festivals good or bad

[Elsa]

Are festivals good or bad experinces for children?

[samantha]

Well I have been dancing nearly 21 years and only stopped dancing in festivals a few years ago myself. I really enjoyed all my festival years and miss dancing in them greatly. It was one of the high lights and still is when I watch the children on the stage.
I think children build a very good sense of performance from a festival, and what ever their standard they can go on that stage and enjoy dancing. I encourage all children to take part in festivals. It is a good chance to encourage healthy competition in a hobbie they enjoy.

[Fred Astaire]

My experience of festivals was intense nerves. I found it a very daunting experience because there was so much importance placed on the festival.

Dont get me wrong, it's good to instill a sense of competition into a child, but it can become too intense.

When I reached an age where I was able to take a more cavalier attitude and relax I strted to be more successful.

Yes, the festivals gave me great experiences and have helped me gain confidence in later life, but don't over do it or the younger competitor may end up disliking the whole experience.

Fred

[disco dancer]

My experience of festivals has always been good. I really enjoyed them when I was dancing in them. I use to get very nervous at times but it never stopped me dancing. As I got older the nerves eased a little. I don't think they ever go away. But sometimes you can focus them in a positive way to bring out a good performance.

Disco Dancer

[Tinkerbell211]

I have been doing the festival circuit with my DD for many years now and have seen the good and not so good sides of them.
They can be a great place to show your ability, gain valuable performing experience and build confidence as long as you don't take them too seriously.
Remember what one adjudicator may love another one will not like at all - it so often comes down to personal opinion and just because you don't get placed does not mean you are not talented.
The most important thing is to dance to have fun and enjoy the experience of taking part.
The children are usually lovely to each other its the parents that are often the competitive ones!

[Fred Astaire]

The children are usually lovely to each other its the parents that are often the competitive ones!

How true - it can also be the teachers too, but the festivals we are involved with are very friendly.

My wife and I have gained some wonderful friends from competing schools and my daughters have too.

Enjoy it !!!

[mazzy]

hi
i'm 12 and i really enjoy festivals!!!!!! it's great fun and a good way to make friends with people from other schools. I do 3 a year, used to do 4 but then my dancing school stopped doing one of them. festivals are a great experience so long as you go to the nice, friendly ones. some of them are just way too competitive but most of them are friendly are just really good fun. you will probably find there are diffent standards of festivals - we do all engand qualifiers for a bit of competion but also one which hasn't got sky high standard to get us all confident! hope this helps

[sammy x]

I think festivals are good . the give us expierence getting up on stage and performing. i look forward to them every year , its an enjoyable time :D

[Lucy]

i love festivals ! most children dont go there to win they just go to have fun but if you are a regular school at a festival and every year the same people win for everything then it does take some of the enjoyment from the expirence.

[DanceWithYourHeart!]

i have danced in festivals since the age of 4 and its my fav thing i would never want to stop doing it :) x

[karenuk]

In general, I think festivals are a good thing as long as they are not taken too seriously and children don't feel pressured to do things they are not completely comfortable doing. Let's face it, if a child has got the talent and drive to make a career in dancing, it is not going to make one iota of difference whether they won a medal at the age of 12, and the child that wins an age 8 aggregate is not going to be guaranteed a glittering lifelong stage career - you would think it is all of earth shattering importance to listen to some of the parents!

We did have a bad experience with an adjudicator at a local festival though. My daughter was 7, and was just not on the ball in her tap solo that day - it was only her second time of dancing a tap solo and her timing was out. In the adjudication, she was told - in front of the other competitors and the audience that she 'does not have the technical or musical capability for dance' - despite being the best tapper in her class - it was just an off day for goodness sake... She was then made to smile at the adjudicator and the audience. I was fuming and all for taking her home, but my little girl was adamant that she wanted to do her character dance that afternoon. This incident knocked her confidence and enjoyment in dance for a good few months, and I wrote a stinking letter to the festival secretary, stating that I was not disputing the scores but i felt that the behaviour of the adjudicator was in contrast with the aims and objectives of the festival. I expected my child to receive some constructive criticism which was sensitive to her age group - along the lines of 'you remembered your dance really well, but it's really important to listen really well to your music and try to stay in time'

She is now 9 and still dancing, still enjoying her tap, still dancing at festivals, but refuses to enter a festival if that particular adjudicator is going to be there. I am proud of how my daughter handled herself that day.

[Scarlie]

I loved doing festivals.I competed in them from the age of 3. I'm know a pro dancer but when i'm between contracts I choreograph/teach at my old dance school and love preparing kids for festivals. You can definately tell a former festival kid from there stage presence/personality and I think the fact that you get 1 to 1 tuition is good in advancing your technique too.