What is a non competitive dance studio and is it better?

Answer 1

There are usually two types of philosophies when it comes to dance instruction: the "Art" studios, which focus on the art of teaching and learning dance, and the "Competition" studios, which focus on competition and winning awards. Traditionally, the art studios are the place where technique is the focus - if you want to be a great dancer with solid technique in place this is where you would go. The competition studios are sometimes faulted for their focus on teaching "tricks" - moves that are impressive to an audience but not particularly artistic in a high art sense. With the recent explosion of reality shows and dance shows on television dance is vulnerable to losing it's higher art capabilities. Many sports-minded people can only evaluate something in terms of how many awards or trophies are earned as opposed to higher level thinking. The quality of art studios versus competition studios can be compared to say the artistry of something like Alvin Ailey Dance Company versus a Las Vegas show. An Ailey dancer needs to be able to use sustained movement where a Las Vegas showgirl just needs to be able to kick high. The kicks are impressive and she looks good doing them when her leg goes high, but the Ailey dancer will interpret a dance using many different fast and sustained movements and tell an entire story with her body. She can only do this with solid technique and quality training. The most important factor to consider when evaluating a dance studio is the background of the Owner/Artistic Director and his/her expertise in the field.