For more ballroom dance information please visit http://www.arthurmurraynyc.com

This week we continue our series on simple tips to prepare for your next dance competition.

With 6 weeks to go before Arthur Murray’s largest ballroom dance competition ever, Dance-O-Rama March 21-25th in New York, we will be hosting a dance competition information session at our Midtown Manhattan dance center.

What: Dance competition preparation information session
When: Saturday Feb. 18th 2:15 p.m.
Where: Arthur Murray Dance Center Midtown Manhattan 16 West 57th Street New York, NY 10019 • 212-593-1633 Directions
Info: Arthur Murray teachers and special guests will be reviewing how to prepare for Dance-O-Rama and other ballroom dance showcase events. Your questions about how and when to do your make-up, what costume to wear and how to get it fitted, and what how to style your hair as well as many others will be answered.

Here are some other ways to have the best dance of your life at the next competition you participate in.

1. Practice your dance routine in your performance attire and hair style.

To avoid any surprises on the dance floor and put your best foot forward it is a good idea to do a full dress rehearsal. You will learn how long it takes to put on your costume, how it feels to move in your costume and new dance shoes.

Men will get used to any new things that go along with dancing in full costume like; the woman’s hair may be taller than normal, the woman may be taller due to higher heels on her shoes, her dress may be larger than typical and affect the distance between the partnerships.

Ladies you want to be sure that everything stays in place during your dance performance, things that can easily come undone are hair ties and shoulder straps on dresses. As you can see there are many benefits to doing a dress rehearsal before your next competition.

2. Talk with others who have competed before.

If you have never danced in competition before, talking with friends who have will be a comforting experience. They can share with you how they felt before, during and after their dances. Your fellow ballroom dance friends can give you tips on how to handle any nervousness that may come up and they may even give you an idea of how to celebrate your accomplishments!

3. Ask your dance teacher for ways to prepare at home.

Your Arthur Murray dance teacher is doing a great job preparing you while you are in the studio and they have competed in many ballroom dance competitions before so they will have some tips for how you can prepare at home.

For more ballroom dance information please visit http://www.arthurmurraynyc.com

Over the years we have partnered with many

Here are the top Wedding and Dance related businesses we proudly recommend to you.

Wedding Entertainment

Wedding Bands

Soul Session

New York Players

Wedding DJs

DANCIN’ TIME DJ Services

Dance Supplies and Resources

Arthur Murray Ballroom Dance Shoes

World Tone Ballroom Dance Shoes

The National Museum of Dance

For more ballroom dance information please visit http://www.arthurmurraynyc.com

With 8 weeks to go until your next big Ballroom Dance Competition you want to get all of the little details taken care of so you can focus on polishing your dance routines.

Here are some items to check off your list eight weeks before the competition.

1. Plan your weekend meals and snacks.

A dance weekend is like a mini-vacation and you will need a lot of energy. Dance weekends can start on Thursday and go through late Sunday evening. Sometimes meals are a part of the weekend event and are scheduled for you. This is great because you don’t have to worry about being to full or too hungry before you compete. Other times you are on your own for your meals. Either way you will likely want some snack foods to give you energy in between meals.

You will probably be driving or flying for a few hours so, start thinking about travel food and snacks that you enjoy while on the plane, in your car and your hotel room. The number one dance snack has to be water. Bring a handy re-usable water bottle with your name on it or something else to indicate it is yours. Fresh fruit can be good source of sugar and energy; Apples are the easiest to travel with and eat. Energy bars are another quick and easy way to get a burst of energy and they fit in your dance shoe bag nicely. As you are looking over the competition schedule start to think about when are the ideal times to eat and match that up with the hotel restaurant schedule.

2. Schedule a spotlight dance.

Your dance teacher will help you schedule a spotlight dance at your dance studio. A spotlight dance is a chance to perform your dance routine or routines in front of other people without being judged. Spotlight dances are extremely helpful for making sure your costume works well with your movement and you get a sense of the experience of dancing in front of other people.

3. Start inviting friends and relatives to come and watch

Now is a good time to make a list of friends and relatives who have supported your dancing hobby and would enjoy watching you dance. Once you have your list, check with the event organizers to see what the process is for having spectators come to the event and what times would be best based on when your competition is.

In case you missed it, here are some to do items 9 weeks out.

Here is what you can do 10 weeks before your competition.

For more ballroom dance information please visit http://www.arthurmurraynyc.com

In the video below we hear about one woman’s dance dream and see what it is like to compete in a ballroom dance competition in New York City.

Do you have a dance dream?

Share it with us on our Arthur Murray NYC Facebook page or visit one of our 5 NYC and Long Island dance centers to start living your dream today.

For more ballroom dance information please visit http://www.arthurmurraynyc.com

For students and teachers who choose to compete at one or more regional and international dance competitions here are the competition categories.

Student Competitions

Age Categories

Junior – 17 years and under

Gentlemen and Ladies ’A’ – 18-45

Gentlemen and Ladies ‘B’ – 46 – 64

Gentlemen and Ladies ‘C’ – 65+

Student Teacher Categories

Pro/Am – Student dances with teacher doing school figures according to your level.

Pro/Am Scholarship – Top 3 winners get prize money in specific category (i.e international latin, american smooth, american rhythm, international standard)

**split up into gentleman’s and ladies A, B, C 

Closed – must dance within the students specific level (i.e. Bronze I, Bronze II, Sliver I etc.)

Open – pre-choreographed routines with hardly any limitations

Amateur couple – Two students dance with each other

All competitions are against other dancers of similar age and ability.

Professional Dance Teacher Competition Categories

1.     Future Champions

Smooth, Rhythm, Latin, Standard. *2 Dances

** MUST BE PART OF ARTHUR MURRAY 1 YEAR OR LESS **

2.     Rising Star

Dance a choreographed routine to all dances in Rhythm or Standard. Usually for competitors who haven’t won a dance competition yet.

** Competitors who win the Rising Star category at specific event MUST enter professional competition at the next year’s event. **

3.     Open Professional

The best of the best dance to be champions of specific event. Highest category of competitive professional ballroom dancing. Dancers compete in all dances of a specific category.

Style categories and the dances that are included in each.

American Smooth – Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Viennese Waltz

American Rhythm – Cha Cha, Rumba, Swing, Bolero, Mambo

International Latin – Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, Paso Doble, Jive

International Standard – Waltz, Tango, Fox Trot, Viennese Waltz, Quickstep

For more ballroom dance information please visit http://www.arthurmurraynyc.com

For more ballroom dance information please visit http://www.arthurmurraynyc.com

Here are some tips on preaparing for your next ballroom dance competition 9 weeks out.

1. Finalize your hotel, event and meal package.

Dance competition weekend packages include hotel reservations, event fees and meals. It is common to get the hotel for the night before the competition, usually a Thursday night and the final day of the competition, usually a Sunday night. Depending on the package you buy some packages include all meals.

2. Schedule a hair styling appointment.

When competing as with all dancing you can let personality shine through. There are no hard and fast rules regarding hairstyle for ballroom dance competitions. Looking good is a key part to feeling strong and confident. Feeling strong and confident is a key part to dancing your best.

Hairstyles for your dance competition are be determined by which dances you are doing and may even change from dance to dance. At 9 weeks before your competition it is good to think about what length and color you will want your hair on the day of the competition. 

For women be prepared to pull your hair back in a tight bun so that it is not distracting you or your partner during your dance. Clean classic styling is preferred for smooth and standard dances and you can be a little more creative for latin dances. Having clean hair lines will let the judges see your head movements clearly.

Gentlemen, you want to be clean cut for both dance styles. Minimal facial hair is preferred for Rhythm and Latin dances and a clean shaven face is preferred for Smooth and Standard dances. Once you have discussed this with your dance teacher you can schedule an appointment with your hairstylist at the appropriate time. 

3. Start thinking about accessories like jewelry and make-up.

Ballroom dance judges look for clean lines with a splash of sparkle. Your Arthur Murray dance instructor will help you decide if bracelets, necklaces and earrings are appropriate for your competition. You will want to purchase these items soon so you can start wearing them while you are practicing your dance routines. No one wants a wardrobe malfunction on the dance floor. Let’s not forget our safety pins, bobby pins and anything else we may want to help keep everything together.

4. If you plan to buy new shoes, buy them now so they will be broken in on competition day. 

Dance shoes are the foundation of your movement. You will want to have a pair or two of shoes that look and feel great for your competition. Men you can buff out any scuffs but you can’t get around a shoe that is low on heel grip. Start thinking about purchasing the right shoes for your dance and wearing them a few times to break them in without compromising their looks.

You may be able to buy shoes at your local Arthur Murray dance center or check out the online Arthur Murray Dance Shoe Store.

5. Look at your schedule and make time to rest before and after the competition.

As we talked about briefly in our blog post on how to prepare for your ballroom dance competition with 10 weeks to go, you may want some buffer time on days before and after the competition to gather your focus and energy. Maybe you want to let your Yoga teacher know that you won’t be in for a fews days or schedule an extra few hours for the babysitter. Anything you can do to make yourself comfortable and feel like you have enough time for you will help you enjoy your dancing and dance better.

For more ballroom dance information please visit http://www.arthurmurraynyc.com

Here are some tips on things to prepare for 10 weeks before your next ballroom dance competition.

1. Decide which competitions to enter.

This will help you and your teacher determine which dances to focus on.

2. Schedule regular dance lessons.

With frequent practice you will feel more and more confidant in your dancing.

3. Schedule practice time for yourself at home or at the gym.

Reviewing from your memory or a video of you and your teacher dancing is a great way to solidify the movement in your body and quickly increase your performance level.

4. Plan your costume.

As your competition routines develop your teacher will want to know what costume you wil be wearing so they can choreograph moves that look great on you and in your costume. Your Arthur Murray dance teacher will help you choose a costume as well as hair, make-up and accessories.

5. Watch a video from your last dance competition.

Practicing your dancing in front a mirror is very helpful for feedback while you are dancing. Watching a video provides a different kind of feedback that is also tremendously valuable because you are not also trying to dance at the same time. If you don’t’ have a video from your last performance or have not comepted before, try to have a friend video tape you. Most ballroom dance competitions now have professional videographers who can focus on you during your competition.

6. Ask for time off of work if you need it.

A weekend ballroom dance competition requires a lot of energy. You may want to consider taking Friday or Monday off of work so you can be at your best on the dance floor and at work.

Thanks for reading and if you have more helpful hints, feel free to write them in the comments below.

For more ballroom dance information please visit http://www.arthurmurraynyc.com

The moral of the story is: take some dance classes so you don’t step on your wife’s feet and eat well.

For more ballroom dance information please visit http://www.arthurmurraynyc.com