This year, many of our Level 5 dancers are competing in the Connecticut Classic. We asked junior Meg Rebuzzini to share with you her thoughts on the lead up to and the event! To read more about the Connecticut Classic, click here. Meg is pictured below in first arabesque and performing a fish with our friend Chris LaFleche.

“When I hear the word ‘competition’, I get a little worried because I’m realizing how quickly the date of the Connecticut Classic is approaching. However, although competitions may sound like a frightening and scary experience, they are very beneficial for dancers. Not only is it advantageous to step out of your comfort zone, but competitions can be very helpful because they hand out scholarships to prestigious summer intensives and offer money to help pay for summer intensives, since many are expensive. In order to be a recipient of these awards you need to place higher than most other dancers that are competing, therefore you must train very hard. This year, I’m performing the variation ‘La Esmeralda’ for the CT Classic. In this variation I have many objectives to accomplish: first, I want to improve my stamina so I can make the variation look as effortless and graceful as possible, even though it may require a lot of my energy. I also want to make the steps within the variation look clean, and I want to nail consistent double and triple turns and step-ups. By perfecting these moves in the studio I will have a greater chance of nailing them on stage. Lastly, I want to make sure my knees are completely straight and that I’m turned out, because the judges deduct points if your turnout is lacking. But mostly importantly I want to perform the variation with great character. Character polishes the variation, and it makes the audience feel as though you have become that character. It is all of these elements that are essential to performing a great variation, and although I’m nervous, I can’t wait to execute this variation in front of the judges!”