How to be an Effective Dance Captain Part 1

These are some helpful suggestions on how to be a better, more effective dance captain for show choir. Though these are directed towards the show choir world, many of these suggestions can be applied to other activities or things in your life. 

• Have the proper mentality. Once your director gives you the title of dance captain, your attitude should change right away. Personally, you need to hold yourself to a higher standard. Don’t think you’re better than everyone, but make yourself be better. I’m not saying give yourself a big head and be snooty, I’m saying you need to put pressure on yourself to be the best dance captain you can possibly be. Once you get this mentality, make sure it shines through and be sure of yourself. If you’re timid, the other members of the group will walk all over you.
• Establish your authority right away. Don’t let little side conversations slip. Crack down. People will be annoyed at you at first, but they’ll change and realize that they can’t talk at practice. If you let those chatty people slide under the radar, they will never take you seriously and will never stop. Don’t let lazy people get by either. Demand energy from the start and you’ll get energy. It can be kind of scary to be authoritative right away, especially with your peers, but you have to do it right away or else the coming year will not go well for you.
• Always be focused. Try your hardest to focus on show coir during show choir and to not let any other things get in the way. When you’re at a choreography camp, your brain should be working overdrive to soak in all that it can. You need to store all of the choreography and all of the little things that may seem unimportant at the time into your long-term memory. You need to know what your doing and set an example for everyone else on the way they should be acting.
• Know the choreography. This should be obvious. You were appointed to clean and clarify the dance so you need to know it yourself. You shouldn’t need to ask someone else a question about the choreography. This rule can be a little relaxed in the first two months or so, but after that, there is absolutely no excuse. If you don’t know it, how do you expect everyone else to? Plus, if you don’t know it, how can you do your job? Should you even have that job?
• Consider suggestions. While you’re going through dances, especially during the first few months, there going to be some people who think the way they are dancing is right. It doesn’t matter who they are or if you know for sure that they are wrong; you need to think about their comment. Especially if they are a reliable source, you need to think. First, make sure that the way you’re doing it is clear. Then, have them clearly explain to you what they think is right. Next, take a few moments and work it out in your head. Go through the move and see if it flows with the rest of the choreography. Don’t pick the one that’s simpler (unless one is crazy complicated) and don’t automatically pick your way. Think about what’s best for the group while you make your decision. This isn’t about you; it’s about your choir.

Set an example by fixing your mistakes. If you clean something, make sure you are clean too. You may think you are, but have someone watch you just in case. Except critiques. You are far form perfect and you should not think you are perfect, because no one is. Also, make sure that when you put the whole show together, you remember to do all of the little changes. If you’re not thinking about it and you mess up, that’s not cool. If you don’t do a move right after you made everyone work it over and over, first: you’re a hypocrite, and second: you just set a terrible example. Even though you’re the one in authority doesn’t mean you will automatically get it. You have to work too. (705 words)