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 Performance
Plus
By Debbie Werbrouck
How to get the pros of competing—without the cons
Take a look at any magazine on dance, and judging by the
number of ads for competitions, you would think that every
school attends them. Many do, but there are also plenty that
do not. Each side of the discussion has points of merit, and
of course there are extremes on both sides.
School owners who do send their students to competitions cite
reasons that range from “It keeps students motivated,” and “My
students and parents really want to do them,” to “It helps me
to see how my dancers compare to dancers from other schools.”
The reasons school owners give for not competing are equally
varied and valid: “Dance is an art form and should be
cooperative, not competitive”; “I would rather have students
spend their money on more classes than costumes, entry fees,
and travel”; “We’ve seen dancers win who perform their dance
well, but that’s all they know—that one dance”; “I don’t like
the behavior and examples that I see at some competitions.”
Despite the pros and cons of competing, most people won’t
argue the fact that it can be a great learning experience for
students. If your school doesn’t compete, or if you’re
considering cutting back or stopping completely, it’s a good
idea to think about what you can do to provide your students
with same kind of benefits that competition provides.
Performing groups or companies
Including a performance group or youth company among the
options at your school can provide many of the advantages
offered by competitions. Throughout the process of learning,
rehearsing, and performing choreography the dancers will face
challenges that build strength in many areas. Auditions for
the company provide school owners and teachers with a
wonderful opportunity to discuss each student’s strengths and
help them improve in the areas that need work. To keep the
audition process objective, Diane Gudat of Indianapolis-based
The Dance Company, Inc. suggests bringing in an outside
teacher to act as a judge. This is a great way to take the
pressure off you and your staff and reduce the chance that
people will think that any favoritism is involved in the
selection process.
Gudat also recommends using the word “and” instead of “but”
when speaking to students about the need to work harder or
improve in a certain area. For example, saying, “I’m so
pleased with your progress on your port de bras, and
now I’d like you to apply that same focus to your posture” has
a far more positive tone than “but you still need to
work on your posture.”
In addition to having students audition for membership in the
group or company, you might choose to have them audition for
parts in specific dances. This can be a formal audition or
simply an understanding that the choreographer will choose the
dancers who are best suited to the piece. By working in a
range of choreographic styles and being exposed to multiple
instructors, students will expand their performance abilities.
Also, studying various styles increases their ability to pick
up choreography quickly.
Participating in a group or company is an excellent way for
students to learn the value of commitment and responsibility.
They learn that being absent for a rehearsal or performance
affects the whole group. It also teaches them to adapt to
continually changing circumstances; if someone is ill or
injured, an understudy must fill in or the choreography must
be adapted, sometimes with little advance warning. Another
life skill they learn is time management. Dancers learn to
make the best use of their time when they must add the
responsibility of rehearsals and performances to the time they
set aside for schoolwork and social functions.
How you set up your school’s performance group or youth
company and select the kinds of activities it does can be
simple (taking a class or two to the local nursing home, mall,
or fair for mini-performances, for example) or as involved as
setting up a nonprofit corporation (which requires recruiting
community board members, writing grants, and seeking
bookings). Think about how much time you have and want to
devote to the group. Will you establish a small, one-person
operation or will you need the assistance of others? Will you
involve parent volunteers or restrict their participation and
input?
Depending on the structure you choose, you may want to
consider offering some performance options to those students
who cannot make a yearlong commitment to a company. By doing
so, you open participation to those students who have other
obligations that might extend for one to three months. Perhaps
breaking the performing year into seasonal commitments can
provide that possibility. Whichever method you choose, your
students will gain confidence in their abilities through
successful performances.
Informal performances
Once you get the word out that your students are available to
perform, you will discover performance opportunities at every
turn. Fairs and festivals are a part of every community, and
most of them are looking for entertainment. Malls, libraries,
and social clubs often have programs that showcase the arts.
Sometimes you don’t even have to go outside your own school.
You might want to hold informal
performances in your classroom space and open them to the
 public
free of charge. This not only gives your students additional
performance
opportunities but allows members of the community to observe
your students, facilities, and choreography. This kind of
community awareness is good for your school’s reputation and
can be especially helpful at registration time.
Student-choreographed performances
Another great learning experience is to have students of a
certain level, age, or group choreograph a short piece. Set a
time limit (we say one minute) and any rules, such as number
of dancers, types of music allowed, whether or not the
choreographers may dance in the piece, and whether costumes
are allowed. (If you say yes to costumes, set a limit on the
cost.) Those dancers who choose to include others in their
choreography also experience the challenges of teaching and
directing.
Limit the audience for this casual performance to all students
in the group, plus their parents and the school’s faculty.
This provides a supportive and nonthreatening atmosphere for
the dancers. We found that this was a very popular event with
both students and parents, and the students gained new
appreciation for the work that goes into choreographing. One
even said, “Do you know how many hours it took me to
choreograph one minute of dance?”
Workshops: a chance to branch out
One of the benefits of competitions is the exposure to other
dancers, teachers, and choreographers. Teachers often talk
about how helpful it was to see their students in comparison
to those from other schools. Taking the students out of their
“home” sometimes clarifies which areas need attention or
improvement. It’s also a humbling experience for dancers who
are the big fish in a little pond.
The same benefits can also be obtained by attending workshops
that do not have a competition component or those that include
competitions as a minor part of broader educational offerings.
Exposing students to a range of performance and teaching
styles not only expands their learning experiences but can
reinforce the material that has already been presented to
them. Many teachers have smiled and said, “That’s great!” when
a student relates a comment or correction from a workshop
teacher that they themselves had given repeatedly.
The educational benefits for students aren’t limited to their
own participation. Teachers who attend workshops also
contribute to their students’ learning. It’s great to see
inspiring choreography that will thrill your students, but
being exposed to various teaching methods and theories can
help educators accomplish even more of their teaching goals.
Those who attend continuing education classes bring enthusiasm
and a feeling of renewal to the classroom, along with new
techniques and choreography.
Another advantage to workshops is the camaraderie and outreach
they offer to both students and teachers. Meeting students and
teachers from other schools can be inspiring and supportive.
Sometimes the ideas teachers share are worth the cost of the
workshop. It’s also great to receive validation from people in
your field whom you respect. Continuing education programs
allow teachers to build a network of associates who can lend a
hand in all kinds of situations. Likewise, students can build
friendships that can last for years, with people they may even
reconnect with at colleges or employment situations.
Guest choreographers or teachers
Depending on your school’s enrollment, location, and budget,
you may want to consider hiring guest teachers to offer master
classes or set choreography. If the cost is prohibitive, you
may be able to exchange services with a teacher from another
area, maybe someone you met at a workshop or seminar. For the
most basic option, merely having students take class with
someone else on your staff helps to broaden their outlook on
dance.
Attend professional performances as a group
Exposing students to quality performances in dance and musical
theater is another chance for development. Organizing a group
outing may take some effort but is worthwhile. If no one on
your staff has the time, consider enlisting a parent volunteer
to handle the details. If possible, discussing the performance
with the students as a group will help them analyze many
aspects of it and give them the perspective of others in the
group.
Dance educators who want to provide their students with growth
opportunities other than competitions have many options
available to them. All they need to do is look around at the
resources available to them, both close to home and at more
distant sites, and determine which ones are best suited to
their circumstances. Anything that takes students and teachers
out from behind their studio’s doors and exposes them to the
greater dance world is bound to have benefits.
Photo caption (top photo):
The members of Appalachian Ballet Company grab a performance
opportunity at a regional festival. Photo by Richard Calmes
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