Trash the Trophies: How to Win Without Losing Your Soul

In the world of competitive dance—biased scoring, skimpy costumes, and toxic rivalries are the additional line items of a bill that exceeds thousands of dollars. Time and money are at stake for parents, but reputation is also at risk for students and studios. With no regulation, this third-party industry leaves you asking yourself the same question after every competition: Is it worth it? For Chasta Hamilton, six years of sending dancers to competition was six years too many. She swore off ...