Placements

Let's talk about placements.

I am speaking from a loving place here, just to bring some awareness and encouragement. The following is my humble opinion that nobody asked for.

The dance competition is the system that makes our dance world and our business spin. It motivates us to grow, to learn, to take lessons, to attend workshops, to work on our interpersonal skills. It creates opportunities for dance instructors. It creates spotlight moments to showcase the dancer's art. It creates social interactions, friendships all around the world, networking. It helps you know people, and it helps people know you. So many benefits — no question. Competition is not good or bad. As with everything, there are two sides to the coin.

It feels great to make finals and to place. But what if that is not the case for you? How does it make you feel about yourself, about other people, about dance itself? I have been competing almost all my life. I have been first, and I have been last. I know how it feels on both sides.

Dance is an art. WCS has so much room for improvisation, interpretation, choices, show — it is not an objective sport. So the placement is not an objective verdict, either. It is a mix of many subjective factors and a few objective ones.

I am begging you, please don't identify yourself with your placement — high or low. Please don't get on a high horse just because the comps are going well for you right now. It is so easy to lose your sanity and feel superior when you place high. And it is also easy to slide down the slope when you don't make finals, or you place low more often than not.

Success can look so many ways. It is not only first place at comps. Don't sacrifice everything else for competition results. Events are addictive, and we can fall out of balance in other parts of life: health, finances, family, friends. Are you taking care of those? What if success is not giving up the dance — no matter how you place? What if success is life balance? What if success is peace of mind, clarity, joy, instead of anxiety — instead of how many views you got on social media?

You are more than your competition results.

People who place higher than you are the same humans, with the same weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Someone being more musical or more technical doesn't make them a better human.

With all the good of competition, it also has a high potential for burnout. It can feed our ego while it drains our soul.

Please don't let it ruin your passion for dance. Please don't let it ruin your relationships and your health. Please don't let it make you look down on others.

Competition is a game. Play. Laugh. Celebrate. Learn. Use it as a platform — as a teacher or as an artist. Don't take it so seriously that it controls you and your well-being. Make pauses. Take breaks. Breathe. Recharge.

Know your value. Work on a strong, stable core inside, so no competition placement can shake it. Stay curious about dance and about the process. Think about what you can bring to the community — what you can give, how you can help, how you can create and share, how you can use your gifts for good.

I wish for you, for me, and for our community to thrive and feel healthy about competition. Competition is not bad. It can be very good. It depends on what we make of it. To unite, or to divide.

You don't need a competition to prove anything, my friend. You are already worthy, loved, and treasured.

P.S. Me, usually: let's make peace and dance for the sake of art, I don't care about placement. Also me when the dance battle starts: let's destroy them, do whatever it takes to show off. — iykyk. Dance Battle is the silliest, funniest, most childish dance game ever.