How to Win a Dance-Off
So you think you can dance? Step it up with this advice from dance competition judges and talent scouts.
Up next in How to Dance (20 videos)
Don't hit the dance floor again until you check out the dance moves in these Howcast videos.
You Will Need
- Multiple dance styles
- Fitness
- Confidence
- Humility
- Excellent posture
- Precise movements
- Stage presence
- Practice
Steps
-
Step 1
Learn it all
Learn as many dance styles as possible; you never know what's going to be thrown at you. Judges particularly like to see ballet skills in dancers, even if that's not their specialty.
-
Mix it up. Find a way to fuse classical dance with street moves, and you'll stand apart from the crowd.
-
Step 2
Be in tip-top shape
Be in peak physical shape and stick to a healthy diet: Otherwise, you won't be able to keep up with the competition's grueling schedule. And be sure to stay hydrated; in past competitions, contestants have been hospitalized for dehydration.
-
Step 3
Be self-assured, but humble
Walk that fine line between self-assured and humble. Judges are like anyone else: They root for likable people.
-
Step 4
Play on people's sympathies
If you have a sob story of some kind, by all means use it. And shamelessly promote yourself. Sometimes, it's not the best person who wins, but the one who's best known.
-
Step 5
Remember the five Ps
Work on the five Ps: Posture, Precision, Presence, Personality, and Partnership. That's what the judges are rating you on.
-
Step 6
Look happy
Look like you're having fun. You can be technically perfect, but will lose points if your face is scrunched with concentration.
-
Step 7
Make it look easy
Now put all that together and make it look easy. How? With the biggest "P" of all – Practice.
-
In 2008, a group of supporters petitioned the International Olympic Committee to get pole dancing into the Games.
