What Would You Change For Studio Dance Competitions?
- Jann Davis
- Dec 20, 2025
- 3 min read
Originally Posted In A META Group For Dance Studio Owners And Teachers
Complaints Are The Same As Comps Begin For the 2026 Spring Events
Question:
What is ONE thing you would change about competitions and how would your changes improve comps for all? Listed are the responses, I did shut the commenting off. For those who are unaware many of these responses are addressed by the AMERICAN SPORT DANCE GAMES®. Remember these complaints as you move forward with your competition journey this season.
This is a summary of your complaints:
1. Competition Pricing & Financial Accessibility
High entry fees and deposit costs place strain on studios.
Deposits are often due in mid-to-late summer when studio cash flow is lowest.
Pricing structures can limit access and force studios to risk losing preferred competitions.
2. Fair & Meaningful Competition Levels
Current level systems often group recreational dancers with highly trained, pre-professional dancers.
Inconsistent or unclear level definitions create feelings of unfairness and discouragement.
Some advocate for better-defined levels; others argue for eliminating levels entirely to raise standards and reward true skill development.
3. Judging Quality, Consistency & Scoring Systems
Judges need broader, well-rounded knowledge across all dance styles.
Lack of clear judging criteria from competitions leads to inconsistent feedback.
Tight scoring ranges (e.g., 90–98) make it difficult to differentiate performances, especially across hundreds of routines.
4. Awards, Rankings & Recognition
Overemphasis on placement and winning can discourage growth.
Suggested use of tiered recognition (gold/silver/bronze plus participation acknowledgment).
Current systems may reward dancers who “stay leveled down” rather than those who challenge themselves.
5. Overemphasis on Solos vs. Ensemble Work
Competitions prioritize solos, despite most real-world dance careers valuing ensemble and company work.
Group choreography and corps-style performance deserve greater emphasis.
A shift could better prepare dancers for professional and collaborative environments.
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Ms. Davis is available for 2026 to present IN PERSON seminars along the East Coast of the USA. Please use out CONTACT FORM to book your in person event.
READ JANN'S BIO HERE
Jann Davis is a global leader and social media influencer in studio dance education, with a focus on the Dance Classroom®. Jann's extensive influence in the dance realm includes trailblazing in competitions, creating the first adjudicated scoring system, and innovating a new format for dance student achievement events. Inspired by youth and public education sports, this format employs a rubric-based scoring system for objective assessment of dance routines. Jann's overarching goal is to support dance educators by providing tools for benchmarks, lesson plans, assessments, curricula, and effective classroom management techniques.
Jann's model AMERICAN SPORT DANCE GAMES®, offers an alternative to the dance competition circuit which she helped to pioneer in 1976. She believes that within three years this format, available only to members of AADI, will revolutionize dance studios by allowing dance educators a voice in the presentation of how they educate dancers in the 21st century.
Ms. Davis presents professional development seminars to dance educators throughout the USA who are searching for a new model, a 21st century approach to dance education at conventions and at private in-house workshops.
Please use our CONTACT FORM for further information to book Jann, she is also available to consult virtually.
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