Team bonding has always been an important part of competition dance team culture. Now, more than ever, you need to provide your dancers with the opportunities to get to know each other, get comfortable with each other, and the studio. Most importantly, your dancers need personal contact with each other, and so do you. Now, more than ever.
Gems wants to share our top 10 favorite team bonding ideas that will still allow you to follow the social distance guidelines in your area, and get your teams feeling like they are together!
- Have a virtual viewing party. It can be old recitals, past competitions, or even a favorite dance movie (Footloose anyone??) Tell everyone to be ready with their favorite drink and snack, and settle in.
- Zoom spa day… yaaass! Many options here: face masks, mani/pedis, deep conditioning hair treatments. You can personalize this even more by mailing out the items, and supplies, to each dancer prior to your spa day! Don’t forget the chocolates 😉
- Web conferencing scavenger hunts. Make what they are searching for specific to an old routine, a competition you regularly attend, or a favorite dance item. They can all tell each other about the items, and get to know each other better.
- Online question, and answer. Ask everyone to prepare for the meeting with one question to get to know their teammates better. They can send these prior, and you can ask instead. Draw the questions at random for each dancer, if trying to keep the length of time under control.
- Offer teacher interviews. Bring on teachers, or choreographers, that the team will (or have) worked with. Allow the class to ask them questions about themselves, their dances, etc.
- Create treat bags and deliver them to their doors. Surprise them with a text to come outside for their treat 🙂 You can deliver a smile, and still stay at a distance. This was a studio favorite at our home studio!!
- Surprise decor. Collect some easy decor (in your branding of course) and surprise decorate their door. Best to find out if the parents are okay with this and get a time when the dancer will be gone.
- Yard signs. This has been a popular one. Make yard signs, customize to your pleasing, and place in the yards of the teams/dancers.
- Have lunch together. Find a large open area to meet. Everyone brings their own chair, and lunch. Create a circle of all, 6 feet apart. Complete with a speaker,some music, and don’t forget dessert.
- Trunk party. This one is a little harder depending on the age of your dancers. Those with licensing can meet in an open lot, pop up the trunks and enjoy each other’s company. You can tell everyone to bring a coffee or snack. As usual, play some tunes in the background.
We hope these easy ideas help you to start off your new season with a bang! Team Gems is here to support you through these new times we are in. We look forward to seeing each of you in our upcoming 2020-2021 season! Just as you are there for your dancers, we are here for you!
Stay safe, Team Gems