By JOHN EBY

Dowagiac Daily News

At a glance, Encore Dance Company Wednesday evening ran through a dress rehearsal with the added benefit of an appreciative audience.

What wasn’t evident is what the show portends as a turning point for dance in Dowagiac, a community of 5,635 that expects to have no fewer than four companies by fall.

Instead of being at nationals at in Ohio, Artistic Director Amy Rose’s dancers were at the middle school Performing Arts Center for “a trial run.”

Disenchanted as a director and artist at what dance competitions have become, Rose explained in an e-mail, “No more first place, second place. Everyone has to ‘feel good’ and therefore dance companies earn platinums, high golds and golds. You come home with a gold, which sounds great, but it’s really a third place. I think it’s become too much of a business — not a place where dancers are nurtured to grow.” Instead, Encore travels to Chicago the 22nd-24th for classes at Giordano’s.