The Pros and Cons of Ballroom Dance Competitions

Why you might love them, but what you should know before committing.

Part 3 of: How Do Ballroom Dance Competitions Work?

Ballroom dance competitions can be exciting, motivating, and surprisingly transformative.

They can sharpen your dancing, give your practice more purpose, and push you to grow in ways that social dancing alone sometimes can’t.

They can also be expensive, feel intimidating, and a little like a world with its own language, traditions, and unwritten rules.

So should you compete?

Like most things in ballroom, the answer is… It depends.

Why You Might Love Ballroom Dance Competitions

1. They Give Your Dancing a Clear Goal

Competition gives dancers something specific to work towards.

Instead of simply “taking lessons,” you’re preparing for an event, a performance, or a heat which often makes practice feel more intentional and motivating.

For many people, having a deadline is exactly what helps them improve.

2. They Improve Your Presence and Performance Skills

Studio practice is one thing. Dancing in front of judges, an audience, bright lights, and a little bit of adrenaline? That’s something else.

Competitions help dancers build confidence, stage presence, musicality, composure under pressure, performance quality.

While it may feel like it’s a niche skill, it is actually one that will help you in high-pressure moments in your personal and professional life.

3. They Are Catalysts for Growth

Competition can help dancers improve faster by creating focus, structure, and clear goals.

But the growth often goes beyond technique.

Learning to dance is one thing. Learning to perform that skill in front of judges, an audience, or under pressure is something else entirely.

Some dancers love the spotlight. Most are simply wondering: Can I do this?

In the process, many discover growth far beyond the dance floor. They build confidence, resilience, performance skills, and trust in themselves along the way.

4. They Build Confidence

There’s something powerful about stepping onto a dance floor and doing something that feels a little scary.

For many dancers, competition becomes less about “winning” and more about proving things to  themselves. Even if your knees are shaking.

5. They Create Community

Competitions connect dancers to a larger world. And a world of people who share interests.

Students meet dancers from other studios, teachers cheer each other on, friendships form backstage, and people get to be part of a community that shares the same slightly niche hobby.

Of course, it can be competitive. But it can also be deeply social as well.

Why Many People Never Try

This is the part people don’t talk about, but why we suspect you’re here. Ballroom competitions can be exciting! But they also come with some very real barriers. Here are the top 5.

1. They Can Be Expensive

This is one of the top two biggest barriers we see for many dancers.

Ballroom dance competitions often involve more than just showing up and dancing. Costs can include:

• Registration fees

• Entry fees for individual heats and/or events

• Private lessons and coaching 

• Costumes or competition attire (at least one for smooth/standard and rhythm/latin)

• Hair,  makeup, shoes, and accessories

• Travel & hotel

A smaller local competition experience might cost a few hundred dollars for the event, while a larger independent studio competition or multi-day event can range from $3,000 to $25,000+, depending on how many heats, performances, coaching sessions, and extras are involved. Again, that number does not involve the cost of lessons and coaching.

And yes, that number surprises a lot of people.

That doesn’t mean every competition has to cost that much, but for many dancers, cost becomes a barrier before they even get started.

2. They Can Be Gendered and Exclusionary

Many (though not all) ballroom competitions are built around traditional social norms, including gender roles, appearance standards, and partner expectations.

In many competition formats, the rules still assume (require) a man dressed as a man and a woman dressed as a woman compete together.This structure is limiting, invalidating, or outright unwelcoming for LGBTQIA+ dancers and anyone who doesn’t fit neatly into those expectations.

For some dancers and competitors, the skills, artistry, and partnership are what we should be focused on and cheering for.

That’s one of the reasons we believe competition can, and should, look different.

If you are someone in the LGBTQIA+ space or love someone who is, and you’re looking to compete, you may want to look into the rules and regulations of the competition you are thinking about participating in to ensure it matches your values.

3. They Require A Big Time and Commitment

Training for competition asks more of dancers than social dancing alone. Most dancers training for a competition spend 10-20 hours a week in the studio.,

You should expect to be focused on:

• Private lessons multiple time a week

• Open practices time

• Choreography work

• Conditioning and/or drills

For dancers with busy lives, that level of commitment can feel like a lot.

4. Ballroom Competitions Can Feel Like Another Planet

Ballroom competitions have their own language, traditions, routines, and rhythms. And many competitors have been doing them for years.

For a first-timer, it can feel a little like being dropped on another planet. A world full of people who already know exactly where to go, what to wear, how to style themselves, and understand how everything works.

Simply put, being new in a space full of experienced competitors can feel intimidating.

5. The Experience Depends on How You’re Supported

How you feel about your Competition is often more about how you’re prepared for the experience.

The right coaching, pacing, and support can make competition feel exciting, motivating, and inspirational.

The wrong fit can leave dancers feeling rushed, underprepared, overwhelmed, or like they’re doing it for someone else instead of themselves.

Competition works best when you’re learning in a space where people understand your goals, respect your pace, and genuinely want you to succeed.

That kind of support matters more than people realize.

So Should You Compete?

For some dancers, competition becomes one of the most exciting parts of their dance journey. For others, it’s not the right fit, and that’s okay too.

Here’s what we think:

A lot of people avoid competition because getting started can feel like a big commitment, especially before you even know if competition is something you’ll enjoy.

That’s exactly why we’re creating a different kind of starting point: a way to explore competition that feels easier, more approachable, supportive, and open to all.

→ Read Part 1: What to Expect at a Ballroom Dance Competition

→ Read Part 2: American vs. International Ballroom Styles Explained

→ Read Part 3: Completed! The Pros and Cons of Ballroom Dance Competitions

→ Read Part 4: A Beginner-Friendly Ballroom Competition in Chicago (coming soon!)