at a comp, which entries?

[skipper]

When you are going to a competion to dance, how is the decision made about which levels, divisions, scholarships etc.?

[ttd]

I dance pro-am. My teacher does not have anyone else my age (he has another lady doing same level as I do, but she is older), so I get to dance my age group and level. For single dances, I do 2 sets, usually the highest 2 sublevels of silver. This way I usually have a smaller break between the last set of singles and multi-dances. We haven't been in this situation yet, but if there are no A and B scholarships, one of us could dance open, I suppose. We would probably leave it to him to decide which one.

[emeralddancer]

well I also dance pro/am ... (thankfully my pro does not have others at my age level or level of dancing)

I am in in the 35 age group, newcomer/pre-bronze for my first comp 5 singles in newcomer and 5 in pre-bronze.
His other ladies: 1 is 50 and does American Rhythm pre-bronze/bronze, the other is i think 45 (or close to it) and does Silver standard
so we all dance different age/category/level etc ...

but each comp is different (for age groups and levels you can dance, etc ...)

like for instance Capital Dancesport just announced in may

"For the first time, competitiors may dance TWO ages and THREE consecutive levels in all single dance categories. Competitors may only dance ONE age in scholarships, championships, Dancesport Series and Best of the Best."

My suggestion if you are interested in competing ... talk to your pro, the studio owners, or other "established/seasoned" amateur competitors to find out or help with the forms. OR when in doubt and you have exhausted those possibilities, call the organizer of the comp you wish to compete at, many of them are nice and will answer your questions. After all it is business for them. =)

if you are a pro/am - er .... really go to your pro first .... he/she will have the info and the knowledge and know what age/level/etc you should be dancing.

[elisedance]

"For the first time, competitiors may dance TWO ages and THREE consecutive levels in all single dance categories. "

At some point they will be trying to get blood out of a stone I fear... Surely this is just about making money...
OTOH maybe its to let competitors dance two 'real' levels - bronze and silver for example, as AMs can (because they do not have the intervening 'intermediate silver'.

if you are a pro/am - er .... really go to your pro first .... he/she will have the info and the knowledge and know what age/level/etc you should be dancing.

Well, mostly.  But it depends on whether s/he has actually competed pro/am before.  Mine had not and made a lot of mistakes in my first comp.

[emeralddancer]

i sorta agree Elise ... money I think plays a HUGE role .... but around here I have heard conversations of AMs wanting the ability to dance MORE at comps. AND also some teachers/pros who want to get the over X amount of dances in for top teacher awards.

I know of one Pro/Am couple that this is a HUGE boon for the AM because she will dance the 3 levels as well as scholarship/championship ... blah blah blah ...

thus it eliminates having more students (to get top teacher - if pro does not have that many students) so can do less students more dances ergo ... more money for pro perhaps from fewer students?

also may have more participation from competitors.

Anyway you look at it .... more money for the organizers and pros. less for the competing AMs. lol

[QPO]

we are lucky here, it cost on average from a local comp to interstate comp about $30-120 to get in. Competitors don't pay anymore that someone who watches and there is no additional cost per entry of event. That would become cost prohibitive to pay per event, I would have to reconsider my involvement

[elisedance]

i sorta agree Elise ... money I think plays a HUGE role .... but around here I have heard conversations of AMs wanting the ability to dance MORE at comps. AND also some teachers/pros who want to get the over X amount of dances in for top teacher awards.

I know of one Pro/Am couple that this is a HUGE boon for the AM because she will dance the 3 levels as well as scholarship/championship ... blah blah blah ...

thus it eliminates having more students (to get top teacher - if pro does not have that many students) so can do less students more dances ergo ... more money for pro perhaps from fewer students?

also may have more participation from competitors.

Anyway you look at it .... more money for the organizers and pros. less for the competing AMs. lol

[Your terminology is rational EM but not how its usually used - usually we reserve the term AM for an amateur couple competitor - I know pro/am sounds like both but its actually only the AM half (the pro in a pro/am is not a pro/am ).  To make it clear I used to write pro/AM - bu tmaybe that confused everyone even more ]

[emeralddancer]

i sorta agree Elise ... money I think plays a HUGE role .... but around here I have heard conversations of AMs wanting the ability to dance MORE at comps. AND also some teachers/pros who want to get the over X amount of dances in for top teacher awards.

I know of one Pro/Am couple that this is a HUGE boon for the AM because she will dance the 3 levels as well as scholarship/championship ... blah blah blah ...

thus it eliminates having more students (to get top teacher - if pro does not have that many students) so can do less students more dances ergo ... more money for pro perhaps from fewer students?

also may have more participation from competitors.

Anyway you look at it .... more money for the organizers and pros. less for the competing AMs. lol

but ya got what I meant right? the am half or the pro/am.

[Your terminology is rational EM but not how its usually used - usually we reserve the term AM for an amateur couple competitor - I know pro/am sounds like both but its actually only the AM half (the pro in a pro/am is not a pro/am ).  To make it clear I used to write pro/AM - bu tmaybe that confused everyone even more ]

[elisedance]

yes - I finally found your line in the quote!!

[dream a little dream]

Very interestingly, having someone else in my age range and my level was the reason I was switched to Standard.  This other lady had more money to enter comps than I do, but I have the more competitive spirit and wanted to go to more comps.  She and I both danced Smooth, so I was moved to Standard so that she could dance Smooth and attend whatever comps she wanted..  I was very much against the move at first, but now, I don't remember why I was so in love with Smooth!

I am, in both the old studio and the new one, the only competitive Standard student.  I used to not like it, but now it suits me just fine.  So, I am entered wherever my instructor feels I should be.

[elisedance]

This other lady had more money to enter comps than I do, but I have the more competitive spirit and wanted to go to more comps. 

so the obvious solution was for her to pay for your comps...

QED

[dream a little dream]

That would have been nice, but well, it wasn't going to happen.
She's at the old studio, anyway. 

[elisedance]

..she can send a check

[dream a little dream]

Riiiight.  Please send a check in care of new studio so that I can compete more because you were the reason I was moved from Smooth to Standard.  I got the better end of the deal, though.  I love Standard and I love my new instructor. 

[elisedance]

better not tell her the latter bit, sounds like a deal breaker - no guilt.