Questions & Answers
The American Ballet Competition Forum for the discussion of questions of student interest.
Please contact us at ABCompetition@aol.com with your questions. We will answer you directly and post those of general interest.
Is competition important for young dancers?
Competition is a good tool for young dancers who want to have a specific goal and work towards it. It can enhance confidenceif the experience is positive. Treat competition as
a learning experience - not only about winning but about gaining
strength and confidence from the process. Winning is just the icing
on the cake. Many find that it is a good opportunity to be seen by
directors or representatives of ballet schools or companies.
Do you encourage competition for all students?
Competition is not for every dancer. Some love the energy of competing and love the challenge. Others don’t have the desire to do it and that does not mean they will not have a dancing career if they don’t learn to compete.
I see many bios for principal dancers state that they won or participated in one competition or another. Is it important for young dancers to compete in competitions to reach the status of principal dancer?
Many principal dancers have competed because of the challenge and prestige. But dancers also become principal dancers through hard work, commitment and artistry.
What is the difference between ABC and other competitions?
ABC is not only about competing. Education is an important component of our competition. Competitors receive inspiring master classes with outstanding teachers, lectures and most important, individual coaching sessions.
Do the competitors have a chance to rehearse their variations before competing?
All competitors at ABC get individual time to run through their variations on stage. They also have master classes on stage, so they have ample time to get accustomed to the space.
Do you give out scores or comments?
We do not give out jury scores but a compilation of the judges’ comments and the competitor’s averaged score is sent out upon request.
Why do the competitors have to use ABC’s official CD?
Our CD’s are recorded by professionals to professional tempos and are of excellent quality. We want all our competitors to be able to compete to a specific tempo which levels the field and, therefore, is fair for all. A competitor may to choose to compete with fast or slow tempi. Having official CD’s also helps many of the dancers who do not have access to good quality music and danceable tempos.
What are the advantages of ABC?
All our master classes, lectures and competition events are held in one building. Competitors don’t have run around town to do class or rehearse. ABC strives to be well organized and stay very much on a detailed schedule. In addition to cash prizes, we also award traineeships, scholarships and other prizes. This year, we are very excited that Boston Ballet is awarding a contractual Boston Ballet II position! And we are, of course, very proud of the educational component of the competition. We promote a friendly and caring environment for each competitor to ensure a positive experience.
Are competitors allowed to watch during the competition?
No. We feel strongly that it is not wise for competing dancers to be in the audience while others are competing. Competitors should concentrate on their own performance. Seeing another before them might interfere with focusing on their own performances. Professionally, performers should never be in the audience in make-up or costume.
Are teachers allowed during classes and coaching sessions?
We encourage teachers to audit all classes and coaching sessions. Good teachers always strive to keep abreast and to hone their teaching skills. Parents may also attend all classes and events. There is an audit fee for this, however. In the coaching sessions, our coaches are very sensitive to not change the choreography or demand technique changes. Mainly in the coaching sessions we stress the style of the variations, spacing and help with any technical problems.