Testing vs Competitions

I'll choose competitions over testing, every time.

Yes, I know about RAD and I think Cecchetti also does testing, but I think, no, I know competitions (not the sequin crap), are more beneficial for many reasons, but this one, in particular:

Testing does not prepare you for what you'll do as a professional.

But, Jerry, what if I don't want to be a professional?

If you're in my class, I'm training you as if you want to be a professional.

As a pro, you're not going to dance in front of judges/adjudicators, in a studio, who will say, "Do such and such combination", and give you a certificate. You're going to be dancing in front of an audience. Testing does not prepare you for that. Oh, the highest level of testing might, but all the tests before that don't.

Competitions, on the other hand, do prepare you for what you'll be doing as a pro, dancing on stage in front of an audience.

But, testing gives you short term goals, and a codified, structured way to learn to dance.

I'll say this, again, testing doesn't prepare you for what you'll do as a professional.

It prepares you to take tests.

If you like that, great, go for it, but you'll still have to dance on stage, in front of an audience. There isn't a company worth the name that will hire you if you have only taken tests and never performed.

Why are you dancing? To take tests, or to perform?

Like I said, I'll take competitions over testing, every time.

See you in class.