Category: Mission: Competition!

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What Type of Dress Should You Choose for Your Latin Dance?

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Ballroom dance outfits, especially for the ladies, can range from flirty and fun to graceful and elegant. Latin dance in particular highlights the dancers’ legs and hips, making it more sexy and provocative. But what kind of dresses go well with each of the 5 Latin dances? Paso Doble This traditional Spanish is passionate and…

How To Ease Your Pre-Competition Nerves

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It is rare, almost impossible, to come across a dancer that doesn’t get nervous before competing. Nerves are a natural part of competing, and dealing with and embracing those nerves can be difficult! Here are a few tips to help you manage the inevitable pre-performance jitters: Get up and move around! It is difficult to…

A Good Luck Message to our Student Competitors

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  KNIGHTtime by Stephen Knight, FADS Vice President and Executive Dance Director   As we gear up for our first National Dance Competition of 2020, I want to take this opportunity to wish all our competitors, both amateur and professional – Good Luck! Even though it’s called a ‘competition’, I encourage you to always try…

A Newcomers Guide to a Ballroom Dance Competition

  KNIGHTtime by Stephen Knight, FADS Vice President and Executive Dance Director   With my over 20 years of teaching experience, I know it can be intimidating for a new dance student to make the decision to enter a Fred Astaire Dance Studios Dance Competition. Whether it’s a regional, inter-regional or national dance event, there’s…

A Checklist: Preparing for a Fred Astaire Dance Studios’ National Dance Competition

  KNIGHTtime by Stephen Knight, FADS Vice President and Executive Dance Director   Today, I’m in “competition mode” preparing for an upcoming FADS National Dance Competition, so I thought I’d share some of the things you can do as dance students, to ensure that you have the best “comp” experience ever! When prepping to compete…

Dance Like No One Is Watching!

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  KNIGHTtime by Stephen Knight, FADS Vice President and Executive Dance Director   The saying, “Dance like No One Is Watching” is the sheer essence on what performing on the competitive dance floor means to me. The question is, what do you want the judges and the audience to walk away with, after you dance…

Dancing Takes Patience, Practice, and the Right Program

  KNIGHTtime by Stephen Knight, FADS Vice President and Executive Dance Director   When it comes to learning Ballroom Dance, the possibilities are endless… but every dancer should have one very important quality – Patience. In my travels to Fred Astaire Dance Studios locations across the country, there is always one question that comes up…

Four Essential Things, to Be a Great Ballroom Dance Competitor

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  KNIGHTtime by Stephen Knight, FADS Vice President and Executive Dance Director   A few years ago, at Fred Astaire Dance Studios’ 70th Anniversary celebration during National Dance Championships in Orlando FL, it hit me that we have so many new and talented couples on the competitive dance floor! After I returned home from the…

What to Expect at a Dance Competition

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  KNIGHTtime by Stephen Knight, FADS Vice President and Executive Dance Director   In a word, you should expect tons of FUN at a Fred Astaire Dance Studios Dance Competition! FUN stands for: Friendships created for a lifetime Undeniable great time Non-stop action Now, let’s talk what you should expect from the event itself. The…

The Benefits of Unleashing Your Competitive Side

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We love many things about dance. The beauty. The elegance. The teamwork with a trusted partner. The competition. Wait. What? Yes, the competition. As our dancers progress through the Fred Astaire Trophy System, they often wish to test their skills and dedication against others. Whether it’s a studio Mini-Match or a regional event or the…