When Chris Suchan aged out of the competition-dance scene after high school, he felt a bit lost. “There was no support system there,” he says. Eventually, he found work with cruise ships, jazz-based dance companies, and Broadway national tours. But he didn’t want other competition dancers to experience the same anxiety-inducing moment of “Now what?” So he took over Platinum National Dance Competition, where part of the mission is to help students figure out how to transfer their competition skills to the professional stage.
“One of our key goals here is to bridge the gap to college or a career,” says Suchan, Platinum’s owner and executive director. Liz Borom, Platinum’s executive creative director says Platinum aims to create connections that can sometimes clue dancers in to opportunities they (or their parents) hadn’t even thought of.
Platinum’s New Event for High Schoolers
This October, Platinum is introducing Launch, a weekend expo for high schoolers looking to take their next step in the dance industry. The schedule will be filled with classes taught by faculty from college dance departments and continuing-education programs. “Not only can they see what the dancers can do, but the dancers can also get a feel for ‘Well, do I want to go to this university?’ ” Borom says.
Each registrant may have one of their parents accompany them to the seminars to ask questions. Representatives from schools and casting directors from places like theme parks and cruise ships will have booths set up to share what they’re all about. There will also be an open audition that culminates in a scholarship ceremony.
Apprenticeship Program for Platinum Dancers
Aside from Launch, Platinum also offers an apprenticeship program for select dancers who attend the convention to become classroom assistants for the following year at as many Platinum events as they’d like. (Last year, there were 217 apprentices.) Once they graduate high school, former apprentices can apply to become one of 14 paid pro apprentices, who help manage the younger apprentices, teach choreography, set up and load out, and more. “They get this backstage view of how this all operates—and a paid opportunity in the industry to do what they love,” Suchan says.
Jillian Krekel, an Ohio-based dancer and dance teacher, competed with Platinum throughout high school, became an apprentice, and then a pro apprentice while earning her BFA in dance at Wright State University. She now works for the company at regional events and has taught classes at Nationals. She believes the challenges of pro apprenticing—like learning choreography from a video and taking charge of a room—prepared her to be a successful dance teacher today. “It taught me how to teach effectively and how to pace a class so that you get all the choreography taught in the amount of time you have,” she says.
Going the Extra Mile for Dancers
Krekel says Suchan and Borom have been personally invested in helping her get her dance career off the ground. Aside from the helpful part-time starter job as a pro apprentice, Krekel says Borom has offered feedback on her audition videos and connected her with people in the industry, including a pom expert before an NFL cheer tryout. “They’re so willing to go the extra mile and be like, ‘Here’s a person you can reach out to that will be helpful,’ ” Krekel says.
In addition to producing over 60 events a year, Suchan and Borom also host a biweekly podcast, The Great Dance Debate, in which they invite guests to duke it out over a hot topic. The conversations often cover “What next?” topics, such as the benefits of working in Los Angeles versus New York City, or how to decide whether to go to college for dance. “It’s additional access into this industry,” Borom says, who explains that she and Suchan see the podcast as another way to continue dancers’ education outside the studio.
Platinum pulls all this off without losing sight of the reason artists want to get a dance degree or start a career in this industry: the joy of dancing. The lighthearted atmosphere at Platinum is unmistakably fun, Krekel says, even during high-stress moments like the awards ceremony. Suchan says he takes making things fun seriously because, ultimately, the goal is not only to help kids make inroads into this industry, but to keep them excited about it every step along the way.
Learn more about how Platinum National Dance Competition helps dancers launch into college and careers here.
Facts Only
* Chris Suchan took over the Platinum National Dance Competition after high school.
* The mission of Platinum includes helping students transfer competition skills to the professional stage.
* Platinum aims to create connections that may reveal unconsidered opportunities for dancers or their parents.
* Launch is a weekend expo for high schoolers in October featuring classes from college dance departments and continuing-education programs.
* Registrants for Launch may have a parent accompany them to seminars.
* Representatives from schools and casting directors from theme parks and cruise ships will have booths at Launch.
* Launch includes an open audition culminating in a scholarship ceremony.
* Platinum offers an apprenticeship program where select dancers become classroom assistants.
* Former apprentices can apply for paid pro apprenticeships to gain industry experience.
* Jillian Krekel completed an apprenticeship and became a pro apprentice while earning a BFA at Wright State University.
* Suchan and Borom host a biweekly podcast, The Great Dance Debate.
Executive Summary
Full Take
The narrative functions by framing the dance career as a linear progression where external validation (college/career) is contingent upon navigating an intense competitive environment. The structure intentionally positions Platinum not just as an event organizer, but as an active facilitator of agency, addressing the anxiety surrounding the transition to professional life. The success of the model appears rooted in creating tangible pathways—the Launch expo and the apprenticeship track—that mitigate the abstract fear of the unknown by offering concrete, accessible exposure to industry realities.
The persistent focus on bridging the gap through practical experience suggests an underlying assumption that market access is gated by a lack of direct knowledge, rather than a lack of opportunity. The method of employing guest speakers from diverse sectors (cruise ships, theme parks) serves to expand the perceived scope of possibility for dancers, suggesting that professional routes are heterogeneous and accessible outside traditional academic tracks. However, the dynamic between providing exposure and maintaining the core element—the joy of dancing—requires careful navigation. If the educational pathways become overly transactional, the intrinsic motivation fueling artistic pursuit risks being subsumed by purely vocational metrics. The investment in mentorship, demonstrated by the dedication of Suchan and Borom to providing personal connections, acts as a counterbalance to this risk; it suggests an attempt to weave aspirational goals with practical steps without sacrificing the inherent value dancers derive from their craft.
Bridge questions: How does the structure of the apprenticeship system ensure that career progression remains tied to artistic development rather than purely industry demands? What are the long-term effects on dancers who pursue high-level academic training versus those pursuing vocational apprenticeships through this framework? Does focusing on external opportunities sufficiently address the internal psychological landscape of an artist seeking fulfillment in their work?