Okay so after being away from the LD Tumblr fandom for a couple of months, I have some thoughts.
So I was busy with school and just never really got on tumblr, but I still watched lots of YouTube videos of dances and followed dancers and comps on insta. And I was exposed to so many dancers and studios that are overlooked. In the Tumblr fandom (and even the insta and YouTube ones, depending on who you follow), we see and praise the same studios and dancers over and over. Yes, P21 and MBA and OCPAA are all amazing, but they’re not the only dance studios on the planet.
Also, BTF comps aren’t the only comps on the planet. Especially after following dance comps like Starquest and KAR on insta, I’ve been exposed to so many dancers and studios that are honestly just as amazing as the big name dancers and studios, but nobody knows who they are and they haven’t gone “viral” because they aren’t studios that go to BTF/Radix. Even my own dance studio that I grew up in has been winning comps left and right and has amazing numbers this season but nobody has ever heard of us outside the local area.
This may seem contradictory when I just mentioned amazing studios that are just as good as the big name ones, but there is also merit in watching studios that aren’t as perfect. Not all dancers are ready to step on broadway or into a music video this very second (and not all of them want to), and that’s OKAY. They’re learning. There are still some amazing comp numbers out there that aren’t perfect, aren’t insanely difficult, but they’re super entertaining to watch. Sometimes even numbers in the non-elite/Advanced levels of competition are really great and fun to watch. Some of my best inspiration for my own choreo has come from these pieces. It’s not all about being able to do a front aerial or those shaky leg things lolol. As much as I adore Eva Igo (which is evident by my username lol), not everyone has to dance like her.
Sorry for the long diatribe, I just have lots of thoughts. And I’m going to try to post some videos of underrated dancers and studios in the coming weeks to draw attention to them!
