What are your thoughts on Belly dance competitions?

Latest news! Another belly dance competition again in August 2009 - Malaysian Open Dance Fest ’09. What are your thoughts on Belly dance competitions? Is there any way to know for sure what makes a champion? I was wondering how the judges will base their scores for all the contestants. Beside the costume and make up are part of it, but how about the rest?

We competed in a local national competition in 2007 – The 1^st Asia Pacific Master Dance Championship (Belly Dance Team Open) and recently we competed in The YMCAs Ballroom Dance. The main event was Ballroom dance, Hip Hop & Belly Dance Competition. Sad to say, the belly dance was only part of both events for business and not art, there were no detailed information on what is required and what is allowed. At the final part I have seen the ridiculous things that went on in the competition - wild acrobat moves, backbends all the way to the floor, impressively high flying leaps, etc.!!! IF I’m one of the judges in that competition, I will mark her down!!! Haha….I am sorry to say that (I would rather stay away from that embarrassing stuffs)

It did make me think about the competition again. A ballroom dance teacher was one of the belly dance judges during the competition. What happens if you are doing Egyptian style that the ballroom dance teacher doesn't recognize? This is one of the reasons I just don't "get" belly dance competitions. What are the criteria? How are they defined and who defines them, and do we really want the criteria defined anyway?

I have coached individuals and group for preparations for competitions. For me, it's the challenge of coming up with a new choreography in either competition, provide my students with a specific goal to work hard, practice, and improve their dancing skills.

When it come to organise belly dance competition, I hope the organizer must be careful about the term of BELLY DANCING. Bottom line, if you are determined to enter a belly dance competition, take the responsibility to ask in advance. READ THE RULES, READ THE CRITERIA, AND ASK FOR A JUDGING SHEET.