My AM instructor recently asked me to participate in a showcase in two months. I'm concerned because I don't think I'm ready...I've only been taking lessons since May and I don't feel like I've really *mastered* any of my dances to the point where I could have a polished performance that is not mediocre.
I'd like to trust that my instructor would only ask me if he thought I was ready...but there is also a part of me wondering if this is more about sales. I do have a lot of respect for his opinion, and if he REALLY thinks I'm ready, then I feel I should do it. I just don't want to have a disasterous performance. Does anyone have any experience with this?

I've been competing for over eight years and I always feel nervous and like I'm not ready.

That said, my first piece of advice is to sit down and have a frank talk with your instructor about exactly how much this is going to cost you. Showcases can get to be VERY expensive, and you don't need to be adding sticker shock on to your nerves.

If, after he's disclosed and explained the costs, you still want to do it -- then go for it! You have to start some time! I did my first inter-studio competition, where a couple of local studios got together, after I had only been dancing for about three months. I was nervous, but afterwards I realized I had had so much fun that I became hooked on dancing and competing for life! Since then I've had several amateur partners, plus have done Pro/Am with three different teachers over the years.

HMMM the Arthur Murray Showcase, one of the best sales tactics that they have. A new student that came in last week will "be ready" for that showcase.
You will be required to use more lessons to learn the dance or you will be required to purchae more lessons to learn the dance. You will be teased with patterns that are not at your level, but let's show the Judge how well you can handle the more advanced material. HMMM oh thats right, you will need to purchase a ticket for the dinner dance and awards presentation that night. And there will be a fee for entering this showcase because they have to pay the Judge and your teacher etc. And much to your amazement you will go home with a trophy or a ribbon. And DAMM everyone did. OH thats right there might be a free style comp too and if you sign uo for one or ten there will be a special fee for that too.
After the event is over and you are so excited about what you have done. The Judge (generally) along with your teacher will sing you the praises for the job you did and how well you handled the advanced material in your routine. And if you really enjoyed what you have done and would like more it will cost you your next unborn child. Please sign here.
If learning how to dance is something you really desire take all the monies that you will spend and invest it in lessons with a good teacher. And if you desire to compete wait until something comes up where it is a true dance competion and not a way of just selling you lessons. A great deal of the material learned is nothing u will ever use again anyway.

An experienced dance friend is doing her first showcase. She has been dancing for 15 years or so and is very experienced. She has done competition, lessons, but never a showcase. The showcase is an Int. Rumba with a Argentine Tango flair. The choreography is all basic syllabus work.
She figured 6 lessons at most, since she already knows all the syllabus through gold level.

She is on lesson 4 now and they still don't have all their choreography and the teacher is good, but very inefficient. He is slowly working with her on balance and the basics. Now she is irritated at the teacher and about the whole idea. At the pace that he is going it will take 20 lessons. He is now trying to talk her into extra lessons for the performance.

Showcases seem to be a green light for a teacher to run up a large dancing bill.

I would say wait awhile on your showcase if you can't tie all the expenses down. However, it will be a great growing experience--don't expect too much overnight with your new dancing abilities. Learning to dance well is a long term project.

Thanks everyone for the responses!

I really do recognize the motivational value of performances, so I don't mind paying for it...if I'm actually ready! Right now I'm leaning towards no, but I'll have a heart to heart with my instructor next week. The truth is, I don't know if I'll ever actually feel prepared...even in 5 years! I have such respect for the art of dance, and I don't want to debase it by doing a lousy performance.

Like it or not, you are going to have some lousy performances in dance. I just did a well rehearsed Samba in competition and did a lousy performance by making some stupid mistakes. Don't worry about a bad performance. You have a better chance of doing well with a showcase since it's only one dance.
In competition one does multiple dances--I did 15 different dances in my last comp.--made some mistakes too--so what.

You probably should do the showcase to just you past your fear of mistakes or a bad performance.

I would do the Showcase. Competitions and exhibitions, such as Showcase, do a lot to move your dancing forward. A cynic would say it's because you have to increase your lesson "burn-rate," which somebody above mentioned with some bitterness. Ask your instructor if he thinks you can do a creditable job without having to increase your lesson load. If the answer is no, then I would wait. But if he says yes, go ahead and do it. And then have fun; life is short.

<<<< The showcase is an Int. Rumba with a Argentine Tango flair. The choreography is all basic syllabus work.
She figured 6 lessons at most, since she already knows all the syllabus through gold level.

She is on lesson 4 now and they still don't have all their choreography and the teacher is good, but very inefficient. He is slowly working with her on balance and the basics. Now she is irritated at the teacher and about the whole idea. At the pace that he is going it will take 20 lessons. He is now trying to talk her into extra lessons for the performance.>>>

Actually, she is probably getting more out of the lessons by doing balance and the basics than she might if she does choreography - so in this case the teacher is doing the right thing.

If it's syllabus, and she 'knows' syllabus, then why would the coach need to teach the syllabus, anyway?

However, I'll wager that the sutdent is not very good at even doing basics or balance, tho she thinks that by 'knowing syllabus thru gold' that she is better than she thinks. Six lessons are just that - lessons - not practice. She needs to go off and practice what she gets in the lessons - it's not up to the teacher to do that for her.

I have read that there are three levels of dance lessoning: student dances with teacher is the very lowest and beginner-est level. The reality check is in....

Hi all,
learning to dance can be a tricky buisness with finding a good instructor, watching out for sales tactics which make you pay/buy more lessons. Its everywhere and truly speaking dancing is a buisness.
But at the end of the day its what you really want out of your lessons and where you want to be with your dancing. All studios apart from private/group classes have competitions, social nights. showcases etc...but then its upto each individual to decide if they are ready for it or not and are ready to sell out more money just to be in the comp.
If you think you are being forced to do something that you would not normally doo or are feeling uneasy about the whole idea of taking part in a showcase just because you are not ready to dance, then dont do it.

Whats a showcase?