Competitive Dance Roots
When I was in grade 7, I wanted to try out so badly for a sport, and make the team. I just wanted to know what that felt like, so I tried out for what I thought felt the most reasonable for my skillset, track and field. I auditioned for long jump and triple jump, but didn’t make the cut. Being kind of stubborn, I asked the coach if there was anything no one tried out for. He said “800 m”. So I replied “oh, I want to tryout for that”. Well, guess what!? I made the team! Needless to say I got last place at the competition, and this was both the beginning and end of my competitive sport career.
Although I don’t have a lot of experience competing in sports, I did compete in dance locally since 1991 and internationally (okay, Niagara Falls, NY) since 1992. My last dance competition was Spring of 2004. I have so many great memories, and learned so much from that experience, but recently I’ve been thinking more about the intersection between dance and competition.
Ballet competitions first took place in Europe in the early 20th century. The Paris Opera Ballet created Concours de Danse initially for internal evaluations, later evolving into public events in the early 1800s. In 1964, the Varna International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria took place, which most consider the first modern international ballet competition. This included both scoring for artistry and technique and set the stage for this formality on a global scale.
Ballroom dance competitions (Dancesport) began in England in the early 20th-century, codified by institutions like the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD). This then spread across Europe to North America.
Competitive dance as an industry has blown up since the early days of modern competitions as we know them in the early 80’s. Conventions like Dance Masters of America, Showstoppers, and Starpower lead the way for massive, nation-wide events.
Before going further into competition and dance, we must first look at competition in general. North American competition tends to be rooted in a Eurocentric belief system. In Eurocentric competition the core elements tend to revolve around individualism (personal excellence and beating others), hierarchies and judging (objective scoring of skills/rubric), codification of technique (rulebooks/technical requirements), winning as the goal (prize or ranking is end product), and meritocracy belief (assuming a level playing field or ignoring context and systemic bias). These principles tend to align with Western Enlightenment ideals of rationalism, control, measurement, and mastery (all values once again stemming from European educational and artistic systems or institutions).
There are competitive practices in Afro-Diasaporic or indigenous cultures, but they are often different in purpose, tone, and/or structure. In Afro-Diasporic traditions battles (hip hop, breaking, wracking, dancehall) serve as communal and improvisational exchanges. They aim to show skill and creativity, but also uplift and connect. Judging is less about numbers and often more peer-based or audience-driven. Winning may be more symbolic rather than material or hierarchical. Looking at Capoeira rodas in Afro-Brazilian culture, there is playful competition but is still rooted in respect, dialogue, and call/response. Often in Indigenous traditions, dance is used for ceremony, ritual, celebration, and storytelling. If there is a game or contest element it is less about dominating and more about a reciprocal relationship within the community. Powwows sometimes include competitive dance, but these elements evolved post-colonization and are seen as a hybrid of tradition and Western influence.
General comparison comes down to Eurocentric competition being more of a finite game (scoring, winning, losing), while Afro-diasporic and Indigenous movement traditions include more infinite games focussed on participation, community, expression, and storytelling. This is why when we take styles of dance that are not from Eurocentric roots and put them in a competitive environment we are trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. This is one of the issues I have with competitive dance as we know it.
There are benefits to competitive dance. Having an upcoming competition can help with discipline in training, goal setting, and consistency in effort. Competitions help connect people, leading to scholarships, professional development and other opportunities. Competitive dance can also help with team building and a sense of community. For some, competition also gives a sense of purpose.
Although most sports don’t have an element of expression or art as a requirement, dance is different. Although dance is on the one hand an expressive art, in the competitive world it must still fit into some sort of ranking system. This misalignment of values can squash authentic expression and lead to conformity. Individuality or cultural context can be penalized in a competitive setting. Competition also leads to commercialization removing significant elements to make styles more palatable to the general masses (cultural flattening). Often judges have a cultural bias towards styles with roots similar to their own background. Competition can also lead to lack of joy, decreased exploration, less freedom of movement and general burnout.
Just because historically a style hasn’t been codified in the same way does not mean these styles don’t have their own “technique”. If we could shift towards showcasing instead of scoring, we may get closer to a healthier place with dance. Culturally aware adjudicators is also a necessity. Alternative models like festivals, peer feedback sessions, public showcases may also be the way to go for the future of dance performance opportunities instead of traditional competitions.
There will always be tension between the cultural origin of a dance style and the imposed structure that certain communities will try to force. If there is not a way to engage in competition while respecting the roots, then perhaps we should abstain until there is a more respectful path? In the end, competitive dance is a business, and with any business, it won’t change unless we put our money where our mouths (and hearts) are. Change comes from within. I hope that the future of leaders in the dance industry continue to grow, learn, and move in the right direction.
