Mya Schnider from Hartland, Wisconsin, has been dancing for the past 14 years, since she was  three. Along the way, she has picked up many tips and tricks to have a great dancer's mindset such as,.

“The body can be fragile if not taken care of properly.” Before dancing she says to always ensure that your body is warm and after you dance make sure to stretch. At three, Schniders mom put her into dance and she says “The older I get the more stress it puts on my body.” It is incredibly easy to hurt yourself especially if you aren’t paying attention to what you're doing. If you're hurt, or feel like you may get hurt don’t beguile yourself into thinking you're okay. Don’t push through the pain, let your body heal before you do yourself more harm. 

Practice time is crucial in her world. Getting in little bits of practice everyday is key to being a good dancer. Her best tip is to not get into your head. When you aren’t getting something right take a break and come back. Forcing yourself to do a skill could result in injury. When Schnider was 15, she was trying a new skill. She tried and tried to get this skill but it resulted in a strained hip because her body wasn’t ready for the new skill. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself for not being able to do something, everything takes time. “Make sure you are ready to do the skill, Work on it little by little, don’t tell yourself you won’t be able to do it. Have a positive attitude towards what you are doing” Schneider says. When Schnider was trying to get her triple pirouette she was determined to get it but she just couldn’t. After time and time again of not getting this skill she decided to walk away for a little bit. And to her surprise when she came back she felt alike her mind had reset and she was able to get the skill. 

Overall, it is important to protect your body and your mental health while being in a highly competitive sport like dance.