The Dance Platform participates annually in Festivals and Championships all over South Africa.
Here are a few pointers on why we find it so beneficial to expose our dancers to the competitive world of dance.
THE BENEFITS OF COMPETITIVE DANCING
- Experience, Experience, Experience
Working towards a competition provides a dancer with a fully rounded experience of taking dance/acrobatic movements from the studio, onto the big stage. Dancers lean to commit to rehearsal schedules and to work hard in class, knowing that every improvement will count on stage.
- Appearing under the big lights, in front of judges, allows the dancer to get comfortable in this highly charged environment and to learn to focus through their nerves and adrenaline. These are essential skills to acquire if they going to perform successfully in auditions.
- Dancers learn to perform. There is more to the successful dancer than simply great technique. They need to connect with the audience, to bring their movements to life. Competition experience provides them with a platform on which they can learn how to work on stage.
2. Judges Feedback
- Competition Dancers get to hear constructive criticism and feedback from the experts within the field. The smart dancer will take this valuable information and use it to work on and improve their craft, technique and performance.
3. Exposure
- Dancers will get to meet peers from different backgrounds and with different experience. They will make connections that may prove very useful in their performing future.
4. Pushed to perfect and polish
- Competition deadlines force dancers, teachers and choreographers to push themselves and aim higher. There is a drive to improve from one season to the next. Dancers are given a reason to push their technique further to bring that performance to life.
5. Resilience
- Dancers will learn to bounce back. They won’t always win the trophy or get the highest score, despite their long hours and effort. Sometimes it’s just not their day. They’ll learn to lose with grace, to handle disappointment and to use the experience positively, to drive them forward. This attitude will be beneficial to them throughout their lives.
Member of The Theatre Dance Association & The South African Gymnastics Federation