Why do you compete?

[MartinHarper]

Given RobC's comments that (for him) it's not about the money, I wondered what people's reasons were.
(apologies if this thread's been done before)

[Lory]

I think you've forgotten two important points :flower:


For the kudos, if I win

To further my career on the dance scene, by getting a name

Can a moderator amend?

[MartinHarper]

Trust the non-competitor to miss the most important reasons. :)

[Lory]

Trust the non-competitor to miss the most important reasons. :)
Just for the record, I don't compete either! :na:

[drathzel]

relatively it seems as though very few people compete! Its just the same people every time! :hug:

[El Salsero Gringo]

Given that across the country, and at a conservative estimate, some tens of thousands of people participate in MJ, and that the sum total of all possible competition places can't be much more than 1000 per year, it is a truism to say that most people don't compete, and a natural corollary that the "same people" enter every time.

Similarly, the number of Forum members is somewhere around 1300, so unless competitors are vastly over-represented among forum members it is also the case that competitors are in a minority amongst forum members.

What the poll is going to indicate (if anything) is what proportion of *active* Forum members compete.

It would also be interesting to weight the votes by (say) frequency of posts, to see if competitors are disproportionately the most vocal members of the forum.

[drathzel]

Given that across the country, and at a conservative estimate, some tens of thousands of people participate in MJ, and that the sum total of all possible competition places can't be much more than 1000 per year, it is a truism to say that most people don't compete, and a natural corollary that the "same people" enter every time.

Similarly, the number of Forum members is somewhere around 1300, so unless competitors are vastly over-represented among forum members it is also the case that competitors are in a minority amongst forum members.

What the poll is going to indicate (if anything) is what proportion of *active* Forum members compete.

It would also be interesting to weight the votes by (say) frequency of posts, to see if competitors are disproportionately the most vocal members of the forum.

:confused: sorry too many big words :whistle:

[El Salsero Gringo]

sorry too many big words
And *far* too much free time....

[drathzel]

And *far* too much free time....

House bound...not my fault!:yum:

[El Salsero Gringo]

House bound...not my fault!

I meant me, actually, but I'm sorry to hear that!

[drathzel]

I meant me, actually, but I'm sorry to hear that!
Oh ok :blush: Now we better get back on thread before we get shouted at! :hug:

I wonder how many more people would compete if they had a partner. I mean you always see people lurking in the forum posting for dance partners. If more people would be able to get a partner would that result in more people entering or would it stay about the same? :confused:

[philsmove]

House bound...not my fault!:yum:

You aren’t one of these people under house arrest are you :whistle:

sorry

back on subject

May be better question would be: what might intice you to compete

[TheTramp]

I have the best reason for competing....

It's the only way that you can get a bit of space on the dancefloor for at least one dance at a competition!! :whistle:

[drathzel]

You aren’t one of these people under house arrest are you :whistle:

sorry

back on subject

May be better question would be: what might intice you to compete
:yeah:

No i'm not under house arrest, i'm house bound due to the little green men blocking my door!:whistle:

[Clive Long]

And *far* too much free time....

Oi. You are supposed to be working today. Or at least that what you told me last night. :blush: (Lory, start rumour please)

Anyway, competitions. I have never entered a dance competition but I will share my experience of taking part in singing competitions when I was a lad. I think my motivations were similar to a number of those listed for dance competitions.

Singing can be a "communal" or "personal" experience but is usually a performance experience. You are trying to share with and communicate with other people your response to the music and the words. I think the same personal and public responses are true in dance.

Why did I enter singing competitions?

1.My signing teacher encouraged me. She was a member of a local music competition and felt strongly that aiming to a competition was the only way to develop. I know the prospect of looking a complete berk in front of the judges if I did not know the words and music perfectly was terrifying. It would have been disrespectful to the judges and my teacher not to have prepared as well as I could. My teacher was a woman of high personal standards and integrity that I usually failed to live up to.
2.I wanted to sing in public – I wanted to “perform”, I wanted to “connect” with people and be the focus of attention for something I felt I had some ability at.
3.I thought I might win and although I try to deny it, I like winning - even though I do feel for those who don't win. If I win, you lose, but I don't have to humiliate you in the process. If you weren't there in the competition, my win would be hollow.
4.I wanted recognition and “positive strokes” for my performance.


How did I feel about winning?

1.A guilty pleasure. A clenched-fist Tim Henman air-punch with a “Yes!” But all carefully concealed by a gracious, demure acceptance.
2.An uncertainty about what I had really achieved – because these comps were the lowest level of musical competition.


Downside to competitions.
1.You might lose fairly. Even if you know you were beaten by better people it can still be galling to have no reward (even a gaudy bauble) for all your effort.
2.You might lose unfairly. We are judged all the time in life and we have to accept that others may not like or appreciate what we have to offer. It's hard - but that's the way it is.

Would I enter now?

I might – again as a “focus” for my singing. I'm not a “natural” singer so it involves work – and I do enough of that – so may be not.



Are competitions of any sort good? Generally, yes. Mainly because they provide a focus for your practice. Working towards a competition forces you to extend yourself. I have a broadly the same attitude to exams, sorry unpopular position I know, but I think we delude and ultimately cheat ourselves if we do not work towards a point where we can be judged. However, as I found exams unstressful, Christine Keeler might have said “you would say that about exams, wouldn't you?” – but that's drifting off-topic.

You are taking a risk when you put yourself up for “judgement”. You are offering something of yourself and waiting for a response. There may be some who wish you ill because you pose a threat to them and will say something unpleasant about your performance or damn you with faint praise. There are others who are indifferent to what you are doing. There may be a few who derive great delight from your performance – so why should you deny them that? The worst reviews I got for amateur shows I appeared in, as a “second-line” lead, were those for which I got no mention at all. Unjust? Probably, limited space allowed for “arts” in the local rag, rather than malice.

So, if you want to, compete. Enjoy your success but don't humiliate the loser. Give what you can and feel the disappointment if you don't get what you wanted. Be human.

[drathzel]

I have the best reason for competing....

It's the only way that you can get a bit of space on the dancefloor for at least one dance at a competition!! :whistle:

T, you know you can always get a space on the floor! :yum: Point nullified! :D

[Clive Long]

<< cut >>
I mean you always see people lurking in the forum posting for dance partners.
<< cut >>


Pedantic point.
How can one lurk in a forum AND post?
:confused:

[drathzel]

Pedantic point.
How can one lurk in a forum AND post?
:confused:

Its called multi tasking :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[TheTramp]

T, you know you can always get a space on the floor! :yum: Point nullified! :D
You've never been to a competition down south, have you?!? :na:

[drathzel]

You've never been to a competition down south, have you?!? :na:

No, but i still doubt you'd have trouble getting space! :hug:

[Northants Girly]

You've never been to a competition down south, have you?!? :na:Mmmmm . . . . I don't think that was what Drathzel was refering to ;)

[TheTramp]

Mmmmm . . . . I don't think that was what Drathzel was refering to ;)
Hmmmmmm. Am I being maligned? Again! :tears:

[Barryf]

I wonder how many more people would compete if they had a partner. If more people would be able to get a partner would that result in more people entering or would it stay about the same? :confused:

I would love to compete just for the sheer enjoyment of it all and be able to say ' Been there done that' and would be elated just to get through to the next round.

My problem was not having a partner :tears: --well now I have found one :cool: completely by fate and we are looking forward to Scotland Competition. Cant wait to get Dancing. :nice:

So there may be lots of us would be competitors out there just lacking a partner.

[TheTramp]

So there may be lots of us would be competitors out there just lacking a partner.
:yeah:

:tears:

[El Salsero Gringo]

My teacher was a woman of high personal standards and integrity that I usually failed to live up to. Intriguing, Clive. Do tell!

[Barryf]

:yeah:


and she :flower: can dance blues too even more :yeah:

[Andreas]

I would love to compete just for the sheer enjoyment of it all

That is exactly what I failed to find, enjoyment in a competition :flower:

[RobC]

relatively it seems as though very few people compete! Its just the same people every time! :hug:
I realise that the poll will have changed since your post, but at the time of my post, 19 people have voted of which only 10 have said they dont compete. I think there's more competitors around here than you think :wink:

[RobC]

Personally, as I have indicated in other threads, the prize money doesn't come into it.

My reasons, in order, are for the fun and enjoyment, for the motivation to improve and the challenge, and since I am now a teacher, I guess I also have to admit to the last option - to further my career in the dance scene - although currently me and my partner are not competing since we don't have the time to spend practising.

We will however be putting together some cabaret performances for later in the year, so watch this space - you may see us competing in the Showcase at Bristol or Britroc...... :nice:

[Yliander]

my reasons for competing are the motivation to improve, the challenge , to see how i stack up against other dances and the fun ( I have discovered my inner showpony which isn't so inner anymore :blush: )

And this wasn't an option on the poll but also the chance to meet dancers from all over the country.

sure as hell is not the prize money as there isn't any here and would have to be a rather large amount to even come close to covering costs incurred for entering a major
competition here due to airfares and accomodation and time off work

[Barryf]

That is exactly what I failed to find, enjoyment in a competition

Well Andreas, I have to admit I just want to dance with this lady and show her off :blush: I do get a special buzz when folk are watching and where better than a competition :D

[drathzel]

Personally, as I have indicated in other threads, the prize money doesn't come into it.

Prize money... there is prize money....oh well, stil not competing!

Hey is there such thing as a dance partner that you dont compete with you just dance with each other to improve and help your partner? :hug:

[Yliander]

Hey is there such thing as a dance partner that you dont compete with you just dance with each other to improve and help your partner? :hug:There is indeed such a thing - not all dance partnerships compete

[Clive Long]

There is indeed such a thing - not all dance partnerships compete

And not all competing partnerships, dance

Boo, hiss, cynic, be gone.

[Yliander]

And not all competing partnerships, dance

Boo, hiss, cynic, be gone. touché :rofl: :rofl:

[Piglet]

I've ticked "for the challenge" but....

I've never ever competed before, but...

was asked to be someone's partner last week for the Championship's Intermediate and jumped (literally) at the chance.

Loved watching it all last year, and now that I've got the chance to practise with a partner, we can try to hone all the workshoppy stuff we've been doing! I'm hoping it will all be a good giggle - expect to be having kittens on the day, but so long as we can laugh then I'll be happy.

Maybe I should have ticked for the enjoyment, but it will be a challenge to perfect some new moves... so... (can you tell I'm not sure I've ticked the right one?)

By the way I haven't even ever done a Lucky Dip, so that will be new for me this year too! :cool:

[Cruella]

:yeah:

:tears:

You've had more partners than Peter Stringfellow!!!!! :wink:

[TheTramp]

You've had more partners than Peter Stringfellow!!!!! :wink:
I'd disagree. I've had lots of people who've entered competitions with me. For a bit of fun on the day.

I've only ever had one real partner, who I've actually worked with for a sustained period of time, with a goal in mind. Which finished when she got into a serious relationship, and wanted to start a family.

While I've enjoyed all the competitions I've done, with the many different partners I've had. I'm still looking for that all-elusive real, local partner to practise with, and improve both mine and her dancing.