The competitions I go to are way different in their placings system!

The placings are 1st, 2nd, 3rd and HM (honourable mention.)

Now, the judges can give as many people as they like 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and HM. You could have 3 people on 1st place if they can't split it, etc!

The bad thing is, though, that they can leave out placings all together. Like, no one could win 1st, or 2nd, or 3rd, or HM. It's quite strange...

The main reason they won't give out a 1st is because if you are in Novice category and get a 1st, you have to move up to Open. If you don't deserve the 1st in novice, you will do badly in open.

The saddest thing I heard about though was a little boy in a category all by himself (i think it was U10 novice tap or something...) He danced fairly well. All the judges gave him was a HM.

I've been to twirling competitions like that. They only give out placings (1st, 2nd, 3rd) instead of the whole gold, silver, other shiny things. Each level depends on the number of first place wins you've had. After so many in beginner, you move up to imtermetiate, etc. So they have a protection rule. If the judges feel no one deserved 1st, they can use p.r. and just give you 2nd. Its their way of protecting kids from moving up a level who aren't ready.

That sounds awful! I wouldn't go to a competition like that. That poor little boy!

Interesting. In the international ballet concourses (competitions) it is acceptable to not award certain categories. You might have no gold medal recipient that particular year or whatever place may not be awarded.
Maybe it's a whole different type of thing. I am not familiar with commercial competitions but I do think why should they give an award if the standard was not there?

That's how judging is like in most parts of Sydney. It's not exactly standard fare, but by no means abnormal.

It's one of the things I really appreciate about competitions over here. In my first competition, everyone got an Honourable Mention. Which was 100% right - none of us had really danced well enough to place, which would have automatically forced us to move to the higher levels (Restricted, Open), which we REALLY weren't ready for. There's a really big push for quality and content in the competition scene over here - only the 'dolly dinkle' type competitions go nuts with the trophies.

As for the little boy - dance adjudication is subjective. At the end of the day it is the judge's opinion that counts, and if they felt it was only worthy of an HM, all you can do is appeal, and if that doesn't work, tough. Move on and see how you fare at other competitions.

I'm in Australia, Victoria and all our comps are like that !

Our comps are exactly like that aswell (Australia too). The judges are not required to award any places if they feel the standard is not high enough. But it is very, very, very rare. In most cases all placings will be given out.

Mmm.

Just realised exactly what it is that I like about it. "It's more important to dance well than it is to win"

In clogging comps we have straight placements (Grand Champion, 1st, 2nd, 3rd). I prefer it over everyone being handed a 1st or Gold. It actually means something when you bring home a trophy!

well as a matter of fact I'm in australia too!

that little boy wasn't from my school, i merely wanted to comment that it was pretty sad.

i wanted to tell many people here who are from other countries with different systems how different dance comps can be.

it's funny though, because you always hear the people from especially the USA on this website talking about how little girls are sexualized at dance comps. I don't really see this in australia, at least my part. I see a lot of top quality dances, with class. And certainly no bikini tops, short shorts, inappropriate music, and sloppy triples and fouttes from 7 year olds.

Over here we have first, second, third, fourth, highly commended and commended places. The 1st-4th placing are only ever given to one dancer/team per catagory per competition. If there are two dancers tied for 1st then two 1st's will be awarded but no 2nd place will be awarded. Highly commended and commended places can be given to multipule dancers if and only if the quality is high enough.

I honestly don't see why you would want to go to a competition where every dancer can be given the highest placing if the judge feels so inclined to do so!Surely there has to be someone who stands out as being the best, and second best and third best. And if no one stands out as being so then it is only right that no places are awarded.

Dance is different in Australia to what we often hear about oversea's. Here the vast majority of studio's do exams with their students in most subjects, so the emphasis tends to be different.

One thing I never understood was, what is the problem with a costume with the tummy showing? We always had costumes woth the tummy showing as kids and they were very tasteful, but kids do tend to be more overweight these days and it is a lot less attractive.

I have been a penciller at several competitions and am on the committee for two local eistedfodds. I applaud adjudicators who don't award places to novices who will struggle in the open sections. Better to award a third and multi HMs than put a kid up who will not cut it against tougher competition. And remember it is how the dancer danced TODAY. I recall one comp where the adjudicator gave only HMs in the 6 and under 8 novice character section and a furious dad called the president of the competition to berate the adjudication because his kid had won at a previous eistedfodd and was already technically in the open section so in his opinion should have deserved a place. The kid was in tears etc. The judge stood by his decision. (The child had entered this comp before winning at the other comp so the rules state she as she was a novice at the time of entry, she danced as a novice in the comp).