Thank you, Erin, for posting this blog! I have been a judge now for the past 2 years and have come to some of the same conclusions. I have come to realize that in the competition world, technique and performance quality generally take a back seat to flashy tricks and over choreographed routines.

That is not to say there aren't any good dancers or choreographers on the circuit. Every now and then I see that one dancer or studio that completely wows me. This past week I judged  a week long National event, and there were two schools that blew me out of the water. One dancer in particular almost moved me to tears, and it was very special to watch her perform. I also find that the competitions with educational components like workshops and master classes attract some more well-rounded studios looking to broaden their horizons even further.

Now, that being said, the majority of routines I have seen over the years had the same exact formula  - the dance begins slowly and dramatically with a poorly placed developpe  - hip up, ribs out and foot not pointed. The dance then becomes rather frantic as the performer tries to pack in a series of tricks such as side leaps, multiple pirouettes and then the oh so dreaded a la second turns. If the dancer were advanced enough to do all these tricks properly, fine. Wow me! But, if the dancer is not technically skilled or strong enough, leave it out! Jumps MUST have straight legs, turns MUST be on a high releve, and a la second turns cannot travel halfway across the stage. And my pet peeve is a chasse that steps with the heel first - I see that WAY more often than I should, even from advanced dancers with pretty solid technique. Teachers are not stressing the importance of connecting and transitional steps.

Then there's the issue of presence and emotion. I really dislike the genre of lyrical because most of the dancers are too young to connect emotionally to the message they are trying to convey. It is just wrong to have a child dancing to a song about complex and mature issues of love or death - the result is a facial expression that looks slightly confused and sometimes I even think constipated. I'd rather see a young dancer perform with a face full of joy - there's nothing more inspiring than a little one who is truly connecting with his or her movement. But that can only happen if the instructor is making sure to pick age appropriate music and create age appropriate choreography. A 10 year old should dance like a 10 year old.

Then there's the issue of SYTYCD. I think it's GREAT that this show has exposed dancers and choreographers to the genre we now call "Contemporary." Before the show it didn't really exist in the competition world or outside of places like New York and L.A. But at the same time, the show has created SYTYCD and Mia Michaels wannabes who think it's okay to copy what they see on TV. So that show kind of a double edged sword, but in the end I think it has done more good than harm to the dance community. I go crazy when I see young dancers doing quirky contemporary choreography infused with a little modern and postmodern influence. That's something I never imaged would cross over into the competition world. The competition culture is slowly beginning to change, and I think if we remain patient we'll begin to see more and more focus on artistry in the coming years.

In the end, I absolutely LOVE judging because I get the opportunity to share my knowledge of dance with people who could really benefit from a little outside perspective. As the "ballet" judge, I think I really bring something unique to the table and offer a point of view they would otherwise not get. It is my hope that the instructors are listening to the commentary we provide - I work really hard to make meaningful critiques that will help their students be the best dancers they can be.

Look out for my Nationals blog which I hope to post sometime next week!

I can add little to what you said, but I do watch SYTYCD, but I tell my students that this is still not what you will see at professional performances.

I make these same comments, over and over, on critique tapes to teachers and I can hear them listening to them saying, "That #Q&!*^ has no clue!" I am sure of it.

But try to do that at a real audition for a real show and you go nowhere.

Now, let us get on the subject of inappropriate dances. That irks me even more!

I wouldn't say that ALL dance genres on SYTYCD are useless in the professional world. Surely you won't see a musical theater piece performed barefoot (a la Moses Supposes choreographed by Tyce), however, many of the styles on the show are completely relevant. New contemporary repertoire companies are popping up all over the place and hip-hop is a great skill to have for commercial work.  And with all the recent popularity of ballroom dance (Burn the Floor is headed to Broadway), the foxtrot and other partner dances are also great to have in your back pocket. What it comes down to is that as dancers, the more skills you acquire the longer and better career you'll have.

I agree Lindsay.  The more you know, the better.  A dancer needs to be well rounded and ready for anything.  I re read all the posts and didn't see where someone said that SYTYCD is useless in the professional world.  I may have missed it, or taken a different implication from something.  I thought people were talking about relying on tricks instead of focusing on the whole picture. In Erin's post [when she was talking about SYTYCD], I thought she meant that people were trying to copy something they saw on television, instead of choreographing and performing something that they mean.

THANK YOU!!  I say this over and over, but the problem I have is we are in a small town in Alabama.  We go to competitions in Atlanta, Birmingham, etc.  Even though I preach this day in and day out to my staff and students....this stuff is all that wins in the south!!!  It is constantly rewarded, so our kids are wanting the same things and just don't get it because it happens every, single time.  Any ideas?? It's so disappointing when technique and presentation are nudged out by 20 turns in second, an aerial or backhandspring and some inverted scorpion..HELP!!!

Where to start with this one.
Kinda annoyed.

First off with the SYTYCD topic. About copying SYTYCD.  Personnaly I dont watch the show((due to the fact they put Ballywood on there before Tap) but I did watch the performances from this week after I heard all the buzz. Now while the Woman's Work piece was one of the most beautiful routines from that show...it wasn't the first moving routine I have seen to that song......but when we  see it this year everyone will be OOhOOH they copied SYTYCD. While on that, the Zombie hip hop has been done a few time also...maybe not as well, but it has been done. So
1 not every dance to a song heard on  SYTYCD is a copy.
2 If you are going put out routines that are a copy lets go ahead and get rid of the whole Musical Theater category. Because truthfully everyone of those have been performed before.(think about it)

Now on to the tricks vs choreography argument.
Actually judges having a trick vs choreography argument poses a bigger issue. Judges have preferences!!!

Now let me start by saying that I run a highly successful competitive team so this isnt a sour grapes post. I also judge for numerous companies and am a guest choreographer for several schools.

While I personally prefer ( and my studio is known for)moving and push the limits choreography, we are talking about what maybe 15% of the competition scene. Right, out of a whole weekend of judging maybe 30 routines a day. So what about the other 85%? So does the studio that worked their butts off on executing those tricks correctly just get shafted?

Here is the problem. We(judges) are NOT paid for an opinion!!!
We are paid for a professional evaluation. If I wanted opinions I would hand out a survey.

Follow... i dont like the color green. In my opinion it is an ugly color. So does that mean every green costume i judge should get a lower score....no.  I should look at the green costume and give it a professional evaluation.

Same goes for the choreography preference. Again we are a choreography heavy company but several times at competition I see a routine with tricks executed well that gets over looked for these "judge preferences".

Also how in the same post do you put that you judge and you don't  like certain things then ask the question of why someone would do 3 solos?

You Just answered your own question. If i have a certain advanced  soloist that lets say can do the tricks well and i give her one solo with alot of these tricks....if you are judging she wont score well. So Since she is more than capable we also give her a choreography heavy solo to make sure we please  your "judge preferences" and while we are at it lets do a musical theater one just in case we a have a Broadway type panel.

Next over used songs. Let it go. Again for the other 85% of the routines at competition not all of them are done for you! Not for overalls, not for judges choice, or platinums its done for the kids!!! Guessing  from your stance you proably work with the best in the studios when you work for them but that is probably a small percentage of their team.
 For the other members of the team they just want something to be excited about. lets take the group of 9 year olds that aren't the best of the best that you probably work with, but they are part of the team and they pay their bills. I have an obligation to provide them with quality and something exciting. So they get to dance to......"PokerFace". Yes as a judge you sat through it 12 times in an hour, and we dont care. Put a smile on your face and look at "Little Suzy" going for it. She got her a big girl song and she don't care that 10 people in her category have the same song and neither should you.
There is a certain moment that choreographers that only work with the best kids miss out on. While going to limits of choreography and moving routines you dont get it sometimes. That moment when "Little Suzy" (who isnt 1st overall and probably not a platinum dancer) walks in to work with her studio teacher not guest choreographer and she finds out she or her group is dancing to PokerFace. I think you described in the O.P. as "fond memories" Her face at that moment is priceless. That's part of the magic and notice it didn't involve an award.

Now lets keep "Little Suzy" for the next little bit. "Little Suzy" is the one who probably hops in her turns, cant really do the leg spin right. again thats not in there for you! Little Suzy saw someone do that and she wants it in her dance....she wants to be like the people she sees on TV. Have ever heard Little Szuy's mom in the audience when she does that incorrect leg spin during PokerFace? She goes crazy like she won the lottery. Then she runs backstage scoops her up gives her a kiss and then takes her Olive Garden to celebrate. Again that's part of the magic.

So in closing leave Little Suzy, and her dance to PokerFace with the bad leg spin alone. Give the trickster studios their due. And stop the "judge preferences". I think one of the problems is that watching these shows with the elite of the elite dancing we forget about the 85%. Of course we want to see Travis Wall caliber dancers dancing Mia Micheals choreography but thats not the majority of the competition world. So make sure you drop these judge preferences and dont grill the majority of the competition scene in a blog , because if i was a trickster heavy studio and went into a comp next year and saw your name as a judge their would be a problem.