On My Mind: Words From The Publisher

By Rhee Gold, Publisher

Inspired To be The Best  

Can you feel how heavy this magazine is? It’s our largest issue ever, loaded with great articles and many new advertisers! It’s our goal to make this magazine a success by inspiring dance educators to be the best they can be and attracting advertisers that want to be a part of that message, all while providing you with valuable resources for your business. It feels great to see that goal come to fruition. Thanks!

In our second annual competition issue we’ve chosen to focus on taking a healthy approach to competition. We explore how to handle competing in a way that helps kids grow as people and dancers, and we introduce those who are new to it or unsure what it’s all about to the benefits the competition world has to offer.

I directed my own national competition for 24 years, and as a young dancer growing up, I participated in competitions every year throughout my training. I have seen what some thought was just a fad become one of the fastest-growing industries in the dance field. True, the evolution of dance competitions over the past two decades has yielded both good and not-so-good results; however, I know that no other industry has so influenced the dance-teaching profession in the last century.

Today we see millions of kids become inspired to be the best they can be through the process of performing on the competition stage. These young dancers are exposed to a caliber of talent that can only make them better, trophy or no trophy. Teachers have become proficient educators and choreographers because they’ve been motivated by their peers, and parents have gained new understanding of what a dance education can offer their children.

Whether your students participate in competition, you’re thinking about it, or it’s something you choose not to do, this issue of Goldrush will offer you food for thought—and just about everything else you ever wanted to know about dance competition, but didn’t know who to ask. Enjoy!  

Special Section: Competition

Winning Ways

A 360° Look At The Competition Experience

Honing The Edge