Why You'll Love Country Better than Ballroom (students)
I've competed in both worlds and although I had a good time doing so, there are definite reasons why I loved country comps better than ballroom as a student competitor.
1. The People Are Nicer
I've made a ton of friends in the country dance world. I didn't make friends as easily at ballroom competitions. I could attribute it to a lot of things, but in general I found it easier to approach people in country dancing. They were simply nicer. In general, they will have time to speak with you in the ballroom and you'll get to know them even better during workshops and social dancing times in the evenings. There is more opportunity to socialize at country comps.
2. Less Expensive to Get Started
The UCWDC has lenient costume requirements for newcomers making the investment lower just to get on the floor. You won't need to buy a hat or boots until you're sure. (But we're sure you will once you try it.) The cost of registering for a comp is also less than at a ballroom comp.
3. EmCee for Events are Fun
The EmCees at country comps are usually humorous and like to have fun with the contestants and crowd. Once you are in the mix for a while, they'll know your name. You'll spend a lot of hours in the ballroom waiting to compete and the EmCees make the time more personable and fun.
4. Social Dancing
Maybe we need to repeat ourselves...country dance events have a lot of excellent social dancing! After the days comps have ended, one, two and sometimes three ballrooms will be playing social dance music late into the evening. These times are well attended. As a student and lover of dance, the social dance scene is a huge bonus to country comps!