Dance & Perfectionism

At The Pointe, we’re big believers in the power of participating in dance.  So many life lessons can be learned through dance lessons!  At the studio, we’ve seen dancers of all ages experience some struggles dealing with perfectionism – which makes working and progressing in dance class difficult.  In students as young as age 3, we see dancers struggle with perfectionism and have a hard time trying new skills – especially if they feel like they don’t “get it right” on their first try.  Several skills in dance (and in life!) take several unsuccessful attempts before we become competent.  Today, we’re exploring some ways dance teachers and parents of dancers can help spot and address perfectionism in the dance studio.

What are signs of unhealthy perfectionism?

  • Too much focus on overall outcome and not on their progress and journey
  • Setting unrealistic expectations and standards for themselves
  • Procrastinating in order to avoid making mistakes or trying new things
  • Showing signs of guilt or embarrassment
  • Meltdowns or crying over perceived failures

How can dancers overcome it?

  • Using positive affirmations has been shown to be helpful. Teach your child (or yourself) a set of phrases to tell themselves when they become upset such as “nobody’s perfect”, “all I can do is my best”, and “mistakes are the best way to learn”.
  • Explain that growing and learning new things takes time – learning is a process and takes time. Every person learns new things at different speeds – and that’s okay!

Try saying these phrases out loud when you make a mistake while your dancer is around so they know that everyone makes mistakes and they can see how to use positive affirmations in different situations.

  • Remind them that everyone makes mistakes! Point out characters from their favorite movies or role models that have made mistakes but are still successful.
  • Avoid comparing yourself to others and instead focus on positives. Have them list five things they love about themselves and/or that they do well in dance.
  • Remind them that mistakes are lessons, it’s okay to say “I don’t know” and to ask questions, and praise the positive things they do in and out of dance.

We’re here to help our students grow into confident and conscientious people – growing and learning through participating in dance classes is why we do what we do.  Together, we can work to help our students who struggle with perfectionism learn to embrace their strengths and weaknesses and transform a negative and shut-down mindset into a productive and positive one.