My instructor and the owner of the studio where I take lesson have asked me if I would like to compete in June. (9 dance) I would be dancing with my teacher at the intermedate bronze level. (American style) I have checked out the syllabus for this level online and have not heard of half of the steps! I also have not done Bolero or Mambo. Is this too much to learn in about 3 months? I am able to devote about 10 hours to practice during the week and can do more on the weekends.
Should I go for it?

Thanks, Billman

I think you should definately go for it! Your competition may even have a newcomer division, if you have had under fifty hours of private lessons you may prefer to start in that division first. However, if it doesn't, there is no reason why you can't compete in the bronze level. You also don't have to register for any dances you don't feel comfortable competing in, such as mambo or bolero. You definately have plenty of time to prepare. It would be an excellent experience!

If you think you'd enjoy competing, I'd also say go for it. Here are a few things to thnk about:

1. You don't have to include all the steps on the syllabus for each dance; that's merely a list of the permissable steps at that level. Your instructor will put together routines for each dance and you can ask her to focus on the steps you already know.

2. You don't have to enter all 9 dances. If you want to do fewer, the competition will certainly be happy to let you register for the specific dances you want to do. Your instructor should be willing to be flexible about it, as well.

3. Have you gotten an idea of what this is going to cost you? First-time competitors often have severe sticker-shock, so I'd find out before you devote so much time, energy, and hope into preparing for the comp. If your studio is cagey about the total cost or tries to force you to dance all 9 dances, then I'd have second thoughts. Instructors and studios do make money on students' competitions, which is an inescapable part of the ballroom business, but it means you need to look out for yourself financially and not get hooked into doing something you can't afford.

Good luck, whatever you decide!

P.S. Disclaimer: my competition experience is all with independent competitions; if you're with Arthur Murray or Fred Astaire, they may have competition rules I'm not aware of.

I agree. Unless your goal is to dance the actual 9 or 10 dance comps, then shoot for something a little less ambitious. Especially for a first time out. I know I'm looking towards August (Nevada Star Ball) for my first comp, but I've attended a few and done some research, and I know that I will most likely stick with some of the single dances, probably waltz, foxtrot, tango, rumba and cha cha. I can't mambo to save my life and I look like a five-year-old on a pogo stick when doing the samba. No sense putting that lack of ability on display in front of a crowd.



This seems to be one thing the studios and teachers are reluctant to tell a student up front, until they have him/her committed to competing. Guess who pays for the teacher's entry fees into the comps? It isn't the teachers and it isn't the studios. That only leaves one place for the entry fees to come from. Sometimes I think the studios and teachers are their own worst enemies. The studio I go to invited students to the Holiday Dance Classic in December and said they would get a table and the tickets for anyone that wanted to go as a group. Then they proceeded to sell $25 tickets for $60 to the students. I went and bought a weekend pass for $110 and attended all but one session. Of course, they just had a Night Out last week and charged $40 to the students to go, but the cover charge at the door of the nightclub was $10. So, I'm wondering what the other $30 bought. Okay, enough of this rant. I should probably have posted this in a different discussion.

Good luck at Nevada Star Ball! I was there a couple of years ago and it was a nice comp, a good size for a first comp. Have fun!

What will something like this cost? I know that the hotel is about $80 per night.

Thanks, Billman

The hotel is the least of your financial worries!. Entry fees can be costly, around and up to $25.00 per dance.

Maybe you can go to the comp website to get a benchmark. I dance amatuar so I dont pay instructor fees. I think many studios increase the website published prices to compensate the instructor.

Pro-am is much more expensive than competing with a partner as an amateur couple. I posted a description of the costs on the "First Competition" thread started by Monica, which you might want to take a look at.

Oops! The other thread is called "dance competitions."

hi billman,
i would advice you to look at the cost of this competition thing
see if it fits your goals or what you want to do.
if yes than go for it or else be wise.
this could just be another oppurtunity for the studio to milk their students of money.
if you want to do competitions, find a partner, and practise hard.
concentrate on things what you can do and slowly progress.

i think 9 dances in 3 months is a way to much.
all thes studio MAY wants is that u set your mond in competing and sogn up fo as many classes to achive those 9 damnces

be aware of all the "+" and "-" amd make a wise decision
let me know what you decide.