Changes to Showcase

Having spent 29 years in the corporate world, I’m very familiar with change. Bring in a new boss and they have to do things their way so processes and procedures have to adapt. Put someone in charge of an area for the first time and one of the easiest goals to achieve is adopting a new method or piece of software for doing something.

Were these always improvements? Of course not. I mean we never really measured what we were trying to change so you could never see if things got better. Probably because they knew we’d be changing in a couple of years anyway so why bother trying to figure out if it was actually helpful.

And of course every change came with all the pithy little slogans about change and how great it is. Everyone get on board! Don’t be resistant to change! In this case, asking why we were doing something was considered being “resistant”. After all, smarter people than you decided we should do this so stop question and just get in line.

That doesn’t mean certain changes weren’t needed and that all change was bad. It just meant that usually a change was driven by unstated reasons (like someone’s bonus) so it was hard not to be a little cynical.

Bring all this because the studio has decided that for Showcase, solo routines will now be done in the studio the night before rather than during the actual event. Other studios have already adopted this plan and it seems like it will be a permanent thing.

Now I don’t really know or understand the economics behind these big events other than there has to be some perceived benefit to the studio or they wouldn’t do them.

It is true that the solos slow down the event because of the need for costume changes so they always take more time than allocated. And if it pushes the event to end later, then there is always the scramble to get set up for dinner and the social hour. Maybe that has something to do with the decision – streamline the event a little more.

There would be other ways to do it. You could cut down routines to just one per person. You could reduce the number of heats that a person (or instructor) could do. I don’t remember the cost per heat vs the cost of a solo but maybe they feel they get more back from heats than from the solos. Again, my mind is automatically looking for the angle because things aren’t normally done for random reasons.

For me, it takes away a lot of what is attractive about the solos. Yes, you still get to perform but it isn’t going to be like doing it in a Showcase setting. Suspect a lot of people won’t show up to just watch and, while they may decorate the studio (think that is the plan), I don’t see it matching what a ballroom decked out for Showcase looks like.

The one plus is not having to bring as much stuff to Showcase. And only having to change from smooth to rhythm is nice. (Well we are still doing a formation and, for now, they are keeping those at Showcase so there is an extra change for that as well).

I also really don’t like the idea of having to go out to the studio on Saturday night but still turn around and get up early Sunday to get to Showcase. You get all pumped up from dancing and then have to try and get some sleep for the next day. Could be a problem.

Anyway, after thinking it through, I’ve decided to skip doing solos this year. I would probably still enjoy it but it no longer carries the same cache as doing it day of Showcase. Guess that makes me “resistant” to this change but so be it.