Hi dancers, and welcome back to The Reel Deal! In this Comp Chat, we’re going to talk about competition results. Part of being a competitive athlete is experiencing all kinds of results: results that make us happy, results that make us sad, and some we might not have seen coming at all. We put a lot of stake in competition results because they are the foundation of competitive success. You don’t get a medal if you don’t place. You don’t get a title if you don’t win. Results also determine your progression through the levels and what dances you get to compete. 

But for as much weight as we give our results, it’s important to remember what results really are, what they’re based on, and what they can actually tell us. Understanding these things will help us learn the most we can from our results, and also help fortify our mindset around results and how much they impact us, positively or negatively. 

What are results really?

Your result is a final placement based on how your score compares to other dancers’ scores. So, it’s a number based on another number, compared against even more numbers. But when you watch someone dance, do you ever think of a number? Probably not. You notice things you like, things you don’t, areas where they could improve, and places where they really shine. How do you take the whole experience of watching someone dance and reduce it down to one number? I don’t know about you, but I think that sounds really difficult. But that’s what your results are: just one number trying to encapsulate everything about your performance on that particular day.

What are results based on?

Results are based on the dancing the judge saw from you on the day of the competition, and nothing else. It’s easy to forget that sometimes. Your result isn’t determined by how many hours you practice, how consistent your strength training is, or whether you danced better than you did in the last competition. Every dance competition is like a snapshot: one day, one time, one performance. The judge can only score what they see during your dance (and we all know they can’t catch every moment). It’s your job to show the judges how hard you practice and how seriously you take your training by putting a fabulous round on stage.

Plus, Irish dance judging is subjective. All judges have their own methods of figuring out what score to give you based on your performance, which is no easy task. Remember that the judges are human beings. It’s sometimes lose sight of this when they’re watching you from the other side of the table. But they’re people, and people aren’t perfect. Think of it like having a favorite color. Just because you have a favorite doesn’t mean you dislike all the others, right? You may like some colors more than others, and that’s perfectly fine. Think about judging like that. Judges have their own preferences, and sometimes those preferences will work in your favor, and sometimes they won’t. They have a really tough job, and we need to trust that they’re doing the best they can to be fair and thoughtful.

What do results tell us?

Instead of starting with what results can tell us, I’m going to start with what they do not tell us because I think that is more important to understand. Results are not an indicator of improvement. I’ll say that again because I want you to remember this. Results are not an indicator of improvement. And this goes both ways. 

• If your results improved, that does not always mean that your dancing improved. Sometimes, you might not have had your best dance day, but you still place really well because the judges saw something they loved, even if it wasn’t your personal best. 

• If your results did not improve, that does not mean that your dancing got worse. You might have made big improvements in your performance, but everyone else might have improved too, and on that day, the judges felt other dancers stood out.

• Remember, every dancer has good days and bad days, and everyone deserves to shine. When you place well, you should celebrate your success! And when others do well, let’s celebrate their success too.

Measuring improvement as an Irish dancer can be tricky, especially since we can’t rely on our competition results to gauge it. Unlike sports like Track and Field, where you can time your sprints and easily see if you're getting faster, Irish dance doesn’t have concrete measurements. In Track and Field, hitting a personal record is often more celebrated than winning the race. But in Irish dance, because we don’t have measurable stats, we tend to place a lot of importance on results.

But the only thing results can really tell us is how we danced that day compared to the dancers we competed against. The best way to measure improvement in your own dancing is to listen to your teachers! They can tell you what you have improved and how you have grown as a dancer. Another thing you can do is watch videos of yourself now and compare them to videos of yourself dancing now compared to a few months ago. It’s incredible how much progress you can see, even in a short time!

“Bad” vs “Good” Results

We all have an idea of what we consider “bad” results and “good” results, but it’s important to realize that this is completely subjective. Most of the time, when we say we got a “good” result, we mean it made us feel good, and when we say we got a “bad” result, we mean it made us feel bad. You might place second, which is objectively a strong placement, but if you were hoping for first, you might feel disappointed and call it a “bad” result.  

It’s really hard to get disappointing results when you’ve been working your hardest. But try to remember that not all results that make us sad or disappointed are “bad”. They might make us feel bad, but that doesn’t make the results themselves “bad”, and it certainly doesn’t mean that you have gotten worse at dancing. Understanding this can help you feel more at peace with your results, even when they aren’t what you were hoping for, and you can still feel proud of giving your best performance.

But when we get results that make us happy, it’s really exciting! One thing I’ve learned over the years is that every dancer has their day. Sometimes it comes sooner than you expect, sometimes later, but when it happens, you deserve to celebrate. Being a gracious and humble winner doesn’t mean you have to hide your excitement. Enjoy it! Remember, the dancers who didn’t have their day when you did will get their turn too!

Congratulations on your most recent competition! You deserve to celebrate all that you accomplished, whether you earned a high placement or took on a new challenge like competing a dance for the first time. Every competition is a stepping stone, helping you learn and grow as a dancer. You stepped on stage, danced your best, and gave it your all. I hope you're proud of yourself for everything you’ve achieved!