I've had the chance to attend a little bit of a two different dance competitions over the past few weeks and had both great and disheartening experiences. Hopefully I can explain and you will understand a little better both my like and dislike for dance competitions.
There are lots of great things about dance competitions. Dance competitions are a wonderful opportunity for young dancers to have a goal to work towards. They spend hours rehearsing and preparing group numbers, solos, duets etc. and work diligently in order to dance the best that they can. Dance competitions are also an amazing place to get another perspective on your skills and abilities as a dancer. Often teachers become so familir with a student they can miss out little details that other judges may see- both things that are great and things that could use improvement. Competitions are also a wonderful place to see other great dancers. It is always inspiring to see another group or another solo that reminds you of why you dance and just how incredible someones talent can be.
However, in my personal opinion there are also downsides to dance competitions. Sometimes in the quest for perfection of technique and group precision dancers can lose sight of the joy of dancing. While rehearsals are supposed to be hard work they should also always be a reminder of why you love to dance. Competitions are also a breeding ground for...you guessed it competitiveness! I'm not saying there is anything wrong with a little healthy competition. In fact competition is important as it often motivates one to push their limits further than they have known. But competition can also become mean and when this happens it is just simply inappropriate. Finally, probably my largest pet peeve with dance competitions, is that often in the quest for that gold medal the art of dance gets lost along the way.
Before I go on I just want to reinforce that there are always exceptions! And there are plenty of wonderful experiences to be had by attending dance competitions. I don't in any way intend to cut down something which I obviously support, having enetered students in competitons!
But back to the art thing. To me, dance is art. And art is about something bigger than a silly gold medal at a dance competition. Sure it's great to feel good enough to get a gold, but shouldn't it feel greater to know that you stuck the landing on that pirouette, you did the perfect grand jete, you got through all your fouettes, or danced your solo with more energy than you ever have before? Dance is about making a connection with your audienec, telling them a story and sharing a part of yourself with them while you are on stage. It's about doing amazing technical things and using your body as a vehicle of expression. It's about entertainment that is real, not fake. It's about feeling something so powerful that you have to dance to get it out. There are no words, just movement.
Maybe I'm a bit of a dreamer but I wish that more students were taught this. My heart always feels a little heavy when I go to competitions and see wonderful talented young dancers who don't know what dance is really about. They are there to win, or to smile, or to do great tricks. They are not there to dance. I know that being a dancer does not mean being the best. Of course it helps to be great, but you can be great at dancing and not be a great dancer. A true dancer is something special to come across. And each time I see a real dancer I hope very hard that they have the right tools to get them to where they want to go.
Like I said I'm a bit of a dreamer, but in my world one day everyone will know what dance is really about and the beauty and artistry of it all.
Jordan
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