scullystwin42
Forum Master
you got this, girl!
pre-competition disorder
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10tmf
Active Member
Have my first competition penciled in for late October and I fluctuate from being super excited to mildly panicky. It’s been a while since I’ve competed at something I’ve put real effort into which is where I think the nerves are coming from (I mean if I look at it objectively there aren’t really any stakes hahaha).
Dancing four dances (Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, and Jive) and entering both Open Bronze and Open Silver at my coach's recommendation. No clue how I'll do, but I'm less focused on results and more on just acclimating to the experience. Hopefully, it goes well!
Dancing four dances (Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, and Jive) and entering both Open Bronze and Open Silver at my coach's recommendation. No clue how I'll do, but I'm less focused on results and more on just acclimating to the experience. Hopefully, it goes well!
I'm not an experienced dancer, so I don't know what's normally done. But I think this is sort of a business fairness issue. I think you can drop out of a comp whenever you like-- though if you want to have credibility with partners, you need to have a good reason to do so if it's done very late. Obviously, if you were doing am-am and your amateur partner dropped out for a reason you found paltry, they are likely to hunt for a partner who they can rely on.
On paying the pros fees-- I think it's fair you need to still pay fees if other people's decisions were made based on believing you were going to pay fees. In your case, it looks like your dropping out would mean either you don't get a refun or your pro or the other student would have to cover costs you'd agreed to assume. Realistically, the pro can't really dump those costs on the other student. (You probably wouldn't think it fair if they'd been the one to cancel and the pro had decreed you pay the extra cost.) As much as we all like our teachers and part of the relationship seems (and is) social, it is still the case that competing is their job and you are a client. As a business matter, no pro can really afford to take a financial hit when their student backs out of a competition after the pro did things like buy airline tickets.
So it's seems to me the other two people involved shouldn't pay this fee if you back out at the last minute. The obvious person to cover sunk costs of your decision to drop out after some non-refundable costs were incurred is you.
You should also bear in mind that even though this is partly just a job for the pro, not competing when he planned to may already be something of a hit for him. Pros do gain credibility and reputation when they show off with students, especially any who've done well. So, he's lost something of a professional opportunity not having a student. His having to take a financial hit would just add to that injury. I can't help but think that if the pro covered the extra cost of the airline ticket, he would never agree to compete with you again. That would be the only financially sane decision for him to make.
The only real problem I see is the pro may need to create a formal agreement pointing all these things out. Often, clients aren't going to like to see long contracts though.
Wannabe Triple Threat
Member
I'm six weeks out from my first comp. I've already starting having ridiculous dreams and am vacillating wildly between "I'm cool, calm, collected, and confident" and "What in the world did I get myself into I am absolutely not ready for this". This is all normal, right?
Wannabe Triple Threat
Normal? Depends. There are so many factors. I'm doing my 2nd competition. I vacillate between "Someone has to come in last. If it's me that's ok!" and "There's some hope I might be able to win in the categories I entered if I work really, really really hard!" I have absolute no idea which is more realistic.
The latter idea motivates me to work at improving so I'm doing my best to focus on that. But if I don't win, that's ok with me. I'm still improving my dancing which is my real goal. Your goal may differ.
Oddly, I'm under the impression the pros get points to and have a chance to get some prizes based on accruing those points. My pro is so nice, and young and eager and yada, yada. I'd almost rather win as many points as possible for him as for me! (Weird... I know. But he works hard and is very helpful. I'd like him to get recognition even if it's sort of short term and if there's money, money.)
Normal? Depends. There are so many factors. I'm doing my 2nd competition. I vacillate between "Someone has to come in last. If it's me that's ok!" and "There's some hope I might be able to win in the categories I entered if I work really, really really hard!" I have absolute no idea which is more realistic.
The latter idea motivates me to work at improving so I'm doing my best to focus on that. But if I don't win, that's ok with me. I'm still improving my dancing which is my real goal. Your goal may differ.
Oddly, I'm under the impression the pros get points to and have a chance to get some prizes based on accruing those points. My pro is so nice, and young and eager and yada, yada. I'd almost rather win as many points as possible for him as for me! (Weird... I know. But he works hard and is very helpful. I'd like him to get recognition even if it's sort of short term and if there's money, money.)
Yes, pretty typical. If you want something to do during these six weeks, you might read The Inner Game of Tennis. It was first recommended to me by a sailing coach and many people here have read it. I like it partially because it's short.
Some of us pretty much never feel ready. If I'm working on something before a particular comp, I'll be happy with that by the next competition, but there'll be something else I'm working on and don't feel is quite right. I accept it...sort of. I've gotten used to it at any rate.
Not sure where to put this, but stupid question: I'm looking at the OSB registration forms... what is "Cld"? As in, "WORLD PRO/AM DANCESPORT SERIES SMOOTH - Cld Brz or Cld Sil ages A(16-35), B(36-50), C(51-60) or SEN(61+)".
I originally thought it meant "child" (on the schedule) until I saw the forms.
I originally thought it meant "child" (on the schedule) until I saw the forms.
:facepalm:
Duh, that is obvious to me now. (The International form has it spelled out, not sure how I did not see the difference btwn that and the American form). Thank you.
I'm going home.
scullystwin42
Forum Master
dude, don't feel bad - i had to have half the OSB form explained to me here 
. Even my studio owner was confused about the OSB rules and forms and she's filled out hundreds of these for comps. things read like stereo instructions.
. Even my studio owner was confused about the OSB rules and forms and she's filled out hundreds of these for comps. things read like stereo instructions.I also find the OSB forms and rules confusing. The rules actually don't make sense to me with the current NDCA syllabus. Pretty sure they've just never been re-written. In particular, it's the limits on which steps you can do in the subdivisions of closed bronze and silver that I don't think are in sync with the current NDCA rules. Plus, the OSB rules say, "Material used should be based on the N.D.C.A. syllabus, Fred Astaire and Arthur Murray social step list or any approved syllabi of member organizations of the N.D.C.A." Don't think I would test that out and use the FADS syllabus, however....
So, it turns out that OSB has rules posted in two different places...and they are different. The "printable" rules-- listed in the same place as the printable registration forms are (I hope) the current ones. They say, for example:
"Material used should be based on the NDCA syllabus. Even though Member Organizations of the NDCA have their own syllabi, The NDCA list of allowable figures, elements, and restrictions was developed to ensure a fair and even playing field for anyone entering closed syllabus competitions."
They also don't contain the differentiations about what material can be done in sub-levels of Bronze and Silver.
"Material used should be based on the NDCA syllabus. Even though Member Organizations of the NDCA have their own syllabi, The NDCA list of allowable figures, elements, and restrictions was developed to ensure a fair and even playing field for anyone entering closed syllabus competitions."
They also don't contain the differentiations about what material can be done in sub-levels of Bronze and Silver.
This is the first I've heard that there are different requirements for the sub-levels of Bronze. I have always danced my full Bronze routines in pre and intermediate Bronze single dances.