Follow the Leader

How to Recover From a Comp: A Guide

By Kaylee Anderson

As we approach summer, I know many of us tend to have less patience when it comes to reading. The deathly cold is gone, so who has patience for an entire article? Let's make a list! Here are the things I found the most useful while recovering from a competition, especially the eight-hour, one-day danceathons that leave anyone a hollow shell of their previous self. They may not apply to all of you, but I sure found them useful!

• Wash everything. When I say everything, I mean everything. We're talking tights, leotards, hair, armpits, the whole shebang. Take the worst offenders out of your luggage ASAP, toss them in the washer with as much detergent as you can bear, and let it run. I can't be the only one who treats my gear like it's infected with Ebola post-comp. Once the clothing situation is under control, shower for a good century. Let all of the hairspray and gel melt away while you pull bobby pins out of your hair like a magician pulls scarves out of their sleeve. Scrub everything ten times, especially if you got a spray tan before the comp and you know it won't be long before it starts flaking off. Hot water will also help your muscles let go of the tension that no doubt will be holding your body hostage.
• Sleep. Sleep for the rest of eternity. Shove your face in your pillow, let your freshly-washed hair go crazy as it dries, and snore to your heart's content. You just wreaked havoc on your body for 8+ hours with minimal breaks, and it needs all the help it can get to recover. I don't care if it's three in the afternoon and you have “responsibilities” to handle: the only way you can be a productive member of society post-comp is by getting enough sleep. Plus, If you're part of the wondrous contingency of follows who have to get up two hours earlier than their leads to cake on their face and tame their hair, you're sleep-deprived. Accept your fate as an unproductive member of society for a good 24 hours after a competition.
• Food. Eat anything you deign fit to stuff in your face. I mean, limiting yourself to the foods you're supposed to eat and sticking to your diet is always important, but sometimes you just need a hot pocket and another nap. Either prep meals before your comp, have your roommate make you something, or realize that ordering pizza isn't the worst thing you could do to your body. Having foods that require minimal prep allows for maximum time spent sleeping and avoiding other humans.
• Give yourself time. Every ballroom competition leaves its participants with a range of emotions, from exuberance to devastation. Allow yourself the opportunity to either mourn your losses or celebrate your victories in the days right after the comp. This is especially important if you know you didn't dance as well as you could have. Don't beat yourself up by watching videos of your sub-par dancing on the way home. Wait until you've washed, slept, and eaten before reviewing your performance so that you can give you and your partner a fair assessment that doesn't drag you into a negative line of thinking.
• Set future goals.* After all of that, one of the most important things to do post-comp is to write down what you've learned about your own dancing and to make goals for yourself for the next competition. This will help you organize your thoughts and get you in the right mindset for practicing. Make both personal and partnership goals, and hold each other accountable for them. The easiest way to grow is when you have someone else by your side, headed in the same direction.