Happy Spring everyone! 

As you may or may not know, a part of my dance world is attending dance conventions! In this blog post, I would love to share a look into that side of my life….

Dance conventions are a weekend (Fri-Sun) long event, filled with performance, auditions, and classes. A typical dance convention schedule will look something like this: 

Friday:
(The titles Petite/Mini/Junior/Teen/Senior are divided up by age!) 
•Starting at around 7/8am: Mini and Junior Solos/Duets/Trios Competition

•(Awards for Mini/Junior Solos) 

•Petite/Mini/Junior Group Dances Competition 

•(Awards for Petite/Mini/Junior Dances) 

•Teen Solo/Duets/Trios Competition 

•(Awards for Teen Solos/Duets/Trios) 

•Senior Solo/Duets/Trios Competition 

•Around 10-11pm: (Awards for Senior Solos/Duets/Trios)


Saturday: 
•Starting at around 7/8am: convention classes - classes take place in big hotel/convention center ballrooms, with a stage/microphone/speakers where the teachers/assistants dance. About halfway in between classes there is an hour/or 45 min lunch break. Convention classrooms are also divided by age, using the same titles (Petite, Mini, Junior, Teen, Senior). 

•Conventions classes end around 2/3pm, and the Teen/Senior group dance competition begins. 

•Around 11pm-12am: (Awards for Teen/Senior group dances) 


Sunday: 
•Starting at around 7/8am: convention classes, and on Sunday is typically the Senior room audition.

•Here is the audition explained: 


•What are we auditioning for? At Regional competitions, you are auditioning for eligibility to compete at that convention’s Nationals, as well as a full scholarship to next year's Regional convention. 

•In Ballet class on Saturday, we learn a combo that is then used in addition to a combo we learn during a class on Sunday that we audition with.

•During convention classes and auditions, we have numbers on our clothes that are used to help out in the audition/class process. 

•To begin, all numbers in the room are divided into groups, and will ‘go on the floor’ to perform the combo, then line up in a straight line as the teachers discuss and write down numbers they wish to see for a callback. This will continue until all groups have gone. 

•After all groups have gone, there will be a callback to perform the Ballet combo we learned the day before. The same process of calling out a few groups/standing in a straight line will happen until all Ballet callbacks are finished. 

•Then, there is one more round of callbacks where we perform the 1st audition combo again. 

•Finally, they will call out numbers who receive the ‘convention audition finalist’ title. The winners of the audition scholarship will be announced at a closing show after convention classes are finished. 


•Around 2pm: Convention classes finish, and the closing show begins. The closing show typically consists of scholarship winner announcements, guest performers, and studios performing a convention selected dance to showcase (meaning, the convention will select one dance that competed Saturday night to perform at the closing show again). Which means, we all need to get into hair, costume, and makeup again. 

•The closing show finishes around 3pm-4pm, and that is the end of the dance convention weekend.



So… dance conventions are a lot. They are filled with so much - performance, nerves, learning, competing, very little sleep… but they are also filled with laughter, joy, memories, and community. Dance convention weekends go by so fast (yet so slow), and I always try to take it all in. The class of 2023 only has one Regional convention left… It’s crazy to think about! 

Thank you so much for tuning into this part of my world - I have more dance related content coming soon, so be sure to keep watch! Dance conventions are a beautiful opportunity to grow, learn, and push yourself, and I strongly suggest going for it if you have any interest in doing so! 

I hope you all have a lovely start to Spring! :)

Tags: cc&co