How Many Solos Is Too Many? 🩰
What Dancers, Parents, and Teachers Should Know
A conscious approach to growth, artistry, and balance in competitive dance.
Every season, dancers across the country start thinking about their solos — which style, which teacher, which song. For many, it’s an exciting part of the year: a chance to express themselves, shine on stage, and grow as individual artists.
But as the number of solos climbs — sometimes two, three, even five or more — it’s worth pausing to ask an important question: how many solos is too many?
Because more isn’t always better.
Solos Are a Privilege — and a Responsibility
A solo isn’t just another routine. It’s a one-on-one mentorship experience — an investment in artistry, confidence, and personal growth.
When done with care and time, the solo process can be transformative. But when a dancer takes on too many, the benefits dilute: rehearsals become rushed, coaching time divided, and the focus shifts from refinement and discovery to simply getting everything stage-ready.
Choosing with Purpose
So how many solos should a dancer do? The answer isn’t the same for everyone — it depends on goals, both short and long term.
Before committing, dancers and families might ask:
What am I hoping to gain this season?
Where do I want to grow — technically, artistically, or emotionally?
What discipline or movement quality am I curious to explore more deeply?
How will this solo complement and challenge my current training?
Sometimes the best next step isn’t adding another solo — it’s committing to one that allows you to go deeper.
The Value of Depth — for Dancers, Teachers, and Studios
For studios and teachers alike, fewer solos doesn’t have to mean less income — or fewer opportunities. In fact, it can often create more value for everyone involved.
When families invest in a truly focused, thoughtfully developed solo, the dancer receives more personalized time, the choreography has space to evolve, and the teacher can dedicate the level of care needed to bring out a dancer’s best work. The result? A higher-quality experience, greater artistic fulfillment, and a stronger teacher–student relationship.
Whether solo rates and rehearsal hours are set by the studio or determined by individual teachers, there’s an opportunity to re-examine what kind of solo experience you want to offer.
Is it based on demand — anyone who wants one gets one?
Or is it offered by selection or recommendation, ensuring readiness and alignment with your studio’s values?
Are there limits that protect both dancers and teachers from being spread too thin?
By defining what solos represent in your studio — and pricing, scheduling, and structuring them accordingly — you can maximize both the impact and sustainability of the experience. When time and energy are valued appropriately, teachers can earn well for their expertise, dancers receive the coaching they deserve, and parents gain confidence that their investment is meaningful and worthwhile.
A single, well-crafted solo often provides greater artistic and personal dividends than several that never reach their full potential.
Building Intentionally
While multiple solos may make sense for certain dancers — particularly those nearing the end of their studio training or preparing for professional careers — most will benefit most from a fully realized experience with one or two solos.
The goal isn’t to limit opportunity but to ensure that each solo serves a purpose and supports sustainable growth. A gradual, guided approach — adding solos thoughtfully over time, with leadership input — helps dancers develop range and readiness without burnout.
When solos are approached as intentional opportunities rather than automatic entitlements, they become what they were always meant to be: a meaningful bridge between training, artistry, and personal development.
Beyond Tricks — The Art of Exploration
For many dancers, solos also represent an opportunity to experiment and expand their range. Instead of filling every piece with acro tricks or high-intensity moments, consider exploring a genre more deeply — diving into texture, emotion, musicality, and originality.
Adjudicators are often far more impressed by versatility, range, and authentic expression than by repetition of the same skill set across multiple pieces. A dancer who takes time to master their movement and truly understand their choreography stands out for all the right reasons.
Redefining “More”
In a culture that celebrates doing more, dancing more, achieving more — it takes courage to do less.
But less can be more:
More focus.
More refinement.
More confidence.
More artistry.
When dancers, parents, and teachers approach solos consciously — with clear goals, open communication, and mutual respect for the time and energy it takes to create something special — everyone benefits.
It’s not about collecting solos.
It’s about cultivating growth.
And that growth happens best when it’s intentional.
