“There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents, and only one for birthday presents, you know”. ~{Lewis Carroll}

Clapping, cheering, whooping, stomping, whistling, studio chanting and even the cowbell, are all ways that you will find a competitive audience rewarding one single 8 year old, dancing a 2 minute solo to ‘polka dot bikini’.

All are invested in who will win? Let’s support our team member! Holler out their name! Yell from the wings! “GO Kayliana! Go team. U. D. S WhaaaaAAAAAAT”!

Yet, so many of these behaviours are completely taboo for a professional theatre performance. So many of these behaviours are non existent in real life.

Therefore, it’s important for children to also experience working in an authentic theatre environment, or community dance event. You have to work so hard for a reaction, you have to offer every single part of your performance to your audience. Not your peers backstage, not your Mum… but to the crowd of strangers who have paid money to be entertained. It’s extremely humbling to finish a group number, to zero applause, while the section after you, receives applause. You are a small BUT VITAL part of the rhythm of the story. Theatre pieces have a flow, a mood to uphold. Quiet solemn moments should remain quiet, emotional moments need to be silent and respected.

This is why I encourage all young dancers to audition for local Community theatre events to go see Live theatre, to perform for schools and old age homes. You may not receive applause after you dance, so you have to learn to appreciate being part of the dance itself, as part of a bigger picture than just you.

That’s what community feels like…Community matters. It is vital to our existence on Earth.

Kids, sadly as adults, you won’t get cheers on a Friday after a week at work. So enjoy comps (I do!)…

By the way, I am not opposed to Competition cheers and audiences! Infact its a real buzz, I enjoy it!

However, Community is to be part of the bigger picture. It’s about others.

Oh and ‘Cowbells’. Really. Can we ban them from competitions. I just can’t abide them (she says in a snobby way, placing her head in her hand and furrowing her brow).