Competitions??

[Guest ballet princess]

My dance studio doesn't participate in competitions and we have recitals every other year. Some dance friends from high school said that competition is really important if I want to pursue a carreer in dance, and that we should be having recitals every year.

The reason my school dosen't have recitals every year is because they believe that we need time to work on technique, and that training is more important then performing. This sounds right to me, but who's right me or my friends?? Are competitions that important??

[Victoria Leigh]

Absolutely not! Ballet is an art, not a sport. It's not about competition, and it can't be quantified, so judging it is totally subjective. Your teacher is right about technique being more important. Some performing is also important, WHEN you have enough technique to have something to show on the stage. I prefer to see advanced level students performing in a repertoire concert, rather than a "recital", which is a string of "numbers" presented by every class. Even younger students can be used cleverly in productions of story ballets which are choreographed for students to perform, such as Wizard of Oz, or Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, etc.

[Guest ballet princess]

Thats what I've been thinking!

 

Thanks again!

[Guest JewelTutu]

I have to vent I enrolled this year in the group ballet comp. dance and I am very dissappointed. I was put in the corps, again, with children who are from 9-13. I am 15, I currently take class with the seniors at the school! The seniors however are doing something else. Anyways, our teachers play favorites, and out of the corps, two of them get solo parts. One of them gets to do grand jetes, then again across the stage doing chennes( she cannot even do them properly) the other girl gets to do 6 fouettes center stage on flat foot. I have been dancing longer than her and she gets to do the turns. I can do them just as good if not better. Competion is not something I would reccomend getting involved in. I paid $200 to be stuck in the VERY back with no solo parts. I'm seriously considoring dropping out and then just dancing with the seniors in the year end recital.

[Guest ballet princess]

Thsts one of the main reasons i dont like competition. I hate that teachers play by favorites! It really annoys me.

I agree with you on the fact that all the senior girls are doing something else but you're the only one who has to be stuck with the younger group. You have a right to be mad. If you're good enough to be in the senior class, then you're good enough to perform with them.

My advice would be to first talk to your teacher about why you aren't with your class, she might have a reason.

I don't think that the kids should be picked for solos just because their teachers like them. If you know that you're better than the other girls who have solos or are in the front row, then switch schools. But only if you're one hundred percent sure that you're right. Don't do something you might regret later.

[Victoria Leigh]

Actually, if you are in a competition school, I would suggest that you switch schools anyway, unless you are in dance only for recreation and fun. If you are serious about learning ballet technique, it's not going to happen in a competition school.