Being pushed to do competitions

[Dragonfly934]

I'm at a chain studio and am pushed to do many competitions by my instructor. I definitely want to compete, but the only reason I don't want to be in every single competition and in every single type of dance is because money is my limiting factor. I think my instructor is genuine about teaching and wants students to do well, but my question is, does anyone think that pushy instructors like this are partly in it for their self-interest?

I read somewhere that instructors get points for themselves if their students compete and for any placement (then those points, I guess, equal more salary). I also understand that on the flip-side of the coin, competitions help the student move towards a goal, and competitions in themselves can really make a dancer better.

Just wondering how much this instructor may be pushing me for his own self-interest, which, honestly makes me feel bad and deceived if that is a large part of his motivation. Any thoughts?

 

[wooh]

Can't it be both? I mean, I don't go to work just to benefit others. I'm earning a paycheck, and as much as I love what I do, I wouldn't do it for free.
From my experience and what I've seen:
Instructors want you to compete and take lots of lessons for two reasons:
To make money.
To see their students improve.

There's nothing wrong with the making money part. They work hard for it!

 

[Terpsichorean Clod]

I also understand that on the flip-side of the coin, competitions help the student move towards a goal, and competitions in themselves can really make a dancer better.

Competitions can make you a better competitive dancer. Competitive dancing and good dancing are not the same, though there is a good bit of overlap. I think it's quite possible to compete too frequently. I recall Mirko having said something to that effect.

So if you want to be a better dancer, you don't have to compete. You can still set deadlines, though they probably won't have quite the same effect or sense of urgency as competitions.

 

[GGinrhinestones]

Can't it be both? I mean, I don't go to work just to benefit others. I'm earning a paycheck, and as much as I love what I do, I wouldn't do it for free.
From my experience and what I've seen:
Instructors want you to compete and take lots of lessons for two reasons:
To make money.
To see their students improve.

There's nothing wrong with the making money part. They work hard for it!

Agreed.

The fact is, this is a business for the instructors. Many, many, many of them also genuinely care about the growth and success of their students, but at the end of the day it is still their job. As a student, it is important that you keep that in mind. However, it is up to you whether or not you let that keep you from competing. Personally, I want to compete for me, and if that happens to help out of my teacher, great. However (and I admit this came after a lot of internal struggle), I no longer feel guilty saying "no" to competing when I can't afford it or realize that my dance goals aren't in line with the particular competition he's selling. And he, being the professional he is, treats it as business and moves on to what is a better fit for me, the client.

 

[danceronice]

The fact is, this is a business for the instructors. Many, many, many of them also genuinely care about the growth and success of their students, but at the end of the day it is still their job. As a student, it is important that you keep that in mind. However, it is up to you whether or not you let that keep you from competing. Personally, I want to compete for me, and if that happens to help out of my teacher, great. However (and I admit this came after a lot of internal struggle), I no longer feel guilty saying "no" to competing when I can't afford it or realize that my dance goals aren't in line with the particular competition he's selling. And he, being the professional he is, treats it as business and moves on to what is a better fit for me, the client.

Yep yep yep! Wise words.

Think of it--do you go to your job solely because you love doing it and want to help your employer? Dance teachers need to make a living. If they can get a little more by competing, they'd like to do that. MOST of them, in my experience, will not push past a certain point if you clearly don't want to compete or don't want to do more dances than you're comfortable with. Obviously, they'd like to make more from you dancing more, but they also would like you to keep taking lessons from them and if they keep pushing, that might not happen. Just be nice but firm--if you only want to do, say, one style, or one round of each style at a competition, just say so.

 

[rbazsz]

my question is, does anyone think that pushy instructors like this are partly in it for their self-interest?

Partly??? The answer is that instructors push competitions because it is totally in their self-interest. By pushing competition they make more money from lessons and it's free advertising for them when people see their students in the contests.

The important thing to understand is that if you are having fun at the competitions or if you see other value by doing them then they are are in your interest also.

Competitive dancing should be a symbiotic relationship.

 

[fascination]

most pros make far more at a comp than they do from lessons..yes...of course they want to do them...it is also good advertising for them in order to be seen, presuming they put something out there that looks good...I can't speak to added franchise incentives because I have never danced out of a franchise....

what I will say is that while you need to be able to trust your teacher's skill as a teach on your lessons, and it is good to want to please them and yourself on those lessons, comps are expensive and stressful, beyond maybe doing one to see how you like it (and only if you want to)...they are far too draining on a variety of levels to do them half-heartedly...don't let anyone guilt you into doing a comp

 

[nucat78]

most pros make far more at a comp than they do from lessons..yes...of course they want to do them...it is also good advertising for them in order to be seen, presuming they put something out there that looks good...I can't speak to added franchise incentives because I have never danced out of a franchise....

what I will say is that while you need to be able to trust your teacher's skill as a teach on your lessons, and it is good to want to please them and yourself on those lessons, comps are expensive and stressful, beyond maybe doing one to see how you like it (and only if you want to)...they are far too draining on a variety of levels to do them half-heartedly...don't let anyone guilt you into doing a comp

Well said, Fas and RB!

Comps have value for students and teachers, showcases have value for students and teachers. One needs to weigh the pros and cons for oneself to determine what that value is (if any). Return.on.investment.

I should add, DF, that it's not just chains that push students to compete. Indies do it also.

 

[Spitfire]

There are other incentives for both teachers and students. When I was taking lessons at the time I started out I was often persuaded to bring guests to the dances. I don't recall just what it was, but if a student did bring a guest and that guest signed up for lessons there was something in it for both that student and the teacher. It may have been a bonus for that teacher and free lessons for that student; don't recall just what. I never did bring any guests since neither my friends or outside acquaintances had the slightest interest in dancing.

 

[toothlesstiger]

It is certainly in the interest of the teachers to have you compete. As for you, it depends on your dance goals. We find that competition, and the desire not to suck when we compete, gives us more incentive to practice and improve. Competitions, showcases, medal tests, these are all milestones that provide incentive to improve more rapidly. If I was only going to dance socially from here on out, I'd have very little incentive to take any more lessons, even, let alone practice on my own.

But you have to decide if it is worth the expense to you. If you don't think it has value to you yet, just tell your teacher, firmly, "I'm not doing it this time around."