be sooner.

If that hasn't been enforced yet, I would start by sending home a letter about it, stating that from now on, more than three absences will mean not participating in the dance come competition time. Give amnesty to those absences already accrued and start fresh. And stick to your guns. It's going to be really irritating to you to have to reblock an entire dance at the last minute because someone had to be pulled out for missing too many classes, but don't be lenient just to save yourself the trouble. Just like in parenting, it only creates a monster that will be harder to tame later. Once you make a rule, you have to stick to it, no matter what. Otherwise they will walk all over you.

I mentioned on the other thread that the girls involved in the company at my studio sign a contract every year that outlines our expectations for them and what will happen if those expectations are not met. It works very well with them, and it might be something to consider for your team next year.

As for students with bad attitudes and no respect, the first thing you should do is take the student aside and have a private talk. You've noticed lately that some things are being said that shouldn't be, and that negative attitudes bring the rest of the group down, and you want this to be a positive experience for everyone, and so on. Usually once they realize that you know what's up and who's doing it, they lose their boldness about it and lay off. If that doesn't work, go to the parents. Tell them the same things. And if that still doesn't help, go to the studio owner and ask her to talk with both the parents and the student.

Unfortunately, I work for a rec studio, so I can't be too strict about absences. However, my advanced students know that I don't put up with frequent absences, and they know that I base the character parts for my ballets on their attendance, not just their abilities. So with them, I can get away with expecting good attendance.

With the younger ones, I can lecture and complain to them about their absences, but there's nothing I can really DO about it. If they were competition dancers, I would most certainly have a policy for attendance, and I would definitely enforce it. I think your rule of 3 absences is completely fair, and I'd drop the kids who can't follow that rule.