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Ballroom dancing will be an official sport in the next Olympics. Will ballet, tap and jazz be next? Can you just imagine running the 100 meter flap? How about the 12 mile bourree marathon? Maybe the switch leap high jump would be fun to watch. Yes I am being silly. None of these is likely to appear on ESPN 1,2, or 3 during the Olympics. Ballet, tap and jazz are not, and will probably never be, Olympic sports. However, this brings us to a more current issue. Is dance competition a good thing?

Dance is an art form that uses the body. That makes it an athletic art form. Still, it is not a sport; dance is about personal expression. Every person has something unique to say. How can you put a point value on that?

The same dance effects each of us differently. Which one we enjoy most is a matter of opinion and putting a score on a dance tells us that one opinion is more valuable. This is not the case.

Supporters of dance competitions point out a number of 'benefits.' They say that it gives students a goal. This is true. Nevertheless, is it a good goal?

The 'goal' of a dance is the message or feeling the choreographer is trying to express. Putting a trophy or defeated competitor at the end of the journey changes the focus -- to winning and competition. Instead of joy, pain, or passion being central to the dance they become tools that help the choreographer win.

Does this really happen?
You bet it does. Teachers create dances that will satisfy the judges' opinions. Instead of trusting their own artistic inspirations, they make dances they think will win. Parents will not continue to pay for 'losing' dances. This is one of the reasons so many competition numbers are identical. Pressure to win forces one to conform.

Can't you tell who the better dancer is by the number of turns, height of the jumps, and amount of flexibility they have?
No you can't. Those elements are like having big words in your vocabulary. The purpose of speech and dance is to express oneself. We have all heard the know-it-all who used big words all the time. We get irritated when they 'show-off' their big vocabulary. Dance is no different.

Doesn't competition prepare dancers for the real dance world?
No. In the 'real' world, you learn a 90 minute show in 3 weeks. In competitions, you spend a year rehearsing a 3 minute dance. Competition exists in any career. Nonetheless, artificially created competition is unnecessary. It forces the dancer to focus on the opposition rather than themselves.

It can't be all bad?
This is true. Any performance experience is a good one. However, experience can be achieved in a performance where winning is not involved. Dance festivals are becoming more popular and are an excellent example. Dancers perform for a panel that gives them comments and a rating, the difference being they are not compared to other groups. Similarly, you can attend competitions that allow you to be 'adjudicated only.'

So why do you still judge?
Great question! It would seem that I am a bit hypocritical wouldn't it? Well, it is an opportunity for me to talk with teachers and dancers from all around. The best 'plus' of competitions is that they are a chance for dancers to share ideas and I enjoy being a part of that.

In the meantime, just in case I am wrong, I am off to practice for the 400 meter Shuffle medley.