Dance Mom Survival Guide: Growing a Great Dancer Without Losing Your Mind (8 page)

To prepare for college dance — technique, technique, technique.
Also be in shape, and start eating healthy. Listen to your studio teachers, especially if they are a dance major currently or have been one.

Scholarships are everywhere!! You just have to search for them. There are even websites just for dancers!

From Dance Mom Lauren

Career planning is also tricky.  I can't tell you how many times I've wished for a crystal ball to give me a glimpse of the future!  My son is at an age right now (14) when he's beginning to get noticed.  For example, when he was at one big-name SI (Summer Intensive) audition recently, he was offered a scholarship on the spot, and they were really trying to talk him in to attending their program.  Then, a few days later a famous boarding school/conservatory offered him a full-ride scholarship (tuition, room, board) and expressed a lot of interest in him.  I thought he had decided to go there, but then yesterday at a competition, the director of different ballet company pulled us aside to offer my son a full scholarship for the summer, telling us that he is just what they are looking for for their company in the future.  

Do the decisions we make now affect his career in the future?
 I have no idea!  But it does sometimes keep me up at night wondering and worrying.

Scholarship Information Online

Keep in mind that scholarship information will be readily accessible on college and summer intensive websites, so check there first. If you already know which colleges or programs you are interested in, visit them early and try to meet the faculty and get a tour. It might be just the thing your dancer needs to stay motivated while in middle school and high school. It’s also a good idea to talk to people who have attended the program recently to get an unbiased opinion of the school.

Chapter 12

Dance Moms Just
Wanna Have Fun

What? You didn’t think we could end the book with shipping your darling dancer off to college or Broadway, did you? No way. We have a bit more fun in store.

Here’s the thing: we think a lot of moms look downright miserable at dance conventions, camps and nationals. We know that glassy-eyed look when we see it, and no, it’s not from martinis at happy hour. To keep things lively and to make wonderful memories with your dancer and dance group, we’ve come up with a list of places to visit in ten cities and our very own “dance mom bucket list.” You know, stuff to do before you kick the dance bucket for good. Enjoy!

St. Louis

1.
Gateway Arch – gatewayarch.com – The Core of Discovery, St. Louis, MO 63102

2.
Jilly’s Cupcake Bar & Café – jillyscupcakebar.com – 8509 Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63124

3.
City Museum – citymuseum.org – 701 North 15th Street, St. Louis, MO 63103

4.
The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum – magichouse.org - 516 S. Kirkwood Road, St. Louis,   MO 63122

5.
Grant’s Farm – grantsfarm.com - 10501 Gravois Rd, Saint Louis, MO 63123

6.
Saint Louis Zoo *free admission* - stlzoo.org - One Government Drive, St. Louis, MO 63110

7.
Delmar Loop *entertainment and shopping district* - VisitTheLoop.com – 6504 Delmar Boulevard, St.   Louis, MO 63130

8.
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard – teddrewes.com – 2 locations – 6726 Chippewa, St. Louis, MO 63109 (February-December) 4224 South Grand Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63111 (Summer only)

9.
Six Flags St. Louis – sixflags.com – 4900 Six Flags Road, Eureka, MO 63025

10.
Blue’s City Deli – bluescitydeli.com - 2438 McNair Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63104

Atlanta

1. Swan Coach House Restaurant - swancoachhouse.com - 3130 Slaton Drive Northwest, Atlanta, GA 30305

2.
Fox Theatre – foxtheatre.org – 660 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30308

3.
Center for Puppetry Arts – puppet.org - 1404 Spring Street, NW at 18th, Atlanta, GA 30309

4.
Georgia Aquarium – georgiaaquarium.org - 225 Baker Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30313

5.
World of Coca-Cola – worldofcoca-cola.com - 121 Baker St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313

6.
High Museum of Art – high.org - 1280 Peachtree Street, N.E, Atlanta, GA 30309

7.
CamiCakes Cupcakes – camicakes.com -  2221 Peachtree Rd, Suite B, Atlanta, GA 30309

8.
Atlantic Station – atlanticstation.com - 1380 Atlantic Drive, Suite 14250, Atlanta, GA 30363

9.
Pasta Da Pulcinella – pastadapulcinella.com - 1123 Peachtree Walk,  Atlanta, GA 30309

10.
Murphy’s – murphys-atlanta-restaurant.com - 997 Virginia Avenue , Atlanta, GA 30306

Anaheim, CA

1. Segerstrom Center for the Arts – scfta.org - 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

2.
Huntington Beach – surfcityusa.com

3.
Anaheim GardenWalk – anaheimgardenwalk.com – 321 W. Katella Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92802

4.
Slaters 50/50 *burgers* - slaters5050.com – 6362 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road, Anaheim Hills, CA 92807

5.
Disneyland – Disneyland.disney.go.com – 1313 S. Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, CA 92802

6.
Knott’s Berry Farm – knotts.com - 8039 Beach Boulevard, Buena Park, CA USA 90620

7.
Mama Cozza’s – mamacozzas.com - 2170 West Ball Road, Anaheim, CA 92804

8.
Baci di Firenze Trattoria – bacianaheim.com - 416 N Lakeview Ave, Anaheim, CA 92807

9.
Flightdeck Air Combat Center – flightdeck1.com - 1650 S. Sinclair St., Anaheim, CA 92806

10.
In-N-Out – in-n-out.com - 600 South Brookhurst, Anaheim, CA 92804

Oklahoma City

1. Oklahoma City Thunder NBA game – thunder.nba.com – Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W Reno Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73102

2.
Science Museum Oklahoma – sciencemuseumok.org – 2100 NE 52nd Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73111

3.
Oklahoma City Museum of Art – okcmoa.com -  415 Couch Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73102

4.
Bricktown Canal – bricktownokc.com –

5.
Vast *fine dining atop Devon Tower* - vastokc.com – 333 W. Sheridan Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73102

6.
Pinkitzel Cupcakes and Candy – pinkitzel.com - 150 N. EK Gaylord Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73102

7.
Cattlemen’s Steakhouse in Historic Stockyard City – cattlemensrestaurant.com - 1309 S Agnew Ave  Oklahoma City, OK 73108

8.
Pops – route66.com - 660 W. Highway 66, Arcadia, OK 73007

9.
Nikkellette’s Café * known for their Raspberries ‘N Crème cake* - raspberriesncreme.com – 2925 Lakeside Circle, Oklahoma City, OK 73120

10.
Inspirations *tea room & dining* - inspirationstearoom.com -   2118 West Edmond Road,  Edmond, OK 73003

Seattle

1. Pike Place Market – pikeplacemarket.org – located at 1st and Pike in Downtown Seattle

2.
Pacific Northwest Ballet – pnb.org - 301 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA 98109

3.
Chihuly Garden & Glass – chihulygardenandglass.com – 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109

4.
Cupcake Royale – cupcakeroyale.com – 1111 East Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98122 (also other locations in Seattle)

5.
Molly Moon’s *ice cream* - mollymoonicecream.com – 1622 ½ N. 45th Street, Seattle, WA 98107 (also other locations in Seattle)

6.
Space Needle – spaceneedle.com – 400 Broad Street, Seattle, WA 98109

7.
Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria – tuttabella.com – 4918 Rainier Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98118

8.
Bakery Nouveau – bakerynouveau.com - 4737 California Ave SW  Seattle, WA 98116

9.
Ride the ferry to Bainbridge Island – wsdot.com

10.
Museum of Flight – museumofflight.org -  9404 East Marginal Way S. Seattle, WA 98108

Nashville, TN

1. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum – countrymusichalloffame.org - 222 5th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203 

2.
The Pancake Pantry – thepancakepantry.com - 1796 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 3721296

3.
Grand Ole Opry – opry.com - 2804 Opryland Drive, Nashville, TN 37214

4.
Frothy Monkey Coffeehouse – frothymonkeynashville.com - 2509 12th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37204

5.
Loveless Café – lovelesscafe.com - 8400 Highway 100, Nashville, TN 37221

6.
Bluebird Café – bluebirdcafe.com - 4104 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37215

7.
The Hermitage, Home of President Andrew Jackson – thehermitage.com - 4580 Rachel's Lane, Nashville, TN 37076

8.
The Frist Center for Visual Arts – fristcenter.org - 919 Broadway  Nashville, TN 37203

9.
The Cupcake Collection – thecupcakecollection.com - 1213 6th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37208

10.
Old Made Good  *vintage and locally made goods* – oldmadegood.com -  3701B Gallatin Pike, Nashville, TN 37216

Jacksonville, FL

1. The Beach!

2.
Friendship Fountain - 1015 Museum Circle, Jacksonville, FL 32207

3.
Alhambra Theatre & Dining – alhambrajax.com - 12000 Beach Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32246

4.
The French Pantry - 6301 Powers Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32217

5.
Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens – jacksonvillezoo.org - 370 Zoo Pkwy, Jacksonville, FL 32218

6.
Sweet By Holly – sweetbyholly.com - 4624 Town Crossing Drive, Suite 137, Jacksonville, FL 32246

7.
The Dreamette *ice cream* - 3646 Post Street, Jacksonville, FL 32205

8.
The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens – cummer.org - 829 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32204

9.
Museum of Science and History – themosh.org - 1025 Museum Circle, Jacksonville, FL 32207

10.
Day trip to Amelia Island – ameliaisland.com

Dallas

1. Dallas World Aquarium – dwazoo.com - 1801 North Griffin Street, Dallas, TX 75202

2.
Dallas Museum of Art – dm-art.org - 1717 North Harwood, Dallas, TX 75201

3.
Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens – dallasarboretum.org - 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, TX 75218

4.
The Sixth Floor Museum – jfk.org - 411 Elm Street, Dallas, TX 75202

5.
McKinney Avenue Trolley – mata.org

6.
Society Bakery – societybakery.com - 3426 B Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75206

7.
Galleria *upscale shopping mall* - galleriadallas.com - 13350 Dallas Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75240

8.
Avila’s Restaurant *Mexican* - avilasrestaurant.com - 4714 Maple Avenue, Dallas, TX 75219

9.
All Good Café – allgoodcafe.com - 2934 Main Street, Dallas, TX 75226

10.
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament – medievaltimes.com - 2021 North Stemmons, Dallas, TX 75207

Denver

1.
Afternoon tea at The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa – brownpalace.com – 321 17th Street, Denver, CO 80202

2.
Snooze *breakfast/brunch* - snoozeeatery.com – 2262 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80205

3.
Water World – waterworldcolorado.com - 8801 N. Pecos Street, Federal Heights, CO 80260

4.
Tattered Cover Book Store – tatteredcover.com – 1628 16th Street, Denver, CO 80202

5.
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts – denvercenter.org - Speer & Arapahoe, Denver, CO 80204

6.
Hiking at Mount Evans – mountevans.com -

7.
Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art – kirklandmuseum.org – 1311 Pearl Street, Denver, CO 80203

8.
Cake Crumbs – cake-crumbs.com - 2216 Kearney Street, Denver, CO 80207

9.
Children’s Museum of Denver – mychildsmuseum.org -   2121 Children’s Museum Drive, Denver, CO 80211

10.
Molly Brown House Museum – mollybrown.org – 1340 Pennsylvania Street, Denver, CO 80203

New York City

1. Metropolitan Museum of Art – metmuseum.org - 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028

2.
Statue of Liberty – nps.gov - Liberty Island, New York City, NY 10004

3.
Empire State Building – esbnyc.com - 350 Fifth Avenue, Between 33rd and 34th Streets, New York City, NY 10118

4.
Magnolia Bakery – magnoliabakery.com - 401 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10014

5.
FAO Schwarz *toy store* - fao.com - 767 5th Avenue @ 58th Street, New York, NY 10153

6.
Dylan’s Candy Bar – dylanscandybar.com - 1011 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10065

7.
Central Park – centralparknyc.org -

8.
Times Square – timessquarenyc.org -

9.
Good Enough to Eat – goodenoughtoeat.com - 483 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10024

10.
American Girl Store – Americangirl.com – 609 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017

Additional Source:

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Entertainment-and-Sports/Dancers-and-choreographers.htm

About the Authors

Jill has a B.A. in Child Development from Harding University. While at Harding, she fell in love with a handsome young man as they served together on a mission trip to Houston's inner city. Soon after, they married and now have four fabulous children, one of whom is a dancer.

Malena Lott is a married mother of three in the Midwest, where she is a dance mom, den mom, brand strategist and author. Visit her author site at
www.malenalott.com
.
Connect with her @malenalott on
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Jill and Malena invite you to connect with them on their website at
http://www.dancemomsurvivalguide.com
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