Empire State Dance Sport Championships are only 6 weeks away!

What: Ballroom and Latin dance competition

When: Thursday, August 9- Sunday, August 12

Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Times Square NYC

Ballroom dance competitions in New York City are fun weekends full of excitement, community and dancing!

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

Here are some 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.