Unrealistic expectations or bad studio?
Our studio competes but is not a hard-core competitive studio. Requirements to be on the team are reasonable, and there are no try outs. Everything is mostly by age, with some movement up based on skill. In the past, we've placed, but this past year not so much.
This year it seems like everyone is complaining that choreography is bad, skills aren't being taught, they're not teaching enough of the right things, kids aren't being challenged, etc. it's really overwhelming to sit back and be in the middle of.
Each year, constructive changes are being made but the complaints seem to get louder. I can't help but think that Dance Moms, UDA, social media, etc has ruined realistic expectations of what should be on stage & what should be taught at what age. Competitions are full of tricks, but our studio is much more traditional.
Is there a real argument here? My daughter just loves to perform, says she wants to dance professionally, but I don't see the drive in her yet to get there, so personally I like a lower stress environment. But could being at a "bad studio" ruin any future growth or jobs?