A fantastic opportunity for gifted dancers to showcase their talent in a competitive way. This can include solos, duets, trios, quartets, and group dances. Each dance is entered into a section, which will be judged by an adjudicator. Every child receives a certificate and comment sheet and if they are lucky enough, can be placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd and will be awarded with a medal. Students must be a minimum age of 5 years old.
Festivals are competitions that are affiliated to the All England Dance Festival Association and the Federation of Festivals for Music Dance and Speech. Their aim is to provide competitive opportunities for amateur dancers to perform, build confidence, learn from others and to demonstrate their artistic abilities before an audience and judging professionals.
The National Finals that take place every two years are held in July/August.
Festivals are of a high standard, so the students that we select will need to show the attitude and skills required for such a competitive environment. They will need to show the potential for this in their lessons and show work.
Children will need to be currently attending at least 1 hour a week of technique classes regularly, for 12-18 months at Caterpillar Dance School, before they are able to compete. Classical, Modern and Character dances, require a good standard of ballet technique to reach competition standard.
A high level of performance skills is necessary for festivals, therefore expressive, confident dancers will be selected. Students will also need to prove that they have a good work ethic to put into place both at rehearsals and the events.
Parents will be approached if teachers think the students are ready for festivals. However, please feel free to approach me if you are interested.
Every dance that is choreographed has the music specially edited and is made to suit the child/children dancing.
Festivals do require a lot of commitment from both the students and parents plus additional expense. A lot of practice is needed to get dances to the standard required for such a high level competition. Festivals can also involve a certain amount of travelling and early starts. Therefore it is important that careful consideration is given before committing to these classes.
Teamwork: Duets and groups are only as good as the collective effort
Self-Discipline: Perfecting the routines requires dedication, concentration and commitment
Independence: Festivals require the children to look after themselves and their friends
Self Confidence: Performing and succeeding in front of a peer group audience builds confidence, enables them to measure themselves and grows self-esteem.
Creativity: The routine is unique to the troupe / individual and caters for their specific abilities; i.e. they showcase their attributes.
Fitness & Fun: Once the routines are established then they can be practised in and out of normal lessons. This provides an outlet for your child and hopefully will burn off excess energy!!
As you can imagine the rewards are proportional to the effort so practice and commitment is key especially if your child is part of a group.
