So you think you want to compete?

Competing can be an exciting and nerve wracking experience. The good news is, you don’t have to dive into the deep in. Start with smaller, less-pressured events and slowly work your way up to the competition stage. 

There are plenty of ways to dip your toe in the water before complete submerging and doing it in a way that helps you learn and grow along the way. 

Here is a suggested beginner to pro competition flow. 

• Studio showcases: Start with a showcase at your home studio. It’s great if you’re new to performing and/or nervous about competing. Other pros: no to low cost, minimum rules and requirements, environment and equipment familiarity, surrounded by your studio family and not competitive.

• Local Open Performances: Performing at community or open-studio event is also low pressure but will expose you to more and different audiences. This may also include demo-ing or doing ambient at an event your studio is an exhibitor at. Pros: no to low cost, gentle exposure, limited rules, not competitive.

• Showcase division at a competition: Ready to be on a bigger stage but don’t want to be “judged”?  Signing up for the showcase division at a competition still gives you the full competition experience – minus the competitive pressure, judging and placement. Pros: learn the beginning phases of a competitive system, perform on a professional stage, slightly larger (but supportive) audience, not competitive. Sometimes you can often can get judges feedback (no score) that you can use to help you improve. 

• Virtual competition: Virtual competitions are another great option if you still feel a little stage-shy or aren’t ready for “one take only”. Pros: Less pressure because you’re filming and submitting on your own terms, ability to re-record and choose your best take, film in your studio/familiar environment, low to no audience (outside of your studio family and support system), less expensive (lower entry fee, no travel/lodging, etc.) 

• Social competition: Once you feel ready for the stage, great lighting and more eye on you, making the jump to a social competition is a great option. Social comps tend to have less stringent rules, more social and camaraderie, there tends to be more local studio family participating, more level options and performance types. 

• Semi pro competition: Getting pretty serious about competing?! This is your next stop! This may require travel and will feature more rules, regulations and requirements. It may have a mid-level option in addition to the amateur and pro divisions. 

• Professional competition: (think future Olympics!) These competitions are for serious competitors that have made it or want to make pole/aerial their career. These competitions are going to have more rules, regulations and requirements and typically only separate athletes into two levels: amateur and professional. They will require anti-doping contracts/licenses and feed into Worlds.  

Start early rather than waiting until you can “do a certain trick” or you’re at a “certain level” or have been doing this for “ at least this amount of time”. All of these are things people *think* they need to do to help them do better. The best thing you can do to get better is practice! So start practicing now with showcases and work you way up.