Shows like “American Idol” gave way to many other talent competitions. Since the premiere of “American Idol,” the United States has seen “The Voice,” “The X Factor,” America’s Got Talent,” “So You Think You Can Dance” and “America’s Best Dance Crew.” Because of the piqued interest in competitions and reality shows, it sparked the development of “Dance Moms” and “Bring It.”
Many viewers may wonder how it’s possible for the little girls on “Dance Moms” to receive the top prize every time they take the stage when hundreds of other dancers could have received that same trophy. The answer is because traditional competitions award more than just the typical first, second and third prize.
At most competitions, dances are scored on a 100-point scale by at least three judges. Dancers can be judged on anything from technique, pointed feet and precision, to choice of music and appropriateness of costume.
The scores from the judges are then added up to determine the final score. These scores will always procure trophies even if they aren’t the best dance of the night. These trophies are awarded like grades on a test; certain scores correlate with the trophy awarded. Like a test, many people can receive the same grade. Trophies such as these are typically known as platinum, high gold, gold, high silver and silver. Some even go as low as high bronze and bronze, although even if the program holds the option to give the award, poorly executed dances are almost never seen at competitions. These scores can respectively correlate to receiving an A, B, C, D or F on a test in school.
In addition to different age divisions put in place so dancers compete against peers, there usually is a skill division as well. Dancers who practice more than six hours a week, or another comparable amount depending on the specific competition, are considered advanced dancers.
In each category, whether it’s age or skill, the top ten are recognized with more ribbons or trophies. Dances are also recognized as being overall winners for which the competition may combine skill levels or age groups to determine the best dances of the day.
On top of these awards, it’s not uncommon to encounter special Judges Awards. This is usually just a palm-sized trophy or certificate for qualities of a dance that one or more judge believed to be outstanding such as costume, expression, energy or anything out of the ordinary.
Though all competitions are run differently than others, this configuration is applicable to most in the United States. Each has its own standards, ideals and morals, meaning what receives a platinum award at one competition may receive gold at another. To many, competitions aren’t about beating or doing better than everyone else there, but instead are about personal improvement and pushing yourself to be like the professional dancers.