Uncontested heats - how to be sure there will be competition at the competition

[s2k]

as an am-am partnership, we're Bronze.

Your first post was more focused on pro-am, but this post of yours seems to indicate you're maybe talking about am-am comps and being uncontested there.

Previous advice about looking at O2CM for who has already registered is a good idea for both pro-am and am-am comps. You could also visit the results page from the comp's previous year and see who attended last year, but this is not always effective for a variety of reasons. You might also visit those comp pages to see how big that comp's heats have been in the past - larger comps should have larger fields. If you can afford to travel to those bigger comps, then that's something to consider. We've cut back on the number of times a year we compete so we can start traveling to the places with those larger fields in our age and our events.

Also, previous advice about asking the organizer to squish your solo heat into another heat so you're not alone on the floor - yes. We should have done that last year at an NQE, and being in a full ballroom in the evening session with a 9 judge panel dancing an open event all by ourselves... well... that added a fun new layer to our experience, I'll tell you. In the future, we'll ask to be smooshed in somewhere else so we don't have to have that "experience" again!

And speaking of our age and our events...on an am-am basis, the NQEs have good turnouts but not in every age division. The NQE we've attended for years finally had an amazing turnout last year in our age/events... but two of those couples have ended their partnerships so we have no idea what that means for this year. I have heard delightful things about Gumbo for three years, but we'll not go any time soon, as in three years I've checked out O2CM and results pages there's been no (or maybe only 1 couple) in attendance there in our age division and our events. So until we're older, Gumbo...

But good luck to you!

 

[raindance]

Look at USA dance events, you are much more likely to be contested in USA dance for am/am than in most any NDCA event.

 

[bia]

At the syllabus level, I think it's going to be hard to find a single comp where you'd have contested events for both am-am and pro-am. On the am-am side, I agree that USA Dance NQEs are likely to have the biggest fields, and past years are easy to check on o2cm. Standard is often the biggest style for senior dancers at these comps. In addition to the Gumbo, the Carolina Fall Classic typically has large senior standard turnout.

 

[Gregory]

Just want to second Larinda on the judging, and say I've given many 2nd places on uncontested heats - and for more reasons than just being off time. Sometimes the Chairman (and/or organizer) changes the uncontested 2nd place results. I've also been on a panel where none of the judges gave out a 1st place in a contested event (3 couples) and the Chairman let the result stand!

As a former competition organizer: there is no way to guarantee a contested event, there are many late entries and also last minute cancellations. The earlier the entries get in, the easier it would be as an organizer to contact competitors and try to organize the competition so there are more contested events. This doesn't happen. Large numbers of entries come in after the deadline, just days before the event.

The best way to guarantee contested entries for pro/am: go to the bigger competitions, find out which competitions have more entries in the style you dance in and go to those competitions, enter the scholarship events, maybe the championship events. In general, for single dance events, the most entries are in the upper level bronze and lower level silver closed categories in the 'B' and 'C' age categories (even though the specific ranges can vary quite a bit from competition to competition).

For contested entries in am/am - go to amateur events!

 

[snapdancer]

I know of an example in which an uncontested couple got second. One of the judges gave a first but the other two gave second so the couple was awarded a second. Coincidentally, Larinda was the judge who marked them first. Other than that, not identifying any other information to save the couple further embarrassment.

 

[flying_backwards]

Your first post was more focused on pro-am, but this post of yours seems to indicate you're maybe talking about am-am comps and being uncontested there.

Yep you saw a glimpse of my split personality there
I waffle between swearing I'll never do pro-am and then writing up detailed budgets and calendars to do pro-am. It's tempting, but for now the money will go into lessons instead of comps. Im already spending beyond my means so it is a "zero sum game". The house and car repairs are postponed, no meals out, limping along with a 2008 model computer, retirement contributions suspended: Im at my limit. Realistically, I cannot afford pro-am.

And speaking of our age and our events...on an am-am basis, the NQEs have good turnouts but not in every age division.

Such valuable advice. You forum people are a great resource. OK I looked at the USA Dance calendar and see there is a NQE this coming Dec 3 in Oakland. (We're in California, so unlikely to fly back east for our first competition together.) Tentatively, we will aim for this one instead of Embassy. We'll be better prepared by December. Looking forward to it!

 

[raindance]

Yep you saw a glimpse of my split personality there
I waffle between swearing I'll never do pro-am and then writing up detailed budgets and calendars to do pro-am. It's tempting, but for now the money will go into lessons instead of comps. Im already spending beyond my means so it is a "zero sum game". The house and car repairs are postponed, no meals out, limping along with a 2008 model computer, retirement contributions suspended: Im at my limit. Realistically, I cannot afford pro-am.

From everything you've typed, best to avoid pro-am altogether. Enjoy am/am, and pace yourself financially so you can dance and live, too. You can space lessons out (fewer per month) and do other things to save costs. I am sure there are old threads here about stretching your dance budget.

 

[Mr 4 styles]

That NQE is small do don't be discouraged. Go anyway and enjoy. I'll probably be there with the mrs

 

[flying_backwards]

That NQE is small do don't be discouraged. Go anyway and enjoy. I'll probably be there with the mrs

From O2cm I see in the Nov 2015 results for Bronze there were only 1 or 2 couples in the Senior I, II and III Standard but I see there were 6 couples in Bronze Adult Standard. Slightly more entries in Silver Standard but I doubt we'll be Silver by this December. We'll definitely still be Senior, at least that much is certain.

So the answer is to enter the Adult age bracket.

The other part of the answer someone mentioned was to get together with others on this forum and all go to the same comp. So, if there's any other Senior Bronze Standard couples out there, come join us at this one in December in Oakland. Let's fill a field with Dance Forum members!

 

[Spookisgirl]

I find having to do single dances (which are usually divided in small age groups), most of which are contested in order to dance a scholarship or championship a very frustrating waste of money. The cost of the single dances is usually twice as much (when put together) than the cost of the scholarships or championships. On top of that, I have noticed a trend lately where people aren't even showing up to dance the single dances--they just register for them because they have to (and presumably pay the fee for it), and then only show up for the scholarship or multi-dance, making the single dances even more frustrating as you expect to have competition and in the end you don't. This happens a lot when the single dances and the multi- or scholarships in are two different sessions.

But I suppose as long as the entry fees are being paid, it doesn't matter if people show up to actually dance?

In the area where I live, am/am or pro/am people wait until the last minute to register even with late fees (for am/am especially the registration fees and late fees are still very small). They do this for a number of reasons--in case of injury, emergencies, travel issues and to see who else is registered. I don't know if it has changed lately, but o2cm stopped posting registrations before comps on their site.

Looking at past entries is really the only way to possibly gauge the amount of competitors, and even then is not a guarantee. Reaching out to people directly to ask them is probably the closest 'sure bet'.

 

[Dancing Irishman]

I find having to do single dances (which are usually divided in small age groups), most of which are contested in order to dance a scholarship or championship a very frustrating waste of money. The cost of the single dances is usually twice as much (when put together) than the cost of the scholarships or championships. On top of that, I have noticed a trend lately where people aren't even showing up to dance the single dances--they just register for them because they have to (and presumably pay the fee for it), and then only show up for the scholarship or multi-dance, making the single dances even more frustrating as you expect to have competition and in the end you don't. This happens a lot when the single dances and the multi- or scholarships in are two different sessions.

But I suppose as long as the entry fees are being paid, it doesn't matter if people show up to actually dance?

In the area where I live, am/am or pro/am people wait until the last minute to register even with late fees (for am/am especially the registration fees and late fees are still very small). They do this for a number of reasons--in case of injury, emergencies, travel issues and to see who else is registered. I don't know if it has changed lately, but o2cm stopped posting registrations before comps on their site.

Looking at past entries is really the only way to possibly gauge the amount of competitors, and even then is not a guarantee. Reaching out to people directly to ask them is probably the closest 'sure bet'.

On the o2cm piece, it's no longer easy to see the registrations, but you can change register.o2cm.com to entries.o2cm.com when you've clicked on "Register" for a particular event and still get at it that way for many competitions.

 

[JudeMorrigan]

At least many competitions are pretty good about giving direct links on their websites. The old way was vastly preferable from my point of view, but I wasn't the one having to manage the website.

 

[Mr 4 styles]

Flying--- just go to qualify for nationals. There will be good numbers there

 

[Loki]

FWIS, am-am at an NDCA event is almost guaranteed to be uncontested and a waste of time and money unless you just want the practice or are breaking in a new dress or just gotta have a First to lie... err... tell people about. Dance proficiency if they have it and get some marks.

USAD events have much more competition, but I've seen some uncontested heats there as well, depending on style and age. However USAD is a boatload cheaper.

Pro-am has been all over the board, depending on the comp.

It's a crapshoot IMO.

 

[raindance]

From O2cm I see in the Nov 2015 results for Bronze there were only 1 or 2 couples in the Senior I, II and III Standard but I see there were 6 couples in Bronze Adult Standard. Slightly more entries in Silver Standard but I doubt we'll be Silver by this December. We'll definitely still be Senior, at least that much is certain.

So the answer is to enter the Adult age bracket.

In USA dance, you can enter two levels. You can dance your bronze routines in silver. So if you two are new to competing together, I would suggest you enter bronze and silver standard in your own age group (might be senior 2 or 3, I don't know both of your ages), and just dance your bronze routines in both. And then you can also dance one age group younger, so dance that in bronze and silver as well.

I wouldn't recommend dancing in adult in your first comp as a non-college aged dancer, unless your regular age group is Senior 1 and adult is your next youngest age group available.

As Mr4styles mentioned, you will qualify for nationals if your heats are small, regardless of how you place. (If your heats are bigger you will need certain placements to qualify, I don't have it memorized but you can look it up.) If you can make the trip to nationals, your heats in bronze and silver standard for senior age groups should be decent size.

Also talk to your teachers/coaches about what to enter. But if your coaches aren't familiar with am/am USA dance comps (not all teachers are), then listen to dancers who are. ;-)