Why Do We Offer Competition Teams?

You’ve probably heard us talk about our competition team here at Tonawanda Dance Arts, but how do you know if joining the team is the right path for your child?

First it’s important to remember that we believe dance is invaluable to ALL of our students, no matter how many classes they take! Our competition team’s purpose is grounded in our mission to provide an increasingly comprehensive education for those who want a deeper dance experience. And while there are many reasons why we’ve chosen to offer a competition team here at Tonawanda Dance Arts, we can sum them all up within these three overarching objectives:

1. Training with the benefits of competition in mind: Because they participate in additional classes, rehearsals, and performances at an intensive level, our competition team dancers are spending many hours honing their technique and skills. Even more importantly, they are also developing their artistry, establishing their commitment, growing their resilience, practicing their sportsmanship, and building their teamwork skills. Through these character qualities, they are forming lifelong habits and learning how to cultivate a forward-thinking, positive mindset.

2. Working on goals bigger than yourself: As part of a group, each competition team member is learning to contribute to a larger purpose: to raise everyone’s potential. That purpose starts out with learning choreography together and then shifts into “practicing and polishing” mode, striving for excellence so that when the competition event arrives, everyone on the team is contributing their best effort. While winning an award at a competition is special, it doesn’t compare to the personal wins that come with dancing your heart out and cheering on your team while they do the same.

3. Preparing to possibly pursue dance in the future: The in-depth focus on dance that our competition team offers serves as a platform for our students to consider pursuing dance long-term. They might think about pursuing a professional performance career, studying dance in college, or exploring teaching or choreography. Dance-related careers may pique their interest too, such as photography, journalism, and physical therapy. Being immersed in dance at a young age not only inspires our students to think about the future, it shapes their curiosity about which educational direction might be right for them.

We believe success at Tonawanda Dance Arts is all about each child’s personal growth! It is not dependent on the number of dance hours your child takes or if they choose to audition for our competition team. But if the competition team commitment seems like a good fit for your dancer, we would love to provide them with that experience. We invite you to email us with any questions you have about the program!