An Eye for Promise: The Power of the Special Award in Competitive Dance and Beyond

Abstract

Having served for a decade as a professional dance competition judge, specializing in special awards, in this article I articulate the unique and powerful role I see the special award playing in dance competition culture as an antithesis to the increasing focus on competition, comparison, and the emerging “sportsification” of dance. I provide some of my tricks of the trade as well as some suggestions for incorporating the transformative potential of the special award beyond the competition world and even beyond dance. In providing such resources, I also hope to stake the claim that the subjective nature of the special award accounts for its powerful potential within the larger dance community, and I advocate for its adoption and adaptation in multiple contexts.