Did you ever attend a ballet competition and see schools like The Rock School For Dance Education or the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) there? You’re probably thinking, “Why would they bring kids to something like this when these kids are already at fantastic training programs?”
We talked to Ilya Kozadayev, from UNCSA and Peter Stark, President and Director of The Rock School in Philadelphia and they had some interesting things to say on the matter! They pointed out that there are three main reasons these schools compete.
The Process
You hear it over and or again. “It’s all about the process!” So, what does this mean? It means that a student gets to take a piece all the way from learning it to performing it, completely on their own. There are not a lot of opportunities in a dancer’s career where they get to perform a variation that is just them. Most dancers will spend most of their career in the corps. So, being able to learn and perform a variation in front of a large audience and a panel of judges can be a great learning experience for any ballet dancer.
And note, not once do either talk about winning competitions. They focus on the preparation, the goal setting and the experience each dancer has once they actually get on stage. They were both quick to point out this: winning at competitions does not automatically mean your dancer is destined for a professional career. Nor, does it mean that not winning means your dancer won’t haver a career. The professional world is full of professional ballet dancers who never placed at YAGP. Our kids are two of them!
Networking
Everyone will tell you that the ballet world is small. In our interview with Peter Stark, he described it as being so small it could fit on the head of a pin!
And, because ballet schools like these are not attached to a company, it’s important for both conservatory teachers as well as the students get out there and network. Since most students graduating from programs like UNCSA and The Rock will likely head to some sort of post-grad training, competitions are a great way to get their students in front of a wide variety of company affiliated directors who might be looking to recruit talent.
In addition, the teachers at these conservatories often have broad networks of their own. Peter or Ilya work hard on behalf of the their students to help get them placed in post-graduate or trainee programs that are the best match for them.
Sure, students can go to individual auditions. But, competitions can offer networking opportunities at scale.
Recruiting For Teachers
On the flip side, it’s a great way for these schools to recruit more students. The dancers from UNCSA, for example, typically do well at YAGP and the Prix de Lausanne. When other dancers see this, they may want to also attend these schools. So, it’s great not only for the dancers from those conservatories but also for the conservatories themselves.
We also just interviewed one very wise competition director who also said that competitions are ALL about networking, so it makes sense that a UNCSA or a Rock type program would send dancers to these.
In our interviews with both Ilya and Peter, they regale us with stories of how they both recruited kids and placed kids as the result of seeing them at competitions. Peter even compares it to dating! Because ballet is subjective, it’s always good to cast a wide net. Some artistic directors may not see a fit, but there are always others that will see a fit!
These are but three reasons that Ilya and Peter take kid to ballet competitions. Tune in this week to hear their thoughts on networking and everything else related to the pros and cons of competing.
Just search Ballet Help desk wherever you get your podcasts or listen on our website.
Interview with Ilya Kozadayev: September 20, 2023
Interview with Peter Stark: September 22, 2023
The Ballet Help Desk 