Dance vs. Dance Team Competitions
Nowadays, if you want to attend a dance competition, the only question is which one. There are so many options, divisions and categories to choose from. On a positive note, the various choices allow the studio or team to sift out competitions that suit their performance goals. On a more intimidating note, there can be so many it can be difficult to determine which one compliments the wants and ability of your dancers.
Most importantly, a coach or teacher should know the difference between a dance team and a studio competition, and even further an all-star category. When genres like jazz and hip-hop are becoming more and more popular it’s easy to become confused as to where your dancers fit in.
Dance team competitions have genres like pom, high kick, jazz and hip hop, and are the competition ground for high school and college dance teams. The all-star category is designed for teams who may or may not be school affiliated, which means dance studios. However, the category does not require a certain level of training, technique or classes, so the guidelines are loose.
The crossover between dance team and all-star teams is more frequent and may stir some questions like, if a studio team is competing against a high school team in jazz, don’t they have the benefit of more groomed technique? Or, if dance teams are more skillful in pom, do they have an advantage over studios? The playing ground may seem slanted, and there are certainly differences between teams, but for teachers in a studio there are ways to prepare your dancers accordingly.
The first thing to recognize is that a dance studio may provide more technique classes, but that doesn’t mean that a high school or cheer gym can’t be a comparable opponent in genres like jazz and hip hop. OC All Stars Cheer and Dance in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, for example, provides training in cheer and dance and competes in all-star dance competitions. The OC All Stars recently won first place in jazz, pom and hip hop at the Universal Dance Association (UDA) West Coast Championship. Next year they plan to attend a dance team competition to see how they will place.
“We don’t practice as much, maybe five to six hours versus studios with 10, 12 and 20 hours per week,” says Heather Neville, owner/dance director of OC Cheer and Dance. “Many students come to us because they want to dance five to six hours versus 20, but they are still learning good technique.”
For many coaches it is undeniable that studio teams have dancers with great training, but dance teams bring other strengths to the competition. “Studio teams are coming in with incredible technique, above and beyond, but all-star and high schools have the choreography and costumes,” says Lonna Albert, coach of the Mater Dei Songleaders of Mater Dei High School in Santa Anna, CA and owner/choreographer of South Coast Freestyle in Orange County, CA. The All-Star dance program at South Coast Freestyle provides classes and many competition opportunities for their All Star team. The Mater Dei Songleaders are the 2009 National Dance Association (NDA) National Champions in Jazz.
For a dance studio owner interested in bringing dancers to all-star or dance team competitions it is important to realize the genres offered at studio competitions, like lyrical, are not offered. It is more about jazz, points out Ashley McCreery, teacher and coach at Ohio Valley Dance Elite in Parkersburg, WV, a studio that provides dance education and training in order to prepare girls for a college dance team. The team brought home first place for senior jazz at the Ameridance Championships.
Dance Elite competes in both all-star and studio competitions, and as a coach it is important for McCreery to recognize their differences. “All-star is looking for clean routines and clean formations,” she says. “Studios look for the artistic part of the dance…They look at more technique, all-star more at precision.”
Researching the competition’s requirements is part of the coach or teacher’s preparation. If a team is interested in doing well, they must be acquainted with what is expected of them. “Do your homework,” Lindsey Curry, owner of Footnotes Dance Studio in Ceres, CA, emphasizes. McCreery agrees, “Research the competition, especially all-star because the score sheet is different than normal studio score sheets.”
There are very definitive distinctions that can ruin a team’s chances of placing, even if they are wonderful dancers. It’s all about the teamwork and unity.
“It’s more precise, with clean lines and less contemporary. The jazz has stronger arms, it’s cleaner, more like pom technique [with] hands at the sides,” says Neville of all-star competitions. “We have more practice time as a team, drilling to be clean and precise. We just competed against a team that wasn’t used to dance team competitions and couldn’t dance as a team. They were like 15 soloists on the floor. If you can’t do it as a team you won’t place. It doesn’t matter if everyone can dance it individually.”
OC All-Stars photo by JonOgden
Once the routine has been performed, score sheets completed and the winners are ready to be announced, there is yet another major difference between dance team and studio competitions—the awards themselves. Studio events have more opportunities for placing. “Studio competitions have bronze, silver, gold, platinum, triple platinum,” says Albert. “All-star and high schools seem to be a lot more specific on their wins. There is a harsher win threshold, either you win or lose.” Curry also mentioned, as a dance or all-star team you only get first, second or third place.
There are also many dancers competing in both studio and high school dance events, notes Albert, and not many high schools support the crossover. However, she believes there are noticeable benefits for girls involved in both teams, allowing them to get the perspective of multiple coaches.
As a choreographer, it is important to keep the routines fresh and inventive, not bringing the same type of dance to three straight years of competitions. In dance team and all-star competitions it can be exciting to add some gymnastics and cheer into the mix, staying within regulation of course, Curry mentions.
Footnotes Dance Studio’s teams mainly compete in the all-star category, and they recently won grand champions in their division at the USA Nationals. The team attends an average of eight competitions a year.
“Hip hop is the most popular, whether you want to admit it or not,” remarks Curry. “If you’ve seen one routine, you’ve seen them all.” So, she suggests adding some acrobatics to keep it distinctive and up beat.
Neville, Albert, McCreery and Curry are all coaches, teachers and choreographers of teams with national championships under their belts. They stressed the importance of cleaning routines and ensuring the precision of dancers in their formations, as well as knowing your event and what will be judged.
Curry mentioned that one of the best ways to find out about competitions is to ask around. “People are too frightful to call another studio. Frankly, I would love to find out about different competitions.” Other coaches and studio owners could be a great resource to each other, asking questions and trading advice and tips.
Without getting too tangled in the winning mode, it is also important to keep perspective. Ultimately, the dancers know when they have done well, “They should do their personal best, above all else,” says Albert. “Judging is so subjective, do your personal best and that’s all I expect. We’re not going to be judged by them, we’re judged by us.”
“Ladies, it’s just dance, it supposed to be fun,” she laughs. “I try to keep it in perspective. At the end of the day they’re just looking for the next pizza party and sleepover.”
Finding a balance between seriousness and fun is how to keep the dancers engaged and successful. Knowing your audience—or judge, in this case—is key. Finally, practicing both technique and the choreography will always help your team stand out at any competition, convention or event you choose to enter.