ARTS OF AMERICA DANCE COMPETITION
Join the Arts of America Dance Competition!
The Arts of America Dance Competition was created to provide dancers with a smooth competition experience. The first round is via video submission. Participants in the Arts of America Dance Competition receive professional adjudication, scores, and personalized feedback from respected judges while competing for advancement to the live Finals.
The top scoring competitors in each category are invited to the Live Finals, creating a selective and thoughtfully organized event that celebrates artistry, talent, and excellence. Dancers will have the opportunity to attend Master Classes during the Finals weekend. Besides a cash prize, medals and certificates, dancers may also receive Scholarships and other awards.
Awards and scholarships include a $1000 Grand Prize, and offerings from our Dance Partner Organizations: American Repertory Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, Virginia National Ballet, San Diego Ballet, Interlochen Center for the Arts Scholarship; R Class Pointe Shoes, Chameleon Activewear by April Giangeruso, Aaron Smyth Masterclass, Fundacion Tonatiuh Gomez in Mexico, Dwight Global Online, Academia de Danza in Spain, and more to be announced soon!
The Arts of America Finals also showcase outstanding finalists from our Music and Dramatic Arts Competitions, creating an exciting multidisciplinary event featuring exceptional talent in Dance, Music, and Dramatic Arts.
REGISTRATION DATES:
OPENS: August 1, 2026
CLOSES: December 1, 2026
PERFORMANCE CATEGORIES:
Ballet Classical ballet variation (pointe shoes allowed for dancers 12 or older)
Contemporary A blend of ballet, jazz, lyrical, and/or modern
Jazz Jazz dance, any style
Acro Acrobatics with dance.
Hip Hop Hip hop
Tap Tap dance, performed with tap shoes
Ballroom Waltz, Tango, Salsa, Cha Cha, Rumba, Quickstep, etc.
Broadway Musical Theatre routine from a Broadway or Cinematic Musical, can include vocals
Open Any style which isn't listed
Choreography Original Choreography
ENTRY CATEGORIES:
Solo 1 dancer
Classical Pas de deux 2 dancers (for dancers 12 and older)
Duo or Trio 2-3 dancers
Small Ensemble 4 to 8 dancers
Large Ensemble 9 to 30 dancers
Choreography any number of dancers
AGE CATEGORIES:
Petite 6 to 8
Junior 9 to 11
Teen 12 to 14
Senior 15 to 18
Professional 19 and up
REGISTRATION FEE: $75
APPLICATION FEES:
Solo Dancer: $125
Duo/Pas de deux: $75 per person
Trio: $50 per person
Small Ensemble (4-6 dancers): $40 per dancer
Large Ensemble (7 + dancers): $30 per dancer
Choreography: $125 per Dance
FINALS FEES: If you are accepted to the Finals, the fees are the same as the above fees, no additional registration fee.
TIME LIMITS:
Solos: 2 minutes 30 seconds
Duos and Trios: 3 minutes
Classical Duos (pas de deux) 6 minutes
Small Ensembles: 4 minutes
Large Ensembles: 5 minutes
Choreography: 5 minutes
VIDEO SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Provide a YouTube link to your video.
Videos must NOT be password protected.
Videos must be current. Do not submit a video that is more than one year old.
Videos should provide a clear view of the applicant performing live.
If you are entering in more than one category, please submit a separate video for each category.
Videos that do not provide a clear view of the applicant, or videos that appear to be edited will be rejected, and we will ask you to provide a different video.
The video should follow the categories and time limits specified above for each entry.
REPERTOIRE SUGGESTIONS:
Ballet contestants may choose any ballet variation from the classical ballet repertoire or an originally choreographed ballet solo as long as it does not exceed the time limit.
Dancers must be 12 years old to be en pointe.
For all other categories, please choose age-appropriate choreography that showcases your strengths.
JUDGING PROCESS:
All participants will receive Judges Comments and Scores and Semifinal Participation Certificates.
Participants will be judged not only on technique, but also on quality of dance movement and artistry.
All entries should be age appropriate and tasteful in terms of choreography, music lyrics, and costuming.
The top scorers in their category will be invited to compete in the Finals at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Northern Virginia.
Finalists will be announced on February 1.
Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony at the end of the Final Round.
All Judges' decisions are Final and may not be disputed.
AWARDS:
$1,000 for the Grand Prize Winner.
The top 5 competitors in each Category will receive Winners Certificates for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th Place.
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place Winners in each Category will receive medals (Gold, Silver, Bronze).
A top 20 in each category will be announced out of all submissions from the Semifinal. Those scoring 95 or higher will advance to the Finals.
See the Partners Page for other awards and scholarships.
All competitors' videos may be promoted on the Arts of America website or social media channels.
All Finalists will have the potential to receive scholarships or contracts from Arts of America partner organizations.
Free Master Classes will be offered at the Finals.
MUSIC TRACKS FOR FINALS:
If you are selected for the Finals, you must send your music tracks to Arts of America. The files must be named with the following format:• Performer Name (1st and last name), Studio Name, Age Category, Dance Category, Music title (i.e. Mary Smith, ABC Dance Studio, Teen, Ballet, Nikiya Variation from La Bayadere.)
FULL POLICIES: