10 Dance Competition Music Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
10 Dance Competition Music Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
After years of watching thousands of competition routines and speaking with adjudicators, studio owners, and choreographers, we've identified the most common music-related mistakes that cost dancers points, placements, and awards. Learn from these errors so you can avoid them in your own routines.
Mistake #1: Using Overplayed Songs
Every competition season has songs that appear dozens of times across different studios. While judges try to evaluate each performance objectively, the reality is that hearing the same song repeatedly creates unconscious comparison and fatigue.
The Fix: Research what songs have been popular in recent seasons and avoid them. Look for cover versions of popular songs, deeper album cuts from favorite artists, or music from independent artists who haven't hit mainstream saturation. Fresh music choices demonstrate creativity and give judges a welcome change.
Mistake #2: Ignoring Lyric Content
It's surprisingly common for choreographers to fall in love with a song's melody without carefully listening to every word. Inappropriate lyrics can result in point deductions, disqualification, or awkward conversations with competition directors.
The Fix: Print out lyrics and read them carefully before committing to a song. Consider how every word will be perceived by judges, parents, and young audience members. When in doubt, find a different song—there are millions of options out there.
Mistake #3: Choosing Music Beyond the Dancer's Emotional Range
A 9-year-old performing to a song about heartbreak after a failed relationship rarely reads as authentic. Judges can immediately tell when dancers are portraying emotions they haven't experienced or can't genuinely access.
The Fix: Match musical emotional content to the performer's life experience. Young dancers can authentically perform songs about friendship, self-confidence, imagination, and age-appropriate challenges. Save the heavy emotional content for dancers mature enough to embody it genuinely.
Mistake #4: Poor Audio Quality
Competition sound systems are designed to reveal audio quality—both good and bad. Music ripped from YouTube, compressed files from questionable sources, or poorly exported edits all sound unprofessional and distract from the performance.
The Fix: Always use high-quality source files purchased from legitimate digital music stores. Export edited tracks at the highest quality settings. Listen to your finished track on professional speakers or quality headphones before competition—problems that aren't obvious on phone speakers become glaringly apparent on venue sound systems.
Mistake #5: Awkward or Obvious Edits
Jarring cuts, tempo mismatches, or transitions that clearly sound "wrong" pull judges and audiences out of the performance experience. Even brief moments of musical confusion can affect how a routine is perceived.
The Fix: Invest time in learning proper music editing techniques or use tools specifically designed for dance music editing. Test every edit point multiple times. Have someone unfamiliar with the original song listen—if they notice the edits, refine them until they're invisible.
Mistake #6: Music That Doesn't Match the Style Category
Entering a lyrical routine to upbeat pop music, or a jazz number to a slow ballad, confuses judges and can result in category deductions. Each dance style has musical conventions that inform judging expectations.
The Fix: Research the musical characteristics appropriate for your chosen category. If your song doesn't clearly fit the style, either adjust your category entry or find music that better matches. Judges expect lyrical music for lyrical, jazz music for jazz, and so on.
Mistake #7: Forgetting About Time Limits
Going over time can result in point deductions or outright disqualification. Some studios discover at competition that their music is too long, creating panic and last-minute adjustments that hurt performance quality.
The Fix: Know exact time limits before you begin editing. Build in a small buffer—if the limit is 2:45, aim for 2:40. Time your final edit multiple times to confirm compliance. Remember that some competitions time from first to last sound, while others time from first to last movement.
Mistake #8: No Beginning Setup or Ending Closure
Music that starts abruptly doesn't give dancers time to present their opening pose, and sudden endings leave routines feeling unfinished. First and last impressions matter enormously in scoring.
The Fix: Add 3-5 seconds of silence or very low music at the beginning for dancers to set their opening. Create endings with clear musical closure—whether a held note, definitive final chord, or intentional fade. The ending should feel like an ending, not like the music accidentally stopped.
Mistake #9: Not Having Backup Music Files
Technology fails at the worst possible moments. Corrupted files, dead devices, incompatible formats—technical problems can derail competition experiences and leave dancers without music.
The Fix: Bring multiple copies of your music in multiple formats on multiple devices. Have files saved to cloud storage accessible from any device. Check competition requirements in advance so you know exactly what formats they accept. Test your files at the venue before your performance time if possible.
Mistake #10: Choosing Music for the Choreographer Instead of the Dancer
Sometimes choreographers choose songs they personally love without considering whether they serve the specific dancer or group. The result is routines that feel disconnected—beautiful music and competent dancing that somehow don't quite fit together.
The Fix: Always start with the dancer or group. What are their strengths? What emotions can they authentically portray? What energy level suits them? Let answers to these questions guide music selection. The best performances happen when music amplifies what dancers naturally do well.
Quick Reference Checklist
Before finalizing your competition music, verify:
1. Song hasn't been overused in recent competition seasons
2. All lyrics are appropriate for the dancers' ages and competition standards
3. Emotional content matches performer maturity
4. Audio quality is professional-grade
5. All edits are smooth and undetectable
6. Music matches the entered style category
7. Track length meets competition time requirements
8. Beginning and ending are intentional and clean
9. Multiple backup copies exist in required formats
10. Music choice serves the dancers, not just the choreographer's preferences
Avoiding these common mistakes puts you ahead of a significant portion of your competition. Combined with strong technique and compelling choreography, thoughtful music selection helps ensure your dancers achieve the recognition they deserve.
After years of watching thousands of competition routines and speaking with adjudicators, studio owners, and choreographers, we've identified the most common music-related mistakes that cost dancers points, placements, and awards. Learn from these errors so you can avoid them in your own routines.
Mistake #1: Using Overplayed Songs
Every competition season has songs that appear dozens of times across different studios. While judges try to evaluate each performance objectively, the reality is that hearing the same song repeatedly creates unconscious comparison and fatigue.
The Fix: Research what songs have been popular in recent seasons and avoid them. Look for cover versions of popular songs, deeper album cuts from favorite artists, or music from independent artists who haven't hit mainstream saturation. Fresh music choices demonstrate creativity and give judges a welcome change.
Mistake #2: Ignoring Lyric Content
It's surprisingly common for choreographers to fall in love with a song's melody without carefully listening to every word. Inappropriate lyrics can result in point deductions, disqualification, or awkward conversations with competition directors.
The Fix: Print out lyrics and read them carefully before committing to a song. Consider how every word will be perceived by judges, parents, and young audience members. When in doubt, find a different song—there are millions of options out there.
Mistake #3: Choosing Music Beyond the Dancer's Emotional Range
A 9-year-old performing to a song about heartbreak after a failed relationship rarely reads as authentic. Judges can immediately tell when dancers are portraying emotions they haven't experienced or can't genuinely access.
The Fix: Match musical emotional content to the performer's life experience. Young dancers can authentically perform songs about friendship, self-confidence, imagination, and age-appropriate challenges. Save the heavy emotional content for dancers mature enough to embody it genuinely.
Mistake #4: Poor Audio Quality
Competition sound systems are designed to reveal audio quality—both good and bad. Music ripped from YouTube, compressed files from questionable sources, or poorly exported edits all sound unprofessional and distract from the performance.
The Fix: Always use high-quality source files purchased from legitimate digital music stores. Export edited tracks at the highest quality settings. Listen to your finished track on professional speakers or quality headphones before competition—problems that aren't obvious on phone speakers become glaringly apparent on venue sound systems.
Mistake #5: Awkward or Obvious Edits
Jarring cuts, tempo mismatches, or transitions that clearly sound "wrong" pull judges and audiences out of the performance experience. Even brief moments of musical confusion can affect how a routine is perceived.
The Fix: Invest time in learning proper music editing techniques or use tools specifically designed for dance music editing. Test every edit point multiple times. Have someone unfamiliar with the original song listen—if they notice the edits, refine them until they're invisible.
Mistake #6: Music That Doesn't Match the Style Category
Entering a lyrical routine to upbeat pop music, or a jazz number to a slow ballad, confuses judges and can result in category deductions. Each dance style has musical conventions that inform judging expectations.
The Fix: Research the musical characteristics appropriate for your chosen category. If your song doesn't clearly fit the style, either adjust your category entry or find music that better matches. Judges expect lyrical music for lyrical, jazz music for jazz, and so on.
Mistake #7: Forgetting About Time Limits
Going over time can result in point deductions or outright disqualification. Some studios discover at competition that their music is too long, creating panic and last-minute adjustments that hurt performance quality.
The Fix: Know exact time limits before you begin editing. Build in a small buffer—if the limit is 2:45, aim for 2:40. Time your final edit multiple times to confirm compliance. Remember that some competitions time from first to last sound, while others time from first to last movement.
Mistake #8: No Beginning Setup or Ending Closure
Music that starts abruptly doesn't give dancers time to present their opening pose, and sudden endings leave routines feeling unfinished. First and last impressions matter enormously in scoring.
The Fix: Add 3-5 seconds of silence or very low music at the beginning for dancers to set their opening. Create endings with clear musical closure—whether a held note, definitive final chord, or intentional fade. The ending should feel like an ending, not like the music accidentally stopped.
Mistake #9: Not Having Backup Music Files
Technology fails at the worst possible moments. Corrupted files, dead devices, incompatible formats—technical problems can derail competition experiences and leave dancers without music.
The Fix: Bring multiple copies of your music in multiple formats on multiple devices. Have files saved to cloud storage accessible from any device. Check competition requirements in advance so you know exactly what formats they accept. Test your files at the venue before your performance time if possible.
Mistake #10: Choosing Music for the Choreographer Instead of the Dancer
Sometimes choreographers choose songs they personally love without considering whether they serve the specific dancer or group. The result is routines that feel disconnected—beautiful music and competent dancing that somehow don't quite fit together.
The Fix: Always start with the dancer or group. What are their strengths? What emotions can they authentically portray? What energy level suits them? Let answers to these questions guide music selection. The best performances happen when music amplifies what dancers naturally do well.
Quick Reference Checklist
Before finalizing your competition music, verify:
1. Song hasn't been overused in recent competition seasons
2. All lyrics are appropriate for the dancers' ages and competition standards
3. Emotional content matches performer maturity
4. Audio quality is professional-grade
5. All edits are smooth and undetectable
6. Music matches the entered style category
7. Track length meets competition time requirements
8. Beginning and ending are intentional and clean
9. Multiple backup copies exist in required formats
10. Music choice serves the dancers, not just the choreographer's preferences
Avoiding these common mistakes puts you ahead of a significant portion of your competition. Combined with strong technique and compelling choreography, thoughtful music selection helps ensure your dancers achieve the recognition they deserve.