Big Comps -- A tiny fish in a HUGE pond

[pygmalion]

Okay. So new year, new coach, new goals. I'm rethinking my dance competition strategy. We've talked in another thread about the advantages of small competitions -- accessibility, lower cost, greater visibility, and more.

So now I have a question. There are some fairly large dance competitions near me. Is there any advantage to a lowly schlub like yours truly entering a large competition? Or is it just spending money to become bottom-of-the-heat cannon fodder? :shock: :lol:

[Porfirio Landeros]

I guess you can evaluate the overall value... how many times you'll get to dance and for how much money.

At a large comp, you can get a semi/quarter final, even if you're not sure you'd make any cuts, and there's a chance you'd be dancing more than once in your event. So, you'd get more floortime and experience. Whereas a small comp that runs just finals will only give you a definite chance to dance once.

That's not to say that there's no point in going to small comps. I have danced in one/two couple events, and left with valueable input, that I could use to improve my dancing.

But, the way I usually evaluate a comp is bang for the buck - how much, how many times I'll get to dance, and the quality of my competition.

**edited 01/28/2004 to make sense :oops:

[DancingMommy]

Well, having never been to a large comp... Since we'd probably be smoked as am's.........

If your new coach is who I think it is... 8) Bigger comps would probably be a *good* thing. You'll get judged probably harder than ever before ( a good thing) and be able to see how you rate in comparison with more dancers of the same level as you.

I mean placing first in an uncontested heat is no fun at all and no measure of how good you are, right? But placing first in a heat that actually had a semi or quarter final, now that says something....

[SDsalsaguy]

Being in smaller comps is a good way to get noticed by the judges. It is true that you may not get a lot of floor time... but you may get noticed in a way that you would not at a larger event, where you could get lost in the field.

Larger comps provide a chance to take a truer measure of yourself and to be compared to larger fields. As such, results from such events are "truer" feedback of your progress...

As for which path gives you more floortime, that depends on the events and levels you intend to contest, so just do your research. (As *if* I needed to wory that you wouldn't! :lol:)

[Taita]

Interesting question....

If I understood the question correctly, you want to know if there is an advantage for a low level dancer to competing in a large competition. Well, let's make sure the premise of the question is accurate.

If I understood the premise of the question, I have to assume that said dancer is a low level dancer and will merely 'cannon fodder' only to dance the first round and eliminated.

To characterize a dedicated, hardworking, passionate dancer willing to go the extra mile for technical excellence as a 'lowly schlub' is probably not accurate nor fair. Besides, the only real way for a competitor to measure progress is through competition.

I know I prefer large competitions. Large competition gives a very good way to measure your progress. While the best dancer doesn't always win, invariably they place well in relation to their peers. A true competitor feels that rush of adrenaline, and the beating of their heart in anticipation of hearing the first note of the first song and the last note of the last song. A true competitor revels, not in the adulation of others, but in the deep satisfaction of knowing they did their absolute best with the world watching. Unfortunately, it is easier to have that experience, not in the comfortable confines of uncontested heats, but where real competitors dance for joy in the knowledge that there could be another round....

The only ones I know of who enjoy small competitions are competitors who are warming up for larger competions, professionals who need the money that an automatic finals will give them, or those who are needlessly hard on themselves...

back to lurk mode...

[SDsalsaguy]

The only ones I know of who enjoy small competitions are competitors who are warming up for larger competions, professionals who need the money that an automatic finals will give them, or those who are needlessly hard on themselves...
Hmmm, aren't there also those who just love to perform for *any* audience? Or those who feel more comfortable in smaller, more intimate settings in general? Or those who just enjoy going out and dancing their best regardless of size/audience/setting?

back to lurk mode...
I swear we'll break you of this unfortunate habit yet... :wink:

[superbimmer]

The more often you compete ... the more comfortable you will be on the floor. So ... enter as often as possible. Don't worry if large, or small. If you find a large comp more imposing, them enter at a lower level ... e.i. pre-novice or novice.
You can even enter as a amateur couple, in the single dances ... you'll be competing along with mostly pro/am, but the pressure will be much lower, and possibly there will be only a few am/am couples in the mix (sometimes you'll be going unopposed!). This is a great way to get going, with almost no pressure, before stepping up to the multi-dance comps.
But just get out there, and do it ... you'll be so psyched, that you'll want to jump back on the practice floor, to progress even faster.

[SDsalsaguy]

The more often you compete ... the more comfortable you will be on the floor. So ... enter as often as possible.
Certainly true superbimmer.

So let me modify the question a bit... assuming that time and/or finances do *not* make it possible to enter that many events, how would everyone go about choosing/rpioritizing which events to compete at?

[superbimmer]

Well ... that does change my answer. Here's what my wife and I found earlier in our "competitive career":

We discovered NOT to do the Am/Am thing. It's expensive, since you pay by the dance ... and you often compete against few other couples, so you really don't get a good gauge of your progress. You may end up with a bunch of 1st places ... but against who?

For less experienced couples, I'd suggest the smaller comps ... much less pressure to excel ... fewer entrants ... smaller audience. Start with the Novice, and/or Pre-Novice, if offered. Get to the comp early, so you have plenty of time to "warm-up" on the floor during the time between sessions. Our favorite is a couple of hours before the morning session, when there are very few people in the ballroom ... and the floor is often almost empty. Spend time familiarizing yourself with the dimensions, and surface of the comp floor. It's amazing how much those factors can throw-off a newer couple. By chosing a smaller comp ... the floor will be much less busy during these periods.

But ... ultimately, it's a very individual choice. I'm assuming, by the way the question was framed, that caution is a key perspective.

As for which comps are the desired "size", check with your coach ... or you can ask some of the vendors. They don't go to the smaller contests!

[SDsalsaguy]

As for which comps are the desired "size", check with your coach ... or you can ask some of the vendors. They don't go to the smaller contests!
Generally true, but if possible it is also worth checking the heat lists ahead of time if possible. Some comps are quirky... big comps with almost no one in your given field for instance, or small comps with huge fields in your events.

Especially for newer dancers it is nice not to be too surprised by such variations if at all possible...

[superbimmer]

Well ... SDSalsaguy ... are you suggesting that they wait until heat sheets are available before entering? Sort of last minute for a newer couple. I'd rather see them just make a good guess, based on usual cases, and enter in time to get into the program. Get the mindset going in advance, and be prepared ... less presure, I feel. Also, if they do well, it's always nice to have the program as a momento.

[SDsalsaguy]

Absolutely superbimmer...

I'm just suggesting that if they know people who are familiar with a given event, or have access to heat sheets from previous years, this can be a better gauge then the more general one of total comp size, that's all...

[pygmalion]

If I understood the question correctly, you want to know if there is an advantage for a low level dancer to competing in a large competition. Well, let's make sure the premise of the question is accurate.

If I understood the premise of the question, I have to assume that said dancer is a low level dancer and will merely 'cannon fodder' only to dance the first round and eliminated.

To characterize a dedicated, hardworking, passionate dancer willing to go the extra mile for technical excellence as a 'lowly schlub' is probably not accurate nor fair. Besides, the only real way for a competitor to measure progress is through competition.



I am not putting myself down, here, Taita. But I do think that realistic expectations and a little humility are always a good thing. If being "cannon fodder" is a learning experience, then sign me up for it. And, truth be told, I don't think my current coach would let me sign up for a comp where I'd walk away demoralized. He's already made it clear he's training me to win. (He and I will have to talk about my philosophy, sometime. :wink: )

That said, this has turned into quite an interesting conversation. It looks like there are pros, cons and complexities I hadn't considered. Hmm.

[pygmalion]

So I think my decision is, at least for this year, to enter small and medium sized comps, but to attend as many large comps as possible, as a spectator. Then I can watch and take notes, and reassess in six months to a year.