What I didn't know...

Every since my daughter has been dancing (since she was two and now she is twelve) I have wondered where she would go with this.  Like, what is available to her beyond all her childhood dance lessons.  She is twelve and loves dance as much as she ever has.  She has even attended the ABT summer dance intensive.  She really loves it.  But when she was two, it was so cute.  Honestly?  I thought that she would grow out of it. 

Well, dancing is no fad for her.  And that is fine.  I have also learned in my parenting journey that all the time she spends at the studio develops more than dance skills. The discipline she has learned through the art of dance has transcended life at the studio and carried over into her academics, her relationships, her character growth, and so much more.  These alone are worth the price of tuition!  I guess I did not know what I did not know.

Now that my dancer is getting ready to enter high school, I am beginning to ponder things like how will this dance support her college endeavors?  And selfishly, maybe, how is all this dancing going to convert to money for college?  And do I even hope she continues her dancing at college?  The answer to that is yes I do!

What lies ahead?

What I have noticed in talking with other moms is that discovering your child's passion is in many cases the hard part.  I am lucky that my daughter already knows what she loves.  And I will share with you why I am hopeful that she will want to continue with her dancing, even if it is not her career choice.

When my daughter, Reese, first started dancing at two, I was so concerned with her getting all the moves right and making sure her timing was right.  I behaved like her performance at two was an audition for entrance into Julliard!  Yeah, I was that mom.  Do you know that mom?  Have you, like me, been that mom?  Maybe you are still that mom.  And that's ok...this is a judgement-free zone! 

The reason I am hoping that Reese will find a way to keep dancing is for a lot of the same reasons I am glad about it here and now.  If being good at dance now requires so much from her that she does not have time to get into trouble, it will probably accomplish the same motive when she is off at school somewhere (que the evil laugh and twirling of the hands) and I can not be there to supervise.  And I need all the help I can get!

As a side note to focusing on dance, check out some of the really cool extracurricular activities these professional dancers put to good use.  I found this in an article in Dancespirit.  They are in to everything from knitting to upholstering furniture.

So since I have embraced that dance will probably be a part of my daughter's life long after I have to drive her to recital, I have started exploring what types of opportunities she may be able to find that will help offset the cost of pursuing post high school dancing.  Turns out that there are a number of scholarships available for dancers like ours.  You can learn more about these opportunities in an article by Nichelle called 5 Scholarship Opportunities for Dancers. 

Another resource for dance scholarships may be found at an organization called Princess Grace Dance Foundation.  They offer a national award program for emerging dance and theater artists.  You may also check out 25 Scholarships for Dance Students.  This article lists the actual scholarships with contact information and instructions on how to apply.  Great information!

What are the five tips?

And finally, without further ado, here are my five tips for getting a dance scholarship.

1. Find out what scholarships are offered at the university you want to attend.
2. Get much dance training as you can beginning in high school.  
3. Start participating in and tracking community service.
4. Keep your GPA up to at least 3.0.
5. Talk to a recruiter from the university you want to attend to get specifics of what they are looking for.

No matter your season of parenting a dancer,  I hope this article has helped glean a little insight into what is to come as well as give you a better feeling about where you are and have been as a dance parent.  Thanks for reading!