Application type: Individual
Sport/Arts performance: challenge-level square dance
Name of event: ---
Date(s) of event: ---
Location of event: ---
Level of competition: challenge levels through C4 (highest level)
Previous similar events: ---
Registration costs: ---
Lodging costs: ---
Airfare costs: ---
Rental car costs: ---
Gas and toll costs: ---
Other costs: ---
Total cost: ---
Funds already directed to the event: ---
Total requested from GSC APAG: ---
Why are you applying to this particular event?:
Attending conventions is an essential part of challenge dancing, and [event] is a high-level challenge convention that is relatively affordable, since [reasons]. This year’s [event] should be an especially worthwhile convention, given that the callers are excellent and thus are expected to draw a strong floor of dancers from across the United States and abroad. Conventions such as [event] provide rare opportunities for high-level challenge dancers to dance to live callers calling novel, difficult material, in contrast with the recorded material that most of us practice with. [event] will also enable me to network with other dancers, which allows me to maintain and strengthen my own reputation as a challenge dancer and access invitations to future dancing events. I also hope to galvanize attendance from a large group of MIT student challenge dancers, thus helping to strengthen their networks and grow the reputation of the MIT challenge dance community.
Additional information you think we ought to know:
1.Challenge-level square dancing is a collaborative rather than competitive activity, but invitations to high-level events are a potentially useful metric for gauging dancer ability. I have reliably been invited to selective challenge dances at each level that I have learned to dance, including [information about events/levels].
2. As another perspective on my dancing ability, although I only began square dancing when I arrived at MIT in [year], I have quickly climbed the levels. I began dancing [level] and was invited to the highly-selective [event] after fewer than [time] of square dancing, which [is fast].
3. I am passionate about becoming a stronger challenge dancer and dedicate significant time to this pursuit. I attend challenge dances and classes [number] nights per week and additionally devote time to supporting the club as an officer and encouraging other dancers. I’ve received a lot of local encouragement and support, but large amounts of “floor time” (time spent dancing high-level challenge) are required to become a good challenge dancer, and conventions and dance weekends are one of the best ways to get more floor time. They also allow me to build connections within the challenge community and demonstrate my current ability level, opening the doors to future invitational dances and related opportunities.
4. Finally, I am passionate about providing other dancers with the opportunity to learn challenge, and I am actively involved in planning and facilitating dances and workshops at various challenge levels. Improving my abilities as a challenge dancer and my connections within the challenge community enable me to be a better mentor and facilitator to other learners.