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

<p></p><p>This week we&#39;re taking you behind the scenes of our trip to <strong>The ThrowDown</strong>, a fusion dance weekender and competition in the bay area (Oakland) in California.</p><p><br></p><p>Yes, we competed.</p><p><br></p><p>Yes, we made finals…but that <em>wasn&#39;t </em>the shiny highlight of the weekend.</p><p><br></p><p>Instead, we found ourselves asking much bigger questions:</p><p>What actually makes someone a great fusion dancer?</p><p>How should competitions judge dancers in fusion?</p><p>What role does feedback play in helping communities grow?</p><p><br></p><p><strong>In this episode we discuss:</strong></p><p><br></p><p>- 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&#39;t always provide.</p><p><br></p><p>- Why inspiration is contagious and often what many dancers are missing to see what&#39;s possible</p><p><br></p><p>- 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</p><p><br></p><p>- How Fusion University&#39;s practicas unexpectedly prepared us for competition and feedback.</p><p><br></p><p>- Why clear judging criteria matter if we want to shape the future of our dance</p><p><br></p><p>- How the dance scene grows when organizers are willing to experiment.</p><p><br></p><p>If you&#39;ve ever wondered whether competitions are &quot;worth it,&quot; or you&#39;ve been feeling stuck in your local dance scene, this conversation might be exactly that different perspective you&#39;ve been looking for.</p><p><br></p><p>————————————</p><p><strong>RESOURCES:</strong></p><p><br></p><p>• 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 <a href="https://forms.gle/6GaYzigG1FjVU5vQ6"><u>https://forms.gle/6GaYzigG1FjVU5vQ6</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p>• 📌 <strong>FAQs:</strong> We’ve answered the same questions 50+ times about Fusion University (because we love you), but you can check out FAQ here: <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iHFXnIC8lxQcxDACRpjZQ2_-QkktxOgnbCt_1tKELDs/edit?tab=t.0"><u>https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iHFXnIC8lxQcxDACRpjZQ2_-QkktxOgnbCt_1tKELDs/edit?tab=t.0</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>• Wondering on where to social dance in LA?  Stay up-to-date on all th