Today I want to offer you three top tweaks that I use in training that help crews overcome CCS, Chained Competitor Syndrome.

First a quick review – But if you don’t want to read just click here and go straight to the tips

What is Chained Competitor Syndrome?

Chained Competitor Syndrome (CCS), is a pattern that leads to

• stagnation,
• loss of motivation,
• and boredom for the dancers.
• talented dancers leaving to join other crews

Blocking teams’ progress, stopping them from achieving success.

Three training Hacks to Help You Fight CCS in Your Studio

I love working with smart dancers, especially ones who want to understand why they do certain types of training.

I specialise in cleaning performances. It’s repetive but in my trainings Nobody says it’s boring. Many even say it’s fun.

I discovered secrets that helped the crews I was working with meet their goals, and keep the dance alive while staying physically and emotionally healthy.

The key is understanding that you are training a skill not just going over a piece of choreography.

With consistent practice, and focus on efficiency (and safety), you will achieve remarkable results in no time!

Here are three of the many Hacks I use that will to help your crews get incredible results

HACK #1 Stop and Go

Choose a section of the dance, particularly a section that the team know VERY WELL.

• Play the music but randomly STOP.
• Every dancer should stop when the music stops.
• Whoever doesn’t stop is out for (or whatever reward penalty you choose to put in place) a round.

It’s like the dance rehearsal version of musical chairs.

Why does this work?  It helps with both focus and timing. Dancers learn to remain in the present moment. It IS meant to be fun, just not chaos.

Hack #2 Be the teacher

Pull a dancer out of the piece and make him or her responsible for cleaning a section.

Why does it work – The dancers learn from two perspectives; the perspective of the dancer and the perspective of a judge (especially effective if you pair this with the Rules and Regulations training).

When a dancer gains this awareness the begin to self-manage their own performance.

Hack #3 Put it in reverse

Give the dancers time to take a section of choreo and reverse it. Anything that was done on the right, to the right or turning right, etc. Is now done on the left.

Why does it work – This was my go to training with my Award-winning Troupe Culture Shock. It insures the dancers REALLY know the choreography. They cannot reverse it without breaking it down.

Dancers became more versatile and made changing adding or removing dancers a breeze.

Bonus Hack #4: Nothing works better than a clear picture of how to win.

I know of one dance school who were pretty good. But after putting ALL their choreographers and a number of their students through the Rules and Regulations Course with Maria Budolak, they jumped their level and became HHI World Champions in less than a year.

Taking the course meant they all understood what they were going toward and unified the team in a way that nothing else could, completely crushing CCS!