We spend a lot of time trying to improve ourselves for our own benefit, but when you’re a dancer, sometimes your talents and accomplishments help create a dynamic and competitive team. When this is the case, you also need to figure out the best ways to be a helpful and successful teammate.

Ask for AND Accept Advice

Teamwork is the most essential building block of any successful team. This doesn’t just mean you dance with your dance besties, though. You also have to work with them to be better dancers individually and as a whole. Because of this, it is important to know when you should ask for help from your teammates or your teacher and even more important to take that advice to heart. If you refuse to change out of stubbornness or even fear, you are holding yourself back and weakening your team. It can be tough to ask for advice especially when you are passionate about the subject, but in the end, it will help you grow.

Focus on What’s Important

What is important to you as a member of a team? Do you value having a strong support system of dancers behind you? Are you excited to have a group of people that you trust to give you honest feedback on your art? Whatever your motivation is to be a member of your dance team, hold on to it. If you get too focused on winning, competitions, and trophies, you will lose sight of what made you want to be part of the team in the first place. This will only create stress and hold you back. No matter what you and your teammates are up to, remember that you are a team, and everything you accomplish, you accomplish together. It is never about any one person in the group.

Know When to Take a Break

Even if you are skilled at taking criticism and putting it to use and you know exactly what you want to get out of being part of a team, you can still get overwhelmed. You should think of you and your teammates as one group that does everything together, but you still need to know how much is too much for you. If you need to take a step back because you are losing focus or because you are putting too much pressure on yourself, it is time to take a break. Your teammates will understand because they can feel that way too. Plus, knowing when you’ve reached your limit will prevent you from holding your team back.

Overall, being a good teammate ultimately comes down to remembering that you are a member of a team. If you can all work together to be better and stronger, you will succeed, but if you all have different goals and see the team as something that serves you, you’ll have a harder time reaching greatness.

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Veronica Good has been with Showstopper Magazine since 2016. When she isn't keeping you updated on the latest trends, she is at home with her many pets or probably playing The Sims 4. Veronica has a BA in English and an MA in writing from Coastal Carolina University. She is also a writer of fiction and poetry, and her work can be found in Archarios, Tempo, and Scapegoat.