E Is For Effort & Education

By Charlotte Klein  

Learning opportunities make competitions worth the effort.

Studio participation in dance competitions can be a beneficial adjunct to providing a well-rounded dance education. The focus, however, has to be on learning and not on winning. I have judged regional and national title and performing arts competitions, and when I have asked title contestants why they entered the competition, they have almost always said that they enjoy meeting dancers from other studios or from other areas of the country who enjoy doing what they like to do: dance.

I learned how valuable competing can be more than 20 years ago. At that time one of the only competitions in the United Stated was Terpsichore Awards, directed by the late Sherry Gold and Helen Chopourian. A parent of one of my students was so impressed with the format that she encouraged me to enter the competition the following year. I remember that her daughter was in awe of one of Gold’s students, who could execute many pirouettes beautifully. She set a goal for herself to work on her turns whenever she was in the studio. And improve she did by he next year’s Terpsichore. It was then that I realized that entering my students in competitions would improve their technique and performance skills. They would benefit from working with their teachers, by my coaching them, and from observing dancers from other studios at the competition. Terpsichore set the standard by hiring the most qualified judges available. To this day, I enter my students in only those competitions that hire very knowledgeable judges. My faculty and I always listen to the judges’ comment tapes. We share their suggestions and comments with our students and we all learn from the experience.

Despite their value, competitions should not become the focus of any reputable dance studio. Of the more than 700 students enrolled in my school’s two locations, only about 125 of them compete. Each year we retain about 16 numbers from the June recitals as competition entries for the next season. In addition, we have a program called “Special Choreography,” which includes solos, duos, trios, and small-group routines that are learned outside of class time.

Selection of students who are eligible to compete is done in one of two ways. A teacher may request to work with eligible students, or parents may ask that I inform their teachers of their children’s interest in competing. I have set up guidelines for my teachers to follow and a list of eligibility requirements for students. Students have to be enrolled in at least four classes (one of which is ballet) weekly; teachers have to check students’ accounts before agreeing to start any choreography. I give the students handouts on how to prepare for the competition day (what to bring, when to arrive, expectations for good sportsmanship and teamwork, and so on). For students who are interested in entering title competitions, I have guidelines that prepare them for interviews and classes.

At times over the years I have questioned the value of the time, effort, and sometimes aggravation that go along with preparing students for competitions. During one of my periods of doubt, I visited four of my former students who were performing in a show at Opryland. When I shared my feelings with them, they begged me not to stop entering competitions, saying that if they had not had that experience, they would not have gained the performance experience and the confidence to successfully audition for the show. They all credited the competition experience with the success they were enjoying that summer in Nashville.

Several of my competition participants have gone on to major in dance in college and many have had successful careers in the dance profession. I no longer have any doubts about the educational value of dance competitions, and I hope that each experience will teach my students to be better dancers while giving them the chance to meet new people and have fun.