Rivalries, insecurities, and dance competition: can you escape the pressure?

Abstract

Rivalries, insecurities, and dance competition—is there any escaping the pressure? Here’s how to find a balance when you’re competing with yourself and others by Maddie Simmons There will always be competition in dance, whether it is between you and your peers or strictly with yourself. With TV shows like Dance Moms and So You Think You Can Dance, as well as the increasing popularity of dance competitions, I feel that the competitive nature of dance has become overemphasized. Although being competitive can be useful in that it pushes you to strive for success, it can also have detrimental effects on your self-confidence and can lead you to lose the enjoyment that dance can bring. Let’s be honest, how many times have you watched someone else dance and thought to yourself, “Man, I wish I could dance like her”? This comparison to your peers can happen regularly as a subconscious habit, but of course we did not come into the studio as little toddlers in pink tutus already comparing ourselves to each other. So where does this mindset stem from? And how can we learn to work with competitiveness so that it benefits us as dance artists? At a young age, we find out about the competitive nature of dance. We all know what it’s like to dream of getting a star role in a show. We practice countless hours, perfecting the steps and developing the character before going in for a big audition. Take The Nutcracker, for example; I remember auditioning for “Clara” at just seven years old, and how devastated I was when I did not get the part. Maybe you have experienced similar feelings when you didn’t get a part you wanted, or were torn between feeling discouraged and feeling happy for a friend who actually did get the part. Maybe you have said to yourself, “What does she have that I don’t?” Such experiences can cause you to begin comparing yourself to the dancers around you. Or maybe you’ve been on top of the world for getting a part you wanted, but these feelings quickly turned to guilt when you notice the other dancer’s disappointment. We are not always taught how to cope with the competitive aspect of dance, and as we grow up we often develop this mindset of always comparing ourselves to our peers. There is no denying that the field of dance is a competitive one, and this may not always be a good thing. One downside of having an overly competitive approach to dance is that it takes away from the artistry and enjoyment of dancing. If you are too busy trying to be better than the person next to you, you may not be putting in all of the effort you can towards improving yourself as a dance artist. With the rise of dance competitions, studios have begun to focus on teaching the acrobatic elements of dance, such as tricks and turns, instead of focusing on the artistic side. In an article featured in the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance that asks whether dance competitions are compatible with the artistic ideals of dance, student Michele Zandman of The College of New Jersey, Ewing, states that “dance should be an activity a person does for his or her own enjoyment…it is one thing to perform a dance for others to enjoy and know they appreciate the artistic value behind it, but it is an entirely different thing to turn the art style into a competition” (2007 JOPERD).