Dance competitions, whether hugely popular and mainstream on the television or in a small town attended by 50 people, can be very positive experiences for the dancers who take part. Many may suggest any number of reasons why competitions may be detrimental to a dancer’s progression, even stating that the competitive element is not healthy, however competitions are a dance activity enjoyed all over, and can provide a well-rounded dance experience.
For dancers young and old, competitions provide on-stage experience, usually alone. Whilst this is useful for your future dance experiences and once you are back practising in the studio, it also means it develops skills such as thinking on your feet (literally!) and presenting yourself well to the audience. This in turn promotes confidence both on stage and off – if you can perform alone on stage it is likely you can do anything!
Winning a competition is, of course, an experience that dancers aspire to, however there can only be one winner amongst the many entrants. When you begin to compete you may find that your confidence and performance levels are not quite up to the standard of others’, meaning it may be a while before you are awarded first place. However, even after lots of stage experience and practise, it may be the case that you simply did not win the judges over. Competitions therefore teach graciousness, in congratulating the winner and accepting any constructive criticism you may receive.
If it is a dancer’s aim to make a professional career from the fun they have performing, competitions are an ideal way to gain more experience of the outside dance world, opening your eyes to what other people are doing with their routines, where they are training and the dance influences they are exposed to. It is easy to learn a lot while watching others dance, so competitions are a good way to hone your performance. In turn this raises your standards as you work harder and strive for more.