What is competitive dancing?
PSD’s Competitive Program offers a higher level of dance training for students who are looking to take their dancing to the next level. Students take a combination of technical training classes, where they develop the fundamental skills that apply across all styles of dance, and choreography classes, where they learn the dance(s) they will perform at the competitions we attend!
All competitive-level classes, including both technique and choreography classes, are by audition, with placements made by our competitive teaching faculty. We hold Competitive Team auditions each spring for the following season and also offer private placement auditions for students who are unable to attend the group audition date.
Our Competitive Team includes a variety of groups, with placement within each group determined at the discretion of our teaching staff based on the dancer’s age, experience, and ability level.
Our Competitive Team attends four competitions throughout Ontario each year. Dancers perform their competitive routines at each event, competing alongside studios from across the province. Each performance receives a mark and award at each of the competitions, as well as feedback from the Judge’s for their next performance! Our dancers also perform their competitive routines in PSD’s Competitive Showcase prior to the competition season, giving them the opportunity to perform on stage and gain valuable experience before heading to their first competition. Competitive dances are also performed as part of PSD’s year-end Recital, alongside dances from our Recreational Program.
PSD’s Competitive Program is a fun, exciting, and rewarding way to take your dancing further! Students enjoy the additional performance opportunities, develop valuable skills such as teamwork, dedication, and work ethic, and love the added technical challenge that our advanced-level training provides.
We currently offer Competitive Program opportunities for dancers ages 4–18 at both our Peterborough and Millbrook Studios. Dancers from both locations compete together as one PSD Competitive Team at each competition.
What is the time commitment for competitive dance?
PSD offers two levels of competitive dance: Part-Time (B) and Full-Time (A).
Part-Time (B)
Our Part-Time (B) dancers train in a minimum of three classes per week:
Part-Time (B) dancers train a maximum of 6 hours per week.
Full-Time (A)
Our Full-Time (A) dancers train in a minimum of five classes per week, including the three classes required for Part-Time (B), plus:
These additional classes provide further technical training for our Full-Time dancers. Full-Time (A) dancers train a minimum of 6 hours per week.
Depending on the group a dancer is placed in, there may also be additional Competitive classes in styles such as Lyrical, Hip Hop, Acro, Tap, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Open, and more.
We do our best to schedule each group across 1–3 days per week to limit the number of days dancers are required to be at the Studio for group classes.
What is the cost of competitive dance?
Competitive class lesson fees are marginally higher than Recreational classes because our Competitive Program provides a higher level of training and instruction from our competitive teaching faculty.
In addition to lesson fees, there are other costs associated with competitive dance:
Costumes
Competitive costumes are often more elaborate and may be custom-made, as they need to be durable enough to withstand the additional wear throughout the competition season. Competitive costumes often feature bespoke designs and embellishments.
Competitive costumes can cost up to $500, although $175–$300 per costume is more typical.
Competition Entry Fees
Dancers also pay entry fees for each competition we attend. Group dance entry fees are approximately $70 per dancer, per competition. These fees are non-refundable and are typically collected in October or November.
Other Costs
Families should also plan for additional expenses such as:
How do competitive private lessons (Solos, Duets & Trios) work?
Competitive Solos, Duets, and Trios are offered to select dancers at the discretion of our competitive teaching faculty.
Students must have at least one year of competitive dance experience and demonstrate strong skills and potential. Factors such as overall technique, work ethic, flexibility, team work, and stage presence are also taken into consideration.
Priority is generally given to senior students and students training 6 or more hours per week.
Competitive private lessons are not guaranteed and depend heavily on studio and teacher availability. We love knowing when students are interested in this opportunity, as it allows our teachers to add interested dancers to their waitlists for the following season! Private lesson fees, costume fees, and competition entry fees are additional to group fees. Dancers train approximately 9 hours for their private lesson throughout the season. Dancers must participate in the competitive group class for their level/age that corresponds with the style of their private lesson (i.e., hip hop soloists must be in the competitive hip hop group, ballet duet dancers must be in the competitive ballet group, etc.)