Have you been in a competition?

[Guest unique]

i am starting competitions in 2004, my first. i was just wondering if anyone hear has been in competitions and could give me some advice or share some stories. thanx

[Alexandra]

Hi, unique! I'm going to move your post to the Young Dancers board -- Ms. Leigh will move it if I've chosen the wrong age group. You'll get a better response there, I think. This forum is for people watching competitions, not those who take part in them

[Victoria Leigh]

Unique, I wasn't certain which forum either, as you have posted on both YD 13-16 and 16-22. Are you perhaps 16? In that case, either forum works!

 

I also edited your title. We do not use "u" and other teenspeak here on Ballet Alert!

 

What kind of competition are you speaking of? Will you be entering the Youth America Grand Prix, or something like that?

[Mcke16]

I used to be on a competition team when I was about 9 or 10...we performed at various "rinky dinky" competition sites (not anything professional like YAGP). Competitions like Starpower, Showbiz, etc. The competition team was a lot of fun--we worked mainly on lyrical, jazz, and tap pieces--not very many classical. We were behind eachother all the way, and were supportive towards our team members. It was fun getting the chance to travel to different cities with all of my friends! One year we won $12,000 and a HUGE trophy for a particular piece. We were all so psyched!

[Guest Paquita]

I've been to several regional competitions. Most of them are not specifically for ballet, so there are all sorts of dance categories. I've competed in classical ballet, contemporary ballet (but few competitions make a distinction between the two), open, modern (that was what I went under for my contemporary piece most of the time, which was awkward because I was always the only one in ballet shoes), and character. Character had to be the worst, because most judges didn't know what character was. Hard to believe but true! Overall, competitions can get kind of political (some school give more money etc.) and the judges are often quite uneducated about ballet. So it's best to look at it as an opportunity to perform for an audience and gain experience. Ocassionally when the judges are good, they can give you some good corrections too.

But if you're entering something like YAGP, that's quite different. I'm sure the atmosphere is much more professional and the quality of the performers much higher. Either way, good luck and enjoy and learn from the experience.

[Guest unique]

hi everyone

 

Thank you for all the replies. Im sorry for all the confusion. Let me clarify some things. To begin with yes, i am 16 so i try to use both forums beucase i feel like i can relate to both of them. (I wasnt quite sure were to post this either). Competition wise i am looking more twoards international competitions, i am thinking about preparing for the upcomming 2004 competition in shanghai (china). Anyone with international competition experience would be a gerat help, but thank you to those who posted replies.

[Guest Arak]

Ok, I'm flinching in advance, but I just have to be Devil's Advocate...

 

I've never seen the point of competing in ballet. It is an artform, and should be kept in the truest sense of the word. Competing for titles and prizes just seems like some sort of sacrilege to me. It blocks out the meaning and the emotion in favor of oohs and aahs and high scores. I don't want my art being turned into a sport.

 

I'll get down off my soapbox now, before someone throws a rotten tomato at me.

[Mel Johnson]

Thank you, Arak. In my opinion, your head and heart are both in the right places.