"If gold medals are your only goal, we're not going the same way": why IDC never puts results above the child

One of the most important conversations between a teacher and parents is not about timetables or competitions but about the purpose of the classes.

IDC's senior teacher Yuniia Furman is convinced that winning can be a pleasant result of hard work but must not become its only meaning.

A medal is not the point

Yuniia states her position to parents from the very beginning:

"If your only goal is winning gold medals, then we are probably not going the same way. For me the child's development remains the most important thing."

This does not mean victories are not valued at the studio. A medal can confirm the work that has been done, but it does not determine a child's worth or the quality of everything they have been through.

"Development really can lead to high results — and we see that. But the result itself must not become the only reason a child dances."

Why this matters so much

An excessive focus on placings can gradually rob a child of the pleasure of dancing.

Yuniia remembers talented children who went to major competitions purely to win, and who lost their motivation and left dance after a poor result.

That is why children are not taught to believe that only first place has value.

"I want a child to come back from a competition happy even when she didn't win gold. She still has the stage, the experience, the emotions, new friendships and an understanding of what to work on next."

A teacher's main task is not to shield a child from all disappointment but to teach them to take a result without feeling that one score cancels out all their work.

What to do when a child is upset after a performance

After a performance, what a child needs first of all is support.

In that moment Yuniia does not start analysing mistakes and does not compare the result with other competitors. What matters first is to congratulate the child for going out on stage, handling their nerves and finishing the routine.

"At the moment of a performance I want the child to feel: I am here and I am proud of her work. The technical debrief comes later — in the studio, calmly and without excess emotion."

This rule applies whatever the placing. Even after a win, the team goes back to work and discusses what could be better.

A child's attention is gradually shifted from the judges' scores to their own progress:

"What matters more to me is not what place you came but whether you danced better than last time, what you felt on stage and what you learned."

The judges' assessment remains part of a competition, but it is not a final verdict on a child's ability.

Where the line between support and pressure runs

Support helps a child continue on their road. Pressure makes them fear mistakes and perform not for themselves but for adult approval.

The problem arises when teacher and parents transmit different values. At the studio a child is told that what matters is the quality of the work and their own progress, while at home they may only ever be asked about their placing.

In that situation it is hard for a child to understand what is actually expected of them.

So Yuniia stresses that the adults must be aligned:

"A gold medal is a wonderful reward for hard work, but not an end in itself. It matters enormously that a child hears this not only from the teacher but from their parents too."

This does not mean abandoning high standards. Children are taught to work responsibly, to prepare for performances and not to stop after setbacks. But the demands are directed at the process, not at a fear of failing to meet someone else's expectations.

Why one conversation is not enough

Attitudes to winning and losing do not change after a single explanation.

This position has to be talked through regularly with both children and parents — before competitions, after performances and during preparation.

"For some people this approach is natural from the very beginning. Others need time to learn to react differently to a result. That is a normal process, and we go through it together."

Parents, too, can be emotionally invested in their child's performance and react more sharply in the moment than they would like. So this is not about blame but about joint work by the adults, who determine how a child will come to see their own successes and failures.

How to support a child after a competition

Before serious competition preparation begins, it is worth defining a shared goal honestly and agreeing it with the teacher.

Straight after a performance it is better not to open with assessments and mistakes. First a child needs congratulations, calm and the sense that love and support do not depend on the result.

Later you can discuss the performance itself: what went well, how the child felt and what they want to work on next.

The most useful comparison is not with other competitors but with themselves at the previous competition.

That is how victories stay a joyful part of a dance journey without becoming a condition on which a child's self-worth depends.

What this looks like in practice — in the story of Dublin through the choreographer's eyes.