Somehow, in my dance life, I managed to never compete.  I’m talking in the general sense of the word where there are judges and scores and a champion is crowned and consequently there is medal or cash prize.  Perhaps for athletes, it’s a given.  An obvious goal.  Because as an athlete, perhaps the goal is to compete and ultimately, to win.  Growing up, my dance studio was not a competition based dance studio.  

It’s not that I’ve never competed.  No, I’ve auditioned of course.  I’ve had a number pinned to my back at cattle call style auditions where only one person “makes it”.    But I was auditioning for a job as a performer, not a competitor. If I were an athlete, I would try out for the team.  We could compete against other teams.  To ultimately win. It’s a different way of thinking about your dance especially if you’re a social dancer.

Read part 2:  Have you ever thought about competing? Salon tango competition Part 2