From the moment dancers arrive backstage in their matching studio jackets, competitions can ignite healthy feelings of pride, unity, and belonging. But what happens when team spirit crosses the line into resentment, or even hostility, towards other competitors? If left unchecked, studio rivalries can negatively impact dancers, teachers, and parents alike. But studio leaders and […]

Over the past decade, a growing number of competitive dancers have amassed large social media followings by sharing dance-related content, becoming stars in a way that previous generations of comp kids couldn’t have imagined. The benefits of this exposure can include networking, training, and professional opportunities. But the negative aspects of social media fame—the anxiety […]

Clips of convention standouts are perennially popular on social media, so it’s unsurprising that filming at these events has become commonplace, with many organizations hiring professional videographers. But the etiquette around filming by students can be murky—and the pressure dancers face to post constantly makes these situations even more difficult to navigate. So when is […]

For competition kids, pursuing a dance degree is a natural extension of the years of dedication they’ve put into their craft. But the transition from the fast-paced buzz of the competition and convention scene to the college classroom isn’t always seamless. As two former champions and a college dean share, once on campus, competitive dancers […]

Competitive dance routines are all over social media feeds these days. For choreographers, studios, and dancers, this kind of viral fame can be thrilling—and it can help a mainstream audience discover the brilliance of competitive dance. (Molly Long’s inescapable “Pop Muzik” choreography for Project 21 has even trickled down to school playgrounds.) What does it […]

It’s natural to feel emotionally attached to the final scores of a nonstop competition weekend. But a competition loss doesn’t have to mean that all is lost. “Just because you’ve lost doesn’t mean you’ve failed,” says Lyssa Wopat, a former professional dancer who is now a certified mental performance consultant. And mastering the art of […]

College dance auditions often require students to present a short solo. While this solo can be an ideal way for competitive dancers to show their skills, a college audition room isn’t the same environment as a competition stage. How can dancers repurpose competition solos effectively? It starts by knowing your audience. “You have to research […]

Gabe De Guzman grew up taking convention classes across the country and starring in one viral class video after another, gaining tens of millions of views and hundreds of thousands of fans in the process. Now 24 years old, De Guzman is back on the convention circuit—at the front of the ballroom, leading the next […]