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On My Mind
Words from the publisher
There aren’t many topics within the dance community that
provoke such passionate opinions as the debate about
competition. Some believe it’s the best thing that ever
happened to the dance world and others whole-heartedly believe
it’s appalling.
While the debate persists, the competition phenomenon is
spreading throughout the world; scan any major dance
publication and you’ll discover the evidence. There are
competitions for choreographers, both amateur and
professional. America’s finest ballet schools and their
students are competing nationally and internationally. The
international competition scene, with individual events for
specific genres, including tap, jazz, ballet, and hip-hop, is
also on the rise. Every week TV viewers are tuning into the
most famous dance competition in the world, the smash hit
So You Think You Can Dance, which, like its TV cousin
Dancing With the Stars, has brought dance competition into
millions of living rooms worldwide. And people love it!
Approve or disapprove, dance competition is everywhere, and
from what I hear from studio owners, it’s inspiring thousands
of young people to enroll in classes. Those who are already
training want to take more classes because they’re seeing what
can be accomplished with hard work and dedication. As a result
we have stronger schools, dancers, and choreographers who are
striving to be the best they can be. That’s a good thing!
For me, the negative side of competition comes in the form of
teachers and students who are obsessed with winning or
beating out other dancers at any cost. They believe that
dance and competition go hand in hand, and it’s the only
reason they dance or teach. This group can’t appreciate those
who are stronger dancers or better choreographers than they
are, and they question the results of the judging because of
their refusal to see the truth. The saddest part about this
group is that the adults are passing on their beliefs to the
children, who perceive that they have to be winners to get the
approval of the adults in their lives.
I fear that some young people (and teachers) are losing sight
of the fact that dance is an art form. They do trick after
trick without any passion. To them, doing endless pirouettes
or jumping ever higher is more important than the passion that
leads to artistic expression. In some cases flash does win out
in dance competitions, but the same can’t be said when dancers
move on to professional careers. Many pros regard these
students as dancing robots—they can do spectacular tricks, but
they won’t work professionally because they cannot move an
audience.
Teachers and choreographers have the responsibility to
maintain a balance that encourages all students to perform at
their best, but to do it with passion and respect for dance as
an art form. Not all art will win awards, but that’s OK. Many
times I have been to dance competitions where my favorite
performance was not the big winner; instead it was a group
that did something unique or dancers who hit that stage with
so much passion that you couldn’t help but love them. In those
cases, who are the winners? The ones who win the trophies or
the ones that everyone remembers long after the competition is
over? I think you know my feelings on this one.
No matter what your opinion is, dance competition is growing
every year. It’s here to stay, and if it is used the right way
it can be very motivating for teachers and students alike. All
of us at Dance Studio Life encourage you to participate
with the understanding that competition is merely one aspect
of dance training. Teach your students to respect other
dancers and to value dance as an art form, not a sport.
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