What is the Preferred Competition Schedule?

In a quest to continuously improve and learn from the knowledge of others, the following is offered to all the Competition Organizers and DanceSport Athletes.

Daphna Locker, USA Dance Vice President for the DanceSport Ballroom Division, recently asked Chair of the Senior Committee Chuck Garrett for some help.  The 2024 USA Dance Nationals Planning Committee is working hard to plan the March 22-24 USA Dance National Championships in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was hoping to rewicker the schedule of events to best accommodate the dancers.  And why not ask the Seniors, as they make up the majority of the participants in these competitions?

The question, posed to Syllabus-to-PreChamp-level Senior Competitors, was:

Which of the following schedule options would you prefer for Nationals:

• Scheduling by Dance Style?
• Scheduling by Age Category?

 There were 46 respondents.

• 38  (83%) preferred by “Dance Style”.
• 8    (17%) preferred by “Age Category”.

The Seniors were not short of suggestions/comments to go with this topic:

1. No early start times for Senior competitors. It conflicts with some late-night-before events and prep time.
2. Scheduling by Dance Style will reduce the number of costume changes.
3. I like getting dressed in one Dance Style for the day and not going from costume to costume.
4. I hate costume changes. Having four costume changes per day, then having to do another four the second day is irritating.  It also increases the chance my heats will be very rushed and unpleasant to dance in, because I now have to possibly wait for awards and then hope that leaves enough time to change and warm up in my next Dance Style.
5. Our first time winning an event at Nationals, we had to immediately go change into our Standard costumes to get ready for Standard events and had no time to enjoy the winning moment.  That’s the reason for my vote by DanceStyle.
6. By Dance Style because switching back and forth with multiple costume changes is unnecessary.
7. Blocks by Dance Style are definitely preferred.
8. My husband likes by Age Category! So, I guess we cancel each other out!
9. Do NOT schedule Senior (I-V) dancers early in the morning; we need rest! Last year, we dropped heats due to the 8:00 a.m. start times.  This was VERY disappointing.  Please, please let us compete after 11:00 a.m.
10. Please have Standard and Smooth Dance Styles on different days. Thank you!
11. What is important is the ability to be part of awards AND have time to change. My partner and I dance three Dance Styles.  Don’t schedule 80% of all three on the same day with just a couple of heats on one or two days.  The first day is exhausting!
12. Example # 2 please (Dance Style)
13. Don’t intermix the age groups, i.e. all Seniors in the afternoon and the kids (with their parents) in the morning.
14. I like all Latin one day and all Standard another day. Just my preference.  It is nice not to have to change costumes back and forth.  But I am flexible.
15. My partner and I dance Smooth, Standard, and Rhythm. It is difficult to prepare for all three of those on multiple days.  It is easier to get one Dance Style out of the way, then another, and another.  Just one person’s opinion.
16. If I dance two age categories in the same Dance Style, which I consider normal, I would definitely want them to be the same day.
17. Most people dance two age levels that are right next to each other so dancing by age level would usually mean dancing on multiple days and having to change costumes each day. We would rather dance the same Dance Style all day and then switch the next day.
18. Can you arrange schedules within reason? Try to eliminate the UNreasonable–impossible costume changes, successive heats for side-by-side ages, resulting in exhaustion, etc.

The Senior Committee with its many members greatly appreciated the opportunity to provide feedback to the National Committee, and hope that all the Competition Organizers can also learn from this valuable feedback.  It is understood that everyone cannot be accommodated.  But it is nice to be asked.  Thank you to Daphna Locker!  Thank you to Chuck Garrett and his committee!  And thank you to the 2024 USA Dance Nationals Planning Committee!!!