Role Reversal: What are the Pros and Cons of Dance Competition

Today, I’d like to hear from you! I know that many of you compete or enter your students in competition. Competition is a topic of discussion among many dancers, teachers, and parents and I’d like ask my readers,

What are the pros or the benefits of competition in dance? And, what are the cons or negative aspects?

I realize that many have strongly held beliefs and opinions on this subject. It is perfectly alright to express these opinions, however, I ask that you remain respectful to those that hold differing opinions. Thanks, in advance, for your participation!

The Back-to-School Teach-a-thon is here!!

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Art or Not? — Musings on Dance, Art, and Entertainment

A Time to Dance recently featured a post titled “What is dance and what makes it art?.” In the post Maria asks a lot of questions (of herself as much as her readers) that relate to the divides between what we consider art, entertainment, dance, and not dance. I recommend you read her post. She provides some excellent YouTube examples to get you thinking!!

One of her commenters, Anna, offered a great quote in her post that I want to share:

“I recently read somewhere that entertainment tells you what you already know and art is about what you don’t know.”

She also described dance as a “gigantic container.” I appreciated that too because it suggests that dance is unlimited in its appearance and objectives.

Art vs. Entertainment

In my view art can be entertaining and entertainment can be artistic, but it is sometimes hard to say when one crosses the line into the other. This may largely depend on an individual’s perspective. Sometimes the setting (on a respected concert stage, with imaginative lighting and costumes, and even a name with credibility on the program) has fooled me. As if in disguise, this art is actually presenting me with “what I already know.” Alternatively, I’ve been deeply affected in the past by something I guessed would have been “merely” entertaining. It’s always a pleasant surprise to find I’ve learned something about myself, about others, about the world, and so on. But, again, this takes us back to the subjective nature of classifications. Something that is revealing or revolutionary to one may be familiar territory to another.

Though art and entertainment do not have clear delineation, successful (or good) art usually blends these two modes of expression. If a choreographer (artist, or entertainer) sets out only to draw attention with spectacle, to water things down trying to appease the masses, to rely on cliché,  the dance comes across as a series of tricks without substance. This can occasionally be entertaining despite a lack of subtance – seeing humans do amazing things can be fun, for instance. However, I think we have a threshold of tolerance for this. Perhaps increased exposure to that which operates above this baseline is a factor. (i.e. Is it less interesting or harder to stomach that which seeks nothing more than to entertain?) Likewise, I would say that some may have a low tolerance for art on the other end of the spectrum, perhaps finding it impossible to learn or discover if there is nothing within the dance that is familiar, relatable, or something we “already know.”

Aesthetic Principles and Critique

Because art/entertainment lines, aesthetic principles if you will, are different from person to person, group to group, and sometimes alter over time, it’s easy to begin to exert your principles on others in the form of snobbishness or exclusivity. I’m guilty. But, sometimes “watchdogs” of an art form – those that are critical when our art is too “entertaining” or our entertainment too “artsy” – are needed to keep the makers of dance (be they classified as artists or entertainers) reaching and striving and creating.

What is Dance and What is Not

Those that dance or move have always, and are continuously, expanding what seems possible for the human body. That means delving into gravity defying, jaw-dropping spectacle at times. Remember, at one time a dancer on pointe shoes seemed revolutionary. Humans strive to reach beyond what’s come before.

I’m not sure that something can cease to become dance if this was its aim or goal (no matter how much we push its boundries and mix it with other things). However, there are occasions that someone starts out with one thing (gymnastics for example), infuses it with dance elements, and then re-labels it dance. Would you take a dance, add a bit of martial arts to it, and then call what you are doing martial arts?

In conclusion, I’d just like to remix that initial quote a bit. What do you think?

Dance art seeks to expand the already giant container of dance, to push or blur our notions about dance or movement. Dance which is entertainment oriented often stirs up or remixes what’s already in the container.

What makes something art? What makes something entertainment?

What is your threshold of tolerance for either?

How can you tell when something is dance and when it is not?

Have you ever been surprised or confused by labels in dance?

Finding Quality Dance Instruction – Middle Ground

I come from a small town and have taught in some small cities where dance studios struggle to maintain integrity and keep their business (or non-profit) afloat. Access to educated and experienced dance teachers is sometimes minimal. Below, I’ve listed some circumstances that occur in dance studios across the country. They are not absolute deal-breakers, but potential students should proceed with caution and armed with knowledge and awareness when such situations are present.

• Combo classes. Many say to avoid them altogether. However, they can be useful for exposing younger children to complimentary styles of dance, or providing an introduction to ballet for children who may not choose ballet as their one dance class per week. However, if combo classes are offered for anyone over 8 years old, this shows signs of an à la carte philosophy on dance training. Dabbling in dance this way often results in an unsuccessful and incomplete education. If a student wants to pursue many dance styles and still become proficient, they need to put in the time, something combo classes don’t provide.
• To many, following a ballet syllabus is extremely important so as not to confuse students (not all ballet is the same). However, basic technical principles should serve the recreational student as long as there is consistency within the class, or students are made aware of how the codified techniques differ should they encounter a need for this information.
• A proper dance floor is extremely important to the well-being of the dancers. Dancing on anything directly over concrete subflooring is unacceptable as a long-term situation and instructors must demonstrate precaution for the sake of their student’s bodies in the interim. For the sake of their student’s bodies studio owners should recognize if their current flooring is sub-standard and have a plan in place (fundraising or otherwise) to improve their situation. If they don’t see it as an issue (and they may not if it’s not hurting their business), move on. The same goes for studios that are too small for full-grown students to fully extend their arms and legs, setting up patterns and habits that will be hard to break later. In a perfect world no studio would open with sub-standard flooring. However, if the school is otherwise providing quality education, I consider this area middle ground. Ask questions and make it known that this is important to you. There is a flooring solution out there to fit every space and budget.
• Student teachers are a deal-breaker for some. As a teen, I assisted experienced teachers at my studio for three years before taking over my own classes, and the students were once-a-week students between 6 and 9 years old. Was I really prepared to have my own class? Maybe not, but I worked hard, took care in what I was doing, and learned an awful lot that prepared me for things to come. Therefore, I think a student assistant/teaching program certainly has value. Some guidelines to consider: Preschool classes are best taught by someone with experience in the classroom management of dancers this young. Also, teachers too close in age to their students can cause disciplinary problems. Again, students as teachers are not ideal but a school that is closely monitoring and evaluating their student assistants and teachers on a regular basis may be fostering tomorrow’s educators.
• Age alone is not a reason to move dancers to the next level of dance. In a setting in which students are taking only one or two classes per week and not attempting to learn advanced skills like pointe work, difficult turns, or leaps, advancing by age is not a deal-breaker. Otherwise, I would avoid any school that blindly moves up or holds back dancers because of age, or concedes to class-placement simply because someone requests to take class with a friend. If the school has clear ideas about what their curriculum includes and methods to assess if a student is ready to move on, subjectivity can be reduced and complaining minimized. If a school cannot point to reasons why they have advanced a student, they leave themselves open to question and speculation.
• There are those in the dance world that consider competitive dance studios a red flag in quality training. However, it is my opinion that competitive schools can, and some do, offer quality dance education. Be wary when, like performance, competition becomes more important than the training itself. I’ve witnessed, too often, superficial rivalry, tricks, costumes, and medals replace the reward of cooperation, hard work, self-improvement, long-term goals, and mastering a craft or art form. It is a fine line to walk, and a studio that chooses to compete must take extra care to ensure that students’ appreciation of dance does not depend on the thrill of winning alone. When their winning days are over, the 99% of students who do not become professional dancers still play a major part in the advancement or decline of the art through their support. And if winning and sport was all it meant to them, their dedication to dance may falter when the incentive is gone.

Please remember that when looking for the studio or teacher that will suit your needs, it is important to shop around, armed with questions and knowledge. I’m always surprised that students and parents spend so little time choosing a dance school (many dancers spend more years at a dance studio than they will a college). Dance instruction is an investment of time and money, and you don’t want to waste either. The guidelines you’ve read here about quality instruction are no more than my educated opinion, offered so that you may thoughtfully consider the topic for yourself.

What are some of your experiences? Do you disagree or agree with some of my opinions, or with my assessment of deal-makers/breakers? I’d like to hear your thoughts.