Can I miss class for this?

When dance students are in serious training programs, they often have class most days of the week after school and on Saturdays.  This is imperative for them to achieve and maintain high-level dance technique.  However, it can be tough on kids and teens to have so little free time.  It's hard to be excited about ballet class when all your friends are going to a birthday party.  While taking some time for social activities is important to health, sometimes it's unacceptable miss a dance obligation for a social one.  In this post, I'll walk through some common social situations dancers face and note whether or not they should take precedence over class or rehearsal.

1.      I've been invited to a party.  In general, it is not acceptable to miss class for a party.  The only real exceptions are big-time family obligations, like your grandma's 90th birthday or your brother's Bar Mitzvah celebration.  Your casual friends' parties are not a priority if you are training to be a professional.  If you were to miss class for a party, it would be like telling your dance teacher that goofing off is more important than working toward your dream (harsh, but true).  If you're really close with the party-thrower, offer to get them a gift or hang out at a time when you're free to make up for the missed get-together.  And remember, any party with drugs or alcohol is not one where an aspiring pro-athlete needs to be.

2.      I have a religious, family, or school function to attend.  It is ok to miss one class or rehearsal (or a couple if the function is out of town) for an event like a confirmation ceremony, wedding, funeral, or graduation.  Be sure to let your teacher or artistic director know you will be gone for the event before you miss the class or rehearsal, and do not miss any more than you are scheduled to.  Call the studio if there are any extenuating circumstances like a cancelled flight.  When you get back, check in with a fellow dancer to catch up on choreography before your next scheduled rehearsal.  This is imperative to show you have the work ethic and motivation to keep missed classes/rehearsal from holding you back.

3.      There's a family emergency.  It's absolutely ok to miss class if it's something you are directly involved in (like you need to take someone to the ER).  While it's probably not on your radar, call the studio when you get the chance to let the director know what's happened.  If the emergency is not something that concerns you (like one of your parents had to take someone to the ER), try to come to class or rehearsal anyway.  It's understandable if you are emotional or distracted in this situation.  Let the teacher know what happened, and try your best to stay on track.

4.      I'm sick or hurt.  See my full article on attending class sick or hurt here.  In this situation, you should attend class if you can without further hurting yourself or spreading a contagious illness.  It's ok to sit and observe class or rehearsal if you can't participate, just let the teacher know what's going on and follow his or her recommendations.  If you need to stay home (a good idea if your contagious, have an upset stomach, or can't walk on your own), give the studio a call to let them know you'll be absent.

5.      I have a doctor's appointment.  Try your best not to schedule appointments during class or rehearsal time, but if that's the only time available, go ahead and miss that one class or rehearsal if the appointment is imperative to fix something that's really bothering you.  Your concentration and technique will improve after an appointment to fix your misaligned hip or painful toothache.  If the appointment is just for a basic checkup or a teeth cleaning, it's better to reschedule for a time when it doesn't interfere with class or rehearsal.