The Loudoun dance community is diverse, and each dancer has a unique experience based on what they give to the sport and where they train.
While all studios may be teaching the same basics, they vary depending on whether they compete or not. Competition studios focus on individual dances that are then judged and awarded, whereas studios that don’t compete rehearse for a production.
However, many studios in Loudoun aren’t simply offering one option or the other. They are offering both.
Kimberly Rishi, the owner of Studio Bleu, said that even though they are considered the largest competition studio in the country, they don’t consider themselves purely a competition studio. She also said many dancers who move on to be professionals in the industry – whether in music, dance or acting – were a competition dancer at one point.
“It’s a great team-bonding activity where it’s all about the team first, and it really pushes you to the next level,” Rishi said. “You receive judges’ feedback and I think it definitely propels the serious dancer quicker by being a competitive dancer.”
According to their website, the Loudoun School of Ballet is not a competition studio, but even some of their students compete. The Loudoun Ballet Co., a nonprofit that runs alongside the school, does not compete and instead rehearses for their ballets.
Chase Madigan, now a professional dancer in New York City and former dancer at the Loudoun School of Ballet, participated in both the Loudoun Ballet Co. and the competitive jazz company.
“I know so many competition dancers that are so strong and a ton of them are working today,” Madigan said. “I think they have an unfair judgment on them when in reality they are some of the strongest dancers I know.”
The Dance Academy of Loudoun is another studio that offers both options. They’ve had ballet productions in the past, but this is the first year they’ve had a ballet company. According to a teacher at the studio, Kaleigh Augustine, only a handful of their dancers focus on ballet more than competition.
“We do everything,” Augustine said. “We have ‘The Nutcracker’ and the spring ballet and we also have a competition team and regular classes for fun, so we kind of do all of it.”
Fulham describes the seriousness of dancing with the Loudoun Ballet Co. as similar to being part of a real professional company.
Students take classes at the school until they are old enough to be evaluated and join the company. Being successful takes hard work, countless auditions and many broken pointe shoes (which are anywhere from $60 to $80 and need to be replaced as soon as once a week for some dancers).
“The idea of being a professional dancer today is so hard,” Fulham said. “You’re basically predetermined for a life based on the body you have and the money you have and your ability to go to different schools.”
Madigan said that the hardest part about being a professional dancer is never knowing what lies ahead. Jobs can be just around the corner, meaning you have to be prepared to pick up your life at any moment.
Just as with any sport, being serious about dance means having the time and money to do so. Some dancers rehearse every day of the week, plus weekend competitions and possible trips to places such as New York City on top of those rehearsals.
But it’s also up to the individual dancer how much they want to devote. Rishi said that some kids on their Studio Bleu team dance two hours a week and some dance seven days a week.
Dancing full-time can mean missing out on hanging out with friends, homecoming dances or Friday night football games. Some dancers opt for the typical adolescent or teen experience and quit.
But according to Emma Day, Kate Day and Julia Day, sisters who have all danced at Studio Bleu, having a life dedicated to dance also means learning real-world skills such as time management, teamwork, compassion and discipline.
“People always ask you, ‘didn’t you miss out on all the regular high school things,’ but I think you come away with a lot of good stories and that kind of thing,” Emma Day said. “I liked it.”
Most people don’t think of dance as a competitive sport; some dismiss it as a sport altogether. But even the non-competitive studios have competition within as dancers vie for roles and spots in dances.
“I had this group of girls that I was constantly competing with for parts, but also we were such a team,” Fulham said. “It was a very positive group experience.”
Emma Day visits her studio when she returns home from college. The support she felt even after graduating is something she considers a main takeaway from her time dancing.
“It’s about reminding yourself how much you love it when it gets tough,” Madigan said. “Or when you audition and get turned down, remembering you do it because you love it and that’s all that matters.”
Kate O'Toole 