How the “Favourites" Group Dynamic affects Fellow Dancers. - Blog 28

 I get so frustrated to see how choreographers give special treatment to people they personally know. You can see it in small things like giving them solos, not correcting them during warm ups, or just being extra soft with them. But the moment it comes to other dancers in the class the behaviour changes completely. This favouritism is honestly exhausting to watch. Even if someone with very average dancing walks into class, the fact that they are familiar with the choreographer is enough for them to get a solo. Meanwhile a dancer with actual skill, musicality and effort might not even be considered because they are not part of the favourites circle.

It feels so unfair because class is supposed to be a safe place for growth. But when you see solos being handed out on the basis of proximity and not performance, it hits your confidence in ways you do not expect. You start questioning your own improvement. You wonder if your work will ever be recognised or if it does not matter because you are not part of the inner group. I hate this because baaki dancers ka morale kitna down hota hai. Aise lagta hai that no matter how much you practice the final decision is already made.

What hurts the most is that dancers come to class to prove something to themselves, not to fight for attention. When favouritism enters the room it creates an invisible hierarchy. People who are not part of the favourites begin to hold back, feel smaller, or doubt their journey. The energy shifts. The class stops feeling like a community and starts feeling like a stage where only a select few are allowed to shine.

The truth is, being chosen for a solo should be about skill, growth, hard work, and how well the choreography lives on your body. But when it becomes about connections it steals that feeling of achievement from those who genuinely deserve it. It also puts unnecessary pressure on the ones who are favoured, because deep down they know they did not fully earn it.

Favouritism does not only affect opportunities. It affects the culture of the entire space. And for dancers who are trying to build confidence, build technique, and build a sense of belonging, there is nothing more discouraging than realising that the class is not a level playing field.

Shreya Roy Choudhury

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