3.13.25

Competition Builds Better Dancers

These days, it is difficult to turn on the television and not find some kind of competition show. Chefs, artists, singers, dancers, and others regularly compete for prizes and fame. Some have criticized the role of competition in the arts, especially dance. However, competition has an important role to play in helping dancers achieve their long-term goals.

Dance competitions have grown in popularity. There are hundreds of dance competition promoters in the United States alone. Dancers compete solo or in groups, as well as in age divisions. Dancers usually represent their studio, performing routines in such styles as contemporary, ballet, hip-hop, and tap. Judges are often professional dancers themselves. They score each competitor based on ability, difficulty, costume, and routine.

Dancers give several reasons for competing. One of the most common is the valuable feedback they get from the judges. Judges write or record notes as they watch and score the routines. Studios may use these notes to help their dancers after the competition.

Dancers can compare their skills with the other competitors. This helps them to know if they are performing at the same level as other dancers in their style or age group. They can also learn new skills from watching other dancers perform.

Preparing for competition has its benefits. Dancers learn the value of hard work, time management, and teamwork, especially if they are competing in a group dance. They must learn how to deal with stress, and they gain experience in performing in front of others. Competitions also give dancers a taste of what it is like to be a professional. After all, professional dancers compete for work every time they go to an audition.

Of course, dance competitions can have their drawbacks too. Dancers must be ready and willing to compete in order to benefit from competition. However, for any dancer who wants to set high goals, competition is a necessity.

Dance Competitions: The Dark Side of Dance

Dance is an art form that many students enjoy. Dance can be a way to lower stress, gain flexibility, and have fun if done the right way.

Dance competitions often ruin dance for some students. Dancers sometimes say that pressure, increased stress, and lowered self-esteem make competing difficult. Although dance competitions are popular across the country, not all dance studios participate in them. For these studios, there are more drawbacks to competing than benefits.

Competition judges, for example, come from many dance backgrounds. This means that there are many ways to judge dancers. A dancer could perform the same dance in the same way at two different competitions and receive very different scores.

Some competitions give awards to all participants. This can lead to a false sense of achievement. Many dance teachers feel that true self-esteem comes through hard work and practice and not through winning awards.

Some studios and teachers emphasize competition so strongly that their students feel they can never do well enough. Other competitors and teachers may exhibit poor sportsmanship at events. Dancers sometimes walk away from a competition with lowered self-esteem and high levels of stress.

Dancers can still have the benefits of dance without having to compete. Performing on stage with a dance group can teach cooperation and timing. They can take classes to learn new dance moves and meet other dancers. They can even teach others how to dance.

Many professional dancers never entered a competition before they began their careers. Hard work, determination, and love of the art are far more important to a dancer’s future than competing with other dancers.