“9 Reasons Why Country Comps Are Cooler Than Ballroom Comps” 1. Country comps are more casual, laid back, and friendly. Attendees of country comps are very supportive of each other, both on and off the dance floor. That’s because UCWDC events are less cliquey than other competition circuits. You will find people of all ages, shapes, sizes, and ability levels …
Preparing for your first competition (A guide for new students)
“Things New Students Should Know to Prepare for a Competition” by Devorah Kastner Congrats, you’ve made the commitment to dance in your first Pro-am UCWDC competition! Now what? Here are a few things you should know to better prepare yourself for this exciting new endeavor. What to pack? Country events are fun and casual. Bring comfortable clothes for social dancing. …
Building a ProAm Business as a Female Pro
Building a Pro-Am Business in Country Dancing (A guide for new female professionals) by Devorah Kastner- Professional Dance Instructor I have been a professional dance instructor for the past 15 years. Based out of Arizona, I teach group classes and private lessons in all styles of partner dance. One of the most fulfilling parts of the job is dancing in …
Costs & Costumes for new competitors
In this article we tackle COSTS & COSTUMES that you’ll need to consider if you are dancing Country ProAm for the first time! How to register for a competition: Each competition will have a registration sheet or online registration. You will be responsible to register yourself for each competition. Your teacher will help you fill out the registration. You will …
Country Dance for Fitness
Ever notice how people who make movement an important part of their lives tend to be happier, or more content? First and foremost, movement of any kind, tennis, basketball, running, biking, yoga, badminton and bowling all produce “feel better” endorphins that course through our bloodstreams long after we’ve stopped moving. Country Dancing is no different! Moving (a.k.a. exercise, a.k.a POLKA) …
25 country dance terms you need to know
1. Worlds The world championships held the first week of January every year. It’s what everyone is excited about! 2. Overall An overall placement in a division. It requires 5 dances (out of 8) and must include 2-Step, Waltz and one Swing (East or West) plus 2 of the 4 remaining dances. 3. Dance Boots Country boots specifically made for …
Why we compete (confessions of a dancer)
Why We Compete – Confessions of a Country Dancer It may seem like a contradiction, someone seeking spiritual enlightenment spending time and money on competitive country dancing. In fact it might seem downright sacrilegious to believe in oneness, acceptance and non-judgment and then engage in anything as competitive as ballroom dancing where both looks and ability are the criteria for …
What do judges look for in country
Competitive dancing can be a tricky thing. It’s not like the 100m dash where the first person to cross the finish like wins. It can be very subjective. The big key is to focus not on the results but on improving. That being said this is a competition so lets dig in a little. Triple Two Triple Two is dance …
What are the 8 competitive Country Dances?
WHAT ARE THE 8 COMPETITIVE COUNTRY DANCES? Here is a list of the eight competitive country dances along with my basic descriptions for each one. I’ve put them in the order they are danced in UCWDC competition for Pro-am, Pro-Pro, and Couples competition categories. Be sure to sign in with the floor coordinator at least a half-hour before your event. …
7 ways to know if you’re a good country dancer
1 You own country dance boots. Ok lets get this out of the way before the more serious stuff. If you have been country dancing for any length of time you need a pair of awesome dance boots! 2.You realize that neither you, nor your dancing need to be “fixed.” Nothing is ever broken with us. We are all just …