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 An
Historic Glimpse at the
Competitive Urge
By
Tracey Zimmerman
Putting a positive spin on the drive to excel
Competition has been a part of our culture since the beginning
of time. It is human nature for men and women to be
competitive, and through this driving personality trait humans
push to be the best in their everyday activities. Dancers are
no exception.
One of the first notable occurrences of competition occurred
during the African slave passage to America. From this emerged
the birth of the famous Cakewalk dance in the early 1800s,
followed by the evolution of competitive variety acts known as
minstrels. Social dances also began to emerge during this
time, and by the early 1900s more than 100 dances had been
created. Social dances created such a phenomenon that in 1907
a dance competition, the Tango Tournament, was held in Nice,
followed by the first world championships in Paris in 1909.
Dance continued to flourish and new innovations appeared,
creating popular crazes among musicians and dancers. Discos
were the hot new trend throughout the 1960s and ’70s; later
new contemporary forms of dance and competitions developed,
creating the society that presently exists.
One of the most recent forms of dance competitions are
talent-based “reality” television shows. These variety shows
give performers the opportunity to compete against one another
for cash prizes and national recognition. Through them,
production companies hope to create opportunities that might
serve as professional launching pads for talented artists.
Dance and competitions have evolved tremendously over the past
century. Today’s most prestigious dance competitions are
sponsored by associations whose primary focus is to create an
atmosphere for students and teachers that helps strengthen
both their technical and educational levels. Competitions have
developed into professional organizations that hold annual
talent contests and conventions at the local, regional, and
national levels. These organizations are dedicated to
improving and enhancing teacher and student education as well
as furthering the standards of dance in all its forms. With
such a large emphasis on education, dance organizations share
a mission to be at the artistic forefront by promoting the
highest possible standards of teaching.
Another important factor of competitions today is the amount
of scholarship money awarded to participants to further their
dance education. Scholarships are granted for continued
training via master classes, private schools, universities,
and professional schools of dance. In addition, monetary
scholarships are also granted to deserving artists,
associations, and professional dance companies in recognition
of their contributions to the dance community.
There are also many dance competitions at the collegiate and
professional levels. These contests focus on choreography,
artistry, and performance. Collegiate competitions, also re ferred
to as dance festivals, provide a venue for students to engage
in workshops, lecture/demonstrations, and master classes
taught by instructors from around the country. Most important,
the festivals provide a unique opportunity for students and
faculty to have their works adjudicated by a panel of
nationally recognized dance professionals in an open and
constructive forum. This performance venue helps young artists
study and compete against students of the same caliber, as
well as gain respect for artists who share their passion and
drive.
The primary focus of many organizations that sponsor
competitions is dancer education. They offer classes and
seminars that provide opportunities to grow as artists, along
with the chance to win awards and scholarships. Competitions
can be challenging, but if approached as a learning experience
they can be extremely beneficial to dancers, offering one of
the most rewarding experiences in dance. Competitions can and
should be used as a means of inspiration, to push students to
work hard and achieve things they never thought possible.
Competition exists in all aspects of dance, including
auditions for scholarships and jobs, casting for lead roles,
or recognition from teachers, directors, and critics. Many
professional dancers say that the performing experience gained
at competitions can be valuable in instilling strong technical
and artistic values, generating the drive to improve, giving
them an advantage at auditions, and providing exposure to
agents and choreographers.
Dance competitions sometimes present difficult situations that
offer opportunities to learn, develop patience or endurance,
and rise above the human tendency to wallow in self-pity. In
order to be perceived as beneficial, they need to create an
atmosphere in which dancers grow as artists and individuals.
Through that growth and maturation, dancers can come to
realize the positive impacts of dance competitions and the
benefits of the everyday forms of competition that surround us
in our lives.
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