The Competition

After her, I stayed and watched her competitors. Like I knew would happen, most of them were lyrical and several were jazz. There was nothing like Emily’s, which made me proud of myself. I grew up doing company competitions, never a state competition. I always knew they were very different, but watching the state competition really solidified that. There isn’t as much variety on styles of dances, and in my personal opinion, the technique, tricks, and skills aren’t as strong. To me, all the routines looked the same (except Emily’s). Another difference is that this competition took place in a gym instead of a stage. Because of this, lighting wasn’t used to set a scene and make the piece more picturesque. The thing I disliked most about the Iowa Dance Solo Competition is that the performers are not allowed to wear costumes that show their stomach. I think if a dancer has a beautiful body and graceful dance lines, they should be able to show it off. A costume is a big part of the story-telling aspect of any routine, and I think it would have been fitting for Emily to wear a two-piece costume that would show off more skin since it is about the Garden of Eden. This is something you see a lot more of in company competitions like I did.