All of the above comments are the precise reason I don't do competitions...as many of you say, people making commitments and then actually following through with them are not necessarily one and the same thing. But I can tell you this much; if I were ever to get back into the competition arena (one of my young assistant teachers wants to do this, and she can HAVE it!), the rules would be all but etched in stone, and there would be absolutely NO EXCEPTIONS made short of serious personal illness (like in a coma in ICU!) or extreme family emergencies. Dancers are, first and foremost, naturally gentle artistic people, but we must all understand that good business practices are equally, if not more important, than actual dance talent (good talented teachers can be hired). My school has been very successful for over 40 years and we have not survived that long by allowing parents and kids to run things. We must make our rules, be sure they are understood and agreed upon in advance, and by golly, stick with them, and just learn to take gripey parents and whiney, lazy, spoiled brat kids with a large grain of salt. YOU ARE IN CHARGE, not them, and it is YOUR business, not theirs, at stake. Trust me, you will gain their respect in the long run and will turn out a much better work product AND the kids will have higher self-esteem from actually working hard for and achieving a goal. I also find that it helps to have the parent and child sign an agreement up front stating that they have read, understand, and agree to abide by those rules; I keep these on file for future referenece and post them in several location in the studio, and be sure they are fully aware of the consequences of not following the rules. Just to make my point: Many years ago we had a swim team coach in our town who was "mean as a junkyard dog". The kids all complained about him and said they hated him and we battled royally with him every year because we wanted the kids for rehearsal practice and he demanded that they be at swim practice. He would not give an inch, but guess what? He consistently produced a state championship swim team for nearly two decades and at his funeral a couple of years ago, there was standing room only and the eulogies and tributes from some of those kids...well, let's just say that there was not a dry eye in the place. They loved and respected him. So we must all be firm and fair and one day, believe me, these kids will thank you for it and understand that you were being "tough" because you truly cared about and wanted what was best for them. I know this is long-winded and a bit "preachy", but I am so disturbed by this modern trend toward laziness, irresponsibility, and lack of self-descipline that I see daily with the kids (and disorganization on the part of so many parents!)that I am consdering retiring and doing something else that has nothing to do with kids. Do any of you feel that the parents today have their kids involved in far too many activities and that they can't really become really good at any one thing because they are spread so thin? Back in my childhood, you either took dance, OR piano, OR you did athletics, not all of the above and then some. And WHEN do they have time for homework after dragging their exhausted little selves home at night after all these activities? I guess Mom does that for them (sadly, I know several who do). Interested in any thoughts on that subject.