Small, Medium or Large Competitions?

[pnoisette]

Having been in only about half a dozen competitions I am getting to feel some of the pluses and minuses of small, medium and large competitions. Other dancers, students and teachers I've talked to also seem to have some preferences. This year I am hearing talk about some teachers avoiding the really big ones as they feel the big ones are getting more and more impersonal and that their students don't really benefit in the end from the experience.

Wondered what the opinion is out there--are smaller comps better for students? Is all the effort, not to mention time and money spent, worth it to be in big <albeit more presitgious> competitions where it seems one gets lost in the shuffle? Can it be a learning experience for student dancers if judges give less than a few seconds to your presence? I have only been in one of the big ones and hated the whole experience:throngs of dancers, confusion, no opportunity for exchanges and the general feeling of cattle being herded around. My own most enjoyable and educational experiences have been the smaller competitions where exchange and feedback were possible and there just weren't the additional pressures associated with crowds.

[Laura]

It all really depends on the person, where they are at with their dancing, and what they are after. Each type of competition has its place.

Personally, I like big competitions the best. I am a competitor and I am there to compete, and it is really annoying to show up and have only zero to two other couples to dance against. I love it when I get there and there are so many couples that the event starts in a quarter-final. So far the biggest event I've danced in this year had only 10 couples in it, which I consider to be medium-sized.

[tanya_the_dancer]

I think I prefer medium and big competitions. I really don't like to be uncontested. Also, my age group tends to be the smallest for adults to begin with (I am 33, so that puts me into A1 or A2), so at a small comp that most likely means I am dancing against one or two people in single-dance events, if I am contested at all. Even at Ohio, in my age group American smooth single-dance events did not have semi-finals, and had only semi-finals in International Standard (for comparison, B1 ladies had quarter finals, and I think even first rounds in some events).

[fascination]

It all really depends on the person, where they are at with their dancing, and what they are after. Each type of competition has its place.

Personally, I like big competitions the best. I am a competitor and I am there to compete, and it is really annoying to show up and have only zero to two other couples to dance against. I love it when I get there and there are so many couples that the event starts in a quarter-final. So far the biggest event I've danced in this year had only 10 couples in it, which I consider to be medium-sized.agree laura, though I do still enjoy small comps for 3 reasons: I love to do one before a big comp to get my sea legs so to speak, it is easier to get noticed by the same judges that are going to be at the large ones, and if you are new it is a bit less overwhelming...having said that, its all good...the only ones I don't care for are the ones that are poorly organized b/c then I have to constantly be on my toes unable to trust the book

[Katarzyna]

I vote for large competitions as well. (besides we tend to do a lot better at bigger events) I like having competition, and if I go somewhere and pay etc, I want to get to dance at least a few rounds. We dance only one style only one event, so going somewhere to dance only once or twice isn't fun at all...

[fascination]

yes, I do not care to pay 3K to dance against myself, although dancing my personal best is always the focus...and yes, always nice when there are call backs...

[Nik]

You can see how you rank against other couples at the big comps but the small ones are a lot more relaxed and its more of a show kind of dancing cause you are a lot more involved with the audience and not worried about the marks.

[Ithink]

I too prefer bigger comps - love dancing multiple rounds!

The MIT college comp is one of the biggest in the country. Since we dance two levels in only one discipline, we ended up dancing 5 5-dance rounds in a row with minimal breaks. It was exhausting but it was also a LOT of fun!

[star_gazer]

The MIT college comp is one of the biggest in the country. Since we dance two levels in only one discipline, we ended up dancing 5 5-dance rounds in a row with minimal breaks. It was exhausting but it was also a LOT of fun!And this year Mirko Gozzoli and Alessia Betti with be dancing so maybe that will draw enough competitiors for a few more rounds.

[Katarzyna]

Do you think your kids will show up?

[star_gazer]

Do you think your kids will show up?I know that they want to but its the same weekend as the SF Open and I don't even know what they are doing in January. However...I want to go to see Mirko and Alessia dance and Boston is home for me so I'm going.

[Katarzyna]

I know that they want to but its the same weekend as the SF Open and I don't even know what they are doing in January. However...I want to go to see Mirko and Alessia dance and Boston is home for me so I'm going.
SF Open is more prestigious, MIT might be bigger but overall low level.. I hope some more higher level couples would show up..

[star_gazer]

SF Open is more prestigious, MIT might be bigger but overall low level.. I hope some more higher level couples would show up..I think SF Open would end up to be much more expensive for less rounds of dancing.

[Katarzyna]

I think SF Open would end up to be much more expensive for less rounds of dancing.
that's possible, but they might still do youth there.

[star_gazer]

that's possible, but they might still do youth there.Nope.

[Katarzyna]

Are they out of youth now?

[star_gazer]

Are they out of youth now?Almost

[Katarzyna]

wow, time flies.. so that's one less level to dance..

[Ithink]

Mirko and Alessia are HUGE draw for me to go up to MIT. But alas, I'm not part of this elusive "higher level couples" field:(

[Katarzyna]

I will talk to as many people in NY as I can to talk them into coming up.. Wouldn't it be fun to have a comp bigger than nationals?

[skwiggy]

The bigger the better!!

[Kitty]

I will talk to as many people in NY as I can to talk them into coming up.. Wouldn't it be fun to have a comp bigger than nationals?

you really think the show coul draw so many couples that would make this comp bigger than nationals?

[Katarzyna]

you really think the show coul draw so many couples that would make this comp bigger than nationals?
NO, but some extras will be there.. and if I can only talk some couples into competing.. who knows ...

[Ithink]

Isn't it already bigger than Nationals in terms of the total number of competitors? How much bigger can it really get?

[Katarzyna]

Sorry, I was thinking of open, but yes, overall MIT is HUGE

[NielsenE]

My favorite size competition would be one where all events are small-large quarter-finals at the start. So this would be a huge pro-am competition, but only a small/medium collegiate (if you only had a quarter in newcomer/bronze, but also had a full quarter in champ... the sheer number of competitors would be more manageable but take about the same amount of total time...

[Joe]

I too prefer bigger comps - love dancing multiple rounds!

The MIT college comp is one of the biggest in the country. Since we dance two levels in only one discipline, we ended up dancing 5 5-dance rounds in a row with minimal breaks. It was exhausting but it was also a LOT of fun!
The fact that the facilities folks had the HEAT blowing in the gym didn't help...

[Ithink]

Nope, not helpful at all:) But so great to come all the way to Boston and get to dance that much!