As a former professional dancer, I have been through and seen it all. I look back on the many trials and tribulations I withstood so I could finally land on my dream team- and I wouldn’t change any of it! With that being said, I can’t help but want to impart some of the wisdom I have acquired to current professional dancer/cheerleader hopefuls. While I don’t claim to have all of the answers, I can provide you ladies with some solid advice from someone who has been there and done that.
Talk to someone who is or has been on your dream team
This is beyond important. If you are listening to someone who has never made it to the pro level as a dancer, please reconsider who you are receiving advice from. A woman who is or has been on your dream team, however, will provide you with the best insight as to the expectation level of the team you want to be a part of. When you do talk to her, be sure to ask her some of the following questions:
1. What is the season schedule like? (This includes practices and appearance)
2. What are some things I should be working on physically?
3. What should I prepare for mentally?
4. How are you able to balance your dance/work (or school) life?
*Keep in mind that this is basically another full time job in addition to your actual full time job. You will have the craziest schedule of your life, so be sure you are fully prepared for it and can truly handle the physical and mental demands of a cheer/dance season.*
Take prep classes
There are so many great pro-league prep classes in the D/FW! Right now, Stephanie Di Biase-Wheat, Jenny Durbin Smith, and Michelle Keys have classes at varying dates/times/locations. Other choreographers will follow suit in January and February. Stay tuned to this website for a list of updates!
The importance of prep classes is threefold:
1. You get valuable practice time. The more you practice, the better you get with your memory, flexibility and movements.
2. You are able to receive feedback. PLEASE be open to critiques from choreographers, as well as other dancers. When you listen to critiques in regards to your dancing and/or appearance and apply them, you become stronger.
3. You get to network and be seen. This is so important! If you know which team you want to be on, make an effort to attend as many of their prep classes as possible. The director and veterans will see your dedication, and you will receive valuable tips on how to have a competitive edge at auditions.
Eat healthy, REAL food
I could go on and on about this topic. You know all of those fad diets out there that promise a quick fix? STOP BELIEVING THEM. NOW. You cannot rely solely on those “miracle diets” to successfully carry you through auditions. Yes, there are certain quick tricks and ways you can eat before auditions, photoshoots and game days that will help you feel a little slimmer, but that is an entirely different topic altogether.
So here’s your miracle diet: Eat real food and start NOW! My typical menu starting around this time before audition season looked something like this:
Breakfast: Half a cup of old fashioned oatmeal with a scoop of Quest vanilla protein powder and cinnamon and a cup of sliced cantaloupe (Protein powder is the only processed food I will stand behind. Just make sure you find one that has less than 10 ingredients and doesn’t have higher than 200mg of sodium)
Snack: Apple with a tablespoon of almond butter
Lunch: Grilled Salmon with steamed vegetables (add a piece of toast or some whole grain rice if this is heavy workout day- i.e. leg day or boot camp)
Snack: nonfat, plain Greek yogurt with a little bit of Quest protein powder to sweeten it
Dinner: Grilled chicken with either a salad or steamed veggies (add baked sweet potato if it’s a heavy workout day)
*If you have a hard time finding good swaps to the above menu, Pinterest has some great ideas. Also, My Fitness Pal is a fantastic way to track your calorie intake and your macros*
It is vital to have a healthy balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. DO NOT LET ANYONE TELL YOU TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATE ANY ONE PARTICULAR MACRO FROM YOUR DIET. They don’t know what they’re talking about- trust me. You will need the fuel- which brings me to my next point…
Nail down your workout regimen
Before you go and start running for hours on end on the hamster wheel, please hear me out. Yes, cardio is important, BUT it is even more important to add body resistance and weights to your weekly workout routine. I highly recommend keeping high intensity cardio (sprint intervals or spin class) to 3-4 days a week. Aside from that, it is best to sprinkle in boot camps, high intensity interval training(HIIT)/Tabata, and weights. Ladies, weights are your friends. I repeat- weights are your friends! Don’t be afraid of bulking. Lifting weight builds muscle, which boosts your metabolic rate and, in turn, burns more calories and leans you out.
The best shape I have EVER been in was when I was attending Jay Johnson’s Boot Camp 3 days a week, running 2 additional days a week and adding upper and lower body weight workouts whenever I could. Jay’s Boot Camp is great because you get the best of all worlds- cardio, weights and HIIT. Bonus- His boot camp sponsors quite a few of the pro dance teams in the D/FW. So 1. You know the workouts provide results and 2. It will give you a chance to network with other dancers.
My point in this post is: start preparing NOW. The earlier you start the better. After all, don’t you want the judges, directors and veterans see the best version of you at auditions?
Follow Callie on Instagram @CallieHickman824
