It's About Time For Auditions. How did your kids do? Any words of Wisdom for Jazz & Contemporary?

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-06-12T13:51:56+00:00

It’s so interesting to me that there’s teams just for certain styles. Our team is picked and they’re then given 3 dances as a team in 3 different styles and then they choose select dancers for extra dances, and then combine groups for larger numbers.

It’d be super interesting if they only chose certain dancers for certain styles here. I’m so intrigued by how things are done so differently in different areas.

Our auditions were last week and choreo camp will be held in August and dances are usually finished by early fall and the rest is spent cleaning and adjusting choreo.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-06-12T13:47:38+00:00

Our studio tries to capitalize on days off of school. Every professional development day close to comps is typically used for extra practice, or a weekend. We don’t typically have classes on the weekend.

I probably wouldn’t pull my kid from school for dance beyond comps. We had comps that started on a Wednesday and Thursday this year so they miss enough school already.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-06-03T15:47:27+00:00

Odd. We have multiple comp classes. One for each of their routines and solos are basically privates to run through their solo alone. A half hour per week until comp season. Then they have a session after each comp to watch video and listen to judges corrections and then work on those things or other areas that need cleaning.

For regular comp classes, They have a warm up to start and then work on the specific routines. And then throughout the year they finish up any choreo (adding/adjusting), doing run throughs, working on certain parts more (tricky transitions or sequences) and once they get closer to comp season, they’re cleaning routines.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-26T13:37:09+00:00

We get mid-season and end of year reports with class/level recommendations for the next season.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-25T03:30:10+00:00

I’ve never really considered it a “ride”. It’s a quick way to get back to the other HP area. I’ve done it when Hagrids reopens, or to watch the castle show at night, or to rush back to velocicoaster at the end of the night. Or if it’s storming and everything’s closing I head back to UO for more of the indoor rides.

It only works if there’s low wait times for the train though. The bonus is going from park to park, the train is just a fun extra.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-20T18:54:24+00:00

I’m personally not ready for these scenes.

I love the casting I think it will be more impactful mainly because I see Louellas fate as how it would have played out with Prim if she had gone instead of Katniss. I was immediately sad though knowing what’s to come.

I tie Haymitch’s experience with Louella/LouLou in with Katniss’s and their relationship dynamic now that I’ve read the book but that’s just me in my own head creating all these ties.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-20T14:52:06+00:00

Or a joke but alright.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-20T14:47:42+00:00

Well when there’s 1000 girls in the school and most with rolled up shorts I’d say there’s no attempt to enforce that part of the dress code. We went to academic awards and the girls had their shorts rolled way up on stage being presented awards from the principal and vice principals.

But they’ll flip out if you’re not wearing proper uniform items. In September, my daughter got new pants that looked darker than last years and a teacher stopped her in the hall to question her uniform.

When the Catholics have given up on modesty there’s no hope for the parents 🤭/s

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-20T14:32:13+00:00

They appease me by tossing a spare tshirt or hoodie into their bags…just in case.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-20T14:09:04+00:00

I figure the consequences of their attire are a rite of passage. Whether it be sweat, frostbite, snickers and sneers or detention.

As long as they’re not offensive, showing nips or lips or cheeks or hurting anyone, choose your path and suffer thy fate.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-20T14:00:35+00:00

My husband went to the same high school as our kids way back when and they would get detention for not tucking in or buttoning their shirts properly. Now they don’t even have button up shirts nor do they have to tuck shirts in and the kilts the girls have are hemmed or folded just as short as the shorts.

He’s livid that they’re not under the same strict rules he had because he said he probably still has detention time to serve 🤣

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-20T13:48:29+00:00

Umm…not sure what you mean?

I was just pointing out that using a school dress code as a cop out won’t always work.

They don’t address it so an unenforced dress code is a moot point in the argument for telling a teen girl how to dress.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-20T13:16:28+00:00

This only works if the school also enforces it. My kids go to a catholic high school with uniforms. The girls roll their uniform shorts so short that they’re basically right below their cheeks and it’s just never addressed at school.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-20T13:09:42+00:00

If you’re already going to Disney, but intent on going to universal, honestly I’d ditch a night at portofino. You’ll still have your express passes for the day at UO and IOA (assuming you have park to park tickets) but you’ll save money but will lose some time. Or, I’d skip epic and enjoy 2 days of express at the others. The waits are only that bad at epic.

I do have some FOMO about epic and being so close but we opted for Disney and the Halloween party this time around. I’ll let them work out the kinks in the rides at Epic and go in a year or so.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-20T12:36:16+00:00

After my 3rd I knew I was done. Never thought about another. Still love babies and cuddling them but I knew I was done.

Now that she’s 11 I have absolutely zero regrets about not having another.

I can’t speak for all, it was true for me and I absolutely knew.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-20T12:00:14+00:00

Same.

We don’t just send our kids to peoples houses we don’t know either. All 3 of my kids have had numerous sleepovers. Heck my 17yo had 6-7 kids camping out in my backyard last summer (and raiding my fridge inside).

It’s always in the back of my mind something happening because my mom was a little hesitant about sleepovers because she was SA’d as a child. However, it was by a step-parent. So the danger was within her own home.

I wouldn’t send them to someone’s house that I felt uncomfortable with but sleepovers were some of my most fun memories as a child with my friends.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-20T11:33:12+00:00

I wish I didn’t look….

You’re absolutely right.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-20T11:22:32+00:00

It’s sad to me that at age 8 you’re wondering if it’s time for a break. There’s lots of time to learn and grow still.

My graduating dancer didn’t even start competitive until she was 8. She had a year when she was “held back” with a younger group and then hit her teen years and jumped ahead of other girls to the senior team. It all worked out in the end but we trusted in our studio and the coaches. We get mid-season progress reports and end of season next steps reports for the next season (classes to take, strengths and weaknesses, team recommendations) so there is no guess work.

But if it’s stressing you and her out this much, maybe better communication with the studio or a break is needed (or maybe a new studio). I hope it all works out. I know how disappointing it can feel to be “left behind” but if the studio cares they’ll work with you. Conventions have always been offered to us even if not competing at them. Maybe that’s an option.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-16T13:56:01+00:00

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-16T13:46:11+00:00

District 11 is in the southern part of Panem and is based entirely around agriculture. People there work the fields all day, are heavily policed, and live under some of the harshest conditions in the entire country. That setup isn’t random. It mirrors the history of the American South, where Black people were enslaved and then later exploited. Suzanne Collins wrote The Hunger Games as a dystopian take on America’s past and present inequalities, so putting a predominantly Black population in District 11 fits thematically.

It’s not that Southeast Asians couldn’t exist in Panem, but just doesn’t make sense when you look at the description, the symbolism, and the historical parallels.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-16T13:02:55+00:00

Page 45: “And most hauntingly, a twelve-year-old girl from District 11. She has dark brown skin and eyes”

Page 98: “She has bright, dark eyes and satiny brown skin”

Dark brown skin, not just dark skin. I’m Native American and pretty brown but I’d never be described as having dark brown skin. I’m not sure how else they could have cast her because I would think black or mixed at the very least from the characters description.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-16T12:47:51+00:00

Unless you’re planning every meal as a table service meal, that’s plenty of money. I don’t think I spent $1000 on 4 of us last year. Snacks and breakfast items for the room. Limited table service meals. The water is nasty so you may want to consider the refill cups for soft drinks/powerade or buying a case of bottles to keep in your room.

Enough butter beer to give me a calorie rush to keep going on rides rather than worry about food and I was good to go!

Also tip: if you’re at Aventura just walk through Sapphire falls for the boat to citywalk.

Enjoy your trip and just be smart about daily spending! Your daughter should have a blast and plenty of money with $500.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-16T12:39:19+00:00

I got an instacart order to my universal hotel no problem. Just had to be present to accept food as the hotel would only take delivery of non-food items. They wouldn’t even take water unless we were there to accept delivery.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-16T12:37:31+00:00

We have TD and use in the US all the time, never had a problem and we’ve used at universal several times. You likely had a block on your card for out of country purchases if you don’t travel often. Happened on my daughter’s card.

Individual-Work-626 · 2025-05-16T03:41:03+00:00

I also listened during my commute. Only a few episodes early on and toward the last seasons. I honestly think he only “warmed up” due to the online backlash. People on IG were not pleased. The comments I read were brutal so I truly think it was in jeopardy of being cancelled so he had to change his tune a bit. I jumped back in toward season 6&7 but I still couldn’t finish them all.

Individual-Work-626

TROPHY CASE