#32: Why Trophies Don't Make Better Dancers (A Review of the ThrowDown Dance Event)

This week we're taking you behind the scenes of our trip to The ThrowDown, a fusion dance weekender and competition in the bay area (Oakland) in California.Yes, we competed.Yes, we made finals…but that wasn't the shiny highlight of the weekend.Instead, we found ourselves asking much bigger questions:What actually makes someone a great fusion dancer?How should competitions judge dancers in fusion?What role does feedback play in helping communities grow?In this episode we discuss:- Why traveling outside your local dance scene is one of the fastest ways to grow and how traveling exposes you to possibilities your local scene can't always provide.- Why inspiration is contagious and often what many dancers are missing to see what's possible- We unpack our honest thoughts on everything - from social dances, the music, classes, , competitions to judging, registration logistics, DJ battles, etc. and how they were ran- How Fusion University's practicas unexpectedly prepared us for competition and feedback.- Why clear judging criteria matter if we want to shape the future of our dance- How the dance scene grows when organizers are willing to experiment.If you've ever wondered whether competitions are "worth it," or you've been feeling stuck in your local dance scene, this conversation might be exactly that different perspective you've been looking for.————————————RESOURCES:• FU (Fusion University) is here!  To be the first to know about our classes, practicas, demos, assessments, social community events, and more, sign up for our email newsletter here at https://forms.gle/6GaYzigG1FjVU5vQ6 • 📌 FAQs: We’ve answered the same questions 50+ times about Fusion University (because we love you), but you can check out FAQ here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iHFXnIC8lxQcxDACRpjZQ2_-QkktxOgnbCt_1tKELDs/edit?tab=t.0• Wondering on where to social dance in LA?  Stay up-to-date on all the upcoming events in the LA area here: https://bit.ly/Social-Dance-LA —RATE, REVIEW, & FOLLOW US! 👍This helps us support and reach more people just like you!Listening on APPLE Podcasts?https://bit.ly/FusionDancePodcastApple Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!Listening to this on SPOTIFY?Go to https://bit.ly/FusionDancePodcastSpotify . Tap on the star icon underneath our podcast description to rate and help us out! (Rating is available on mobile app only).—CONNECT WITH US!Instagram: www.instagram.com/fusiondancepodcast Tiktok:  www.tiktok.com/@fusiondancepodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fusiondancepodcast 📧 Email us your podcast topic ideas and suggestions at fusiondancepodcast@gmail.com FOLLOW FUSION UNIVERSITY (FU):Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572519666676 Instagram http://instagram.com/fusionuniversity Email Contact: FusionUniversityLA@gmail.com Join FU’s email newsletter at https://forms.gle/6GaYzigG1FjVU5vQ6