Performance or show dance (also called showcases or demonstrations) present a very different set of challenges than social dancing and competitive dance. Most social dancers do not tend to emphasize technique or theatrical elements, which is totally understandable. It is enough to move comfortably around a dance floor while enjoying the music. Competitive dancers do work on both technical and theatrical elements, however, the figures danced tend to be drawn from instructional syllabi. Open dance events do permit some deviation from syllabus and are more theatrical in character.

Show dances may resemble syllabus figures only marginally. These performances tend to be choreographed from start to finish and emphasize musicality and visual effects. To perform effectively dancers need to be familiar with most, if not all, syllabus figures and be strong technical dancers. In the absence of these two components it is nearly impossible to add visual effects that appear to be natural. That is not to say inexperienced dancers should not attempt show dances. Many dance studios encourage students to develop showcases to perform in front of friendly audiences at studio events. Choreography can be developed that does not over tax the dancer’s ability level yet provides opportunity to develop both technique and theatrics.