Balancing dance and school

If you are a serious dancer in middle school, high school, or college, you have probably experienced the difficulties of fitting in homework, dance class, and rehearsal after you finish your day at school.  It can sometimes feel impossible to get everything done, especially when you add eating, sleeping, and social time to the mix.  Here are some tips and ideas to help you manage your schedule.

1.  Make a schedule for yourself.  Get an agenda book or large calendar and start marking down your commitments.  If school is from 8am to 2pm, write that down.  Dance class is at 4:30?  Write that down too.  Rehearsal on Saturday morning?  Write it in your agenda.  Fill in your schedule as far into the future as you can.  Remember to designate holidays, days with no school or dance, and social commitments as well.

After you've done that, look for the areas of your schedule that are blank.  Do you have chunks of time on weekday afternoons?  Is Sunday completely free?  Some of that time should be designated to homework.  Gauge how many hours of homework you have a day (or week), and make sure you designate enough time to get all your stuff done.  If you are working toward a dance career, make sure you also designate some of your free time to practicing.

2.  If your schedule doesn't give you enough time to fit it all in, try making more time.  Can you get an hour of homework done in the morning before school?  Is it possible to knock out some reading while you commute to dance?  Do you have breaks between class and rehearsal when you can work?  Think about all the little bits of time that are available and use them to your advantage.

If you are in middle or high school and your school requires elective or PE credits, see if you can count your dance to meet these credits.  If your school agrees, you leave school early instead of going to an elective or PE class.  Use your additional time to get your homework done and rest before you head to dance class.

If you are in college (and dancing with a non-professional school or local company), you are probably used to changing your schedule every semester.  Try to arrange your schedule so your academic classes are all in the morning.  That way, you'll have time to attend dance classes in the afternoon.

3.  If all else fails, look at your priorities.  If you're only in middle school, your career life may feel like it's a long way away.  However, it cases where something has to give, you must think of what you want (and what your parents will support) for the long run.  If you can't arrange your schedule to accommodate your current school and dance schedules, you may have to radically change the way you do one or the other.

If you do dance as a hobby, you may have to cut down on dance classes in order to do your best in school.  Consider taking one fewer class per week or changing to a different studio with a more relaxed way of doing things.  Don't think too much about how your current dance teachers and friends will feel.  You need to do what's best for you.

If you want a career in dance, you can't afford to cut dance classes.  Your dance training is basically your job training.  That said, you do still need to go to school and get your high school diploma.  Talk to your parents, dance teachers, and school teachers and guidance counselors about the best options for you.  In general, your options include taking easier classes at your current school (like regular levels instead of advanced or honors), attending an alternative school that may allow you to take online classes at your own pace, homeschooling, or attending a dance school.  This last option is the most extreme, as it may force you to move away from your hometown.  Again, talk to the people close to you to help figure out your best options.

If you are in college while you are pursuing a career in dance (as in you have a paying job with a company), you have some options to help you put dance first.  Many colleges offer night classes, which you can attend after you spend your day training with the company.  You can take online classes too.  Most colleges will allow you take as little as one class per semester as a part time student.  If your commitment to the company really makes it difficult to work on your degree, put it on hold.  You can always go back to college later when it fits better with what's going on in your life. (Just be aware that if you are on scholarship, you may not be able to put your scholarship funds on hold for later.  Also, if you are attending a non-accredited college, the credits will not transfer to another institution should you decide to pick things back up somewhere else.)

Do you manage your dance and school schedules in an effective manner?  Leave a comment!