I've been crossing back and forth between the two for six years now and know many people who also cross back and forth. Obviously those who have participated in both sides have clearer view of both, and don't tend to be the people slamming on one or the other.



Funny thing is that because I've been on both sides I can't understand where the animosity comes from. I never really even knew it existed until I started reading this board three years ago and getting flamed for dancing and supporting Pro/Am. I'd read posts of amazing vitriol that were based on situations and experiences that I had rarely if ever seen during my participation in Pro/Am. I guess I'm lucky, or sheltered, or both. Also, the number and frequency of hate-filled anti-Pro/Am posts has dropped significantly around here, which leads me to believe that the worst of them were coming from just a few people who enjoyed stirring up trouble and belittling others.

Quickquickslow,

Thank you for answering my questions. I've been around here for about a year and I have often wondered about the divide that seems to exist between some pro-ams and some ams. I know not everyone falls into this category.

Much of what you write about makes perfect sense. I've actually experienced some of it as well. I started at a franchise studio. I bought into the whole package. (Never mind the fact I couldn't afford it - hell they said just make payments!) Actually I bought the whole package twice. I did the showcases (I actually thought they were competitions, oh boy did I learn later) and their freestyles (Eventually I wondered why there were so many first places). And then . . . the $$$ ran out for me. So did the "special attention" I felt I was getting from my teacher. (Compliments, flattery, etc.) It was my own stupidity. "Live and learn" is the saying and I definitely did that.

Now I have the teacher I've been with for two years. The first time I went to a comp (it was Holiday Dance Classic), all I could think of was, "cha-ching, cha-ching" when I saw a young teacher with an older lady that could barely move. (I can definitely relate to what you said about ams seeing this and questioning the validity of the comp) I'll admit, I wish I had more $$$ to spend, but I also have my own limits. I still go to comps but I do what I can afford and I think my teacher knows what a penny pincher I am. So all in all it works for me.

I would be curious in one other thing, can some explain the differences to me in the levels of amateur competition? I'm not sure what's novice, pre-champ, etc. How does it relate (or can you) to the bronze, silver, and gold syllabus.

Once again, thank you. I do appreciate your info.
DancingDiva

You're on the West Coast so I'll answer, since I'm here too and things are a little different here than on the East Coast.



Amateur events are divided into two major sub-categories: syllabus and Open. The syllabus levels are Bronze, Silver, and Gold, and are the same things that you are familiar with from Pro/Am except amateur doesn't have the interminable sub-levels that Pro/Am does. Not many NDCA-sanctioned events run syllabus events on the West Coast, but Collegiate and more and more USABDA-sanctioned events are. There is a growing number of adult amateur syllabus dancers out here.



Many West Coast NDCA-sanctioned competitions offer a Pre-Novice event, which is closed syllabus. Some NDCA-sanctioned competitions even call this event "Closed Syllabus." These are open to amateur syllabus dancers of any level. Any patterns, Bronze through Gold, are allowed, so in a way it could be considered a Gold syllabus event. In practice, dancers ranging from Bronze through Gold participate.



The Open (any steps allowed, be they in syllabus or not) levels on the West Coast are Novice, Pre-Championship, and Championship. They are proficiency levels, with Novice being the lowest and Championship being the highest. I wouldn't say they really correspond to anything in Pro/Am, but if I had to I'd say they were similar in what choreography you see danced as the Open Pro/Am events (not Open Bronze/Open Silver/Open Gold, which are Pro/Am creations, but the real Open Pro/Am events which are usually danced in the evening sessions at West Coast NDCA-sanctioned comps).

Godwin's Law, people! Get with the program!