 | ||||
BUFFALO
new york
| ||||
Welcome to the 24th Annual Dance Championships, the dance competition industry's premiere local dance competition. Since 1988, we have been featuring quality, competitive dance throughout upstate New York.
Today’s economic recession has had a debilitating effect on family budgets and compromised your ability to meet the high-priced demands of our national competitors. We, at the Dance Championships, believe that you shouldn’t have to comprise the quality you’ve come to expect for your investment. Since we are a family-owned and operated business, we can afford to satisfy your high expectations while saving you 37 to 55 percent off the national averages. Furthermore, for those who register on or before the early registration deadline of April 2, we’ve frozen entry fees for the third year in a row. We understand the major impact that a minor increase can have on your continued participation in competitive dance.
New for 2012
History
The Dance Championships is a family-owned and operated business that has been entertaining children and families in upstate New York since 1988. The Dance Championships continues to deliver on its core principles of family convenience and affordability while providing dancers valuable performing experience in an organized, energetic and fun environment. "Dance competitions were becoming increasingly cost prohibitive and most ran behind schedule," says parent and competition co-founder, Gary Kilborn, "In response, we constructed this competition with special attention to the sacrifices made by parents and their children."
Affordability
The Dance Championships continues to provide the most affordable experience within the dance competition industry. For a comparative analysis, click here. There you will find a complete list of national dance competitions along with their published entry fees and the significant savings offered by The Dance Championships. Furthermore, there is no pre-qualifying workshops or obligation to attend future regional or national finals.
Considerate Planning
The Dance Championships is renowned for its ability to stay on time. This very important, but often ignored, virtue is a signature of our careful and considerate scheduling for each event. We begin with a weekend program that schedules adequate time for each routine. We also evaluate the age of the children competing and adjust the schedule accordingly; young children generally do not compete late in the evening and especially late on Sunday when out-of-town families need to return home. The names of competitors are also carefully scrutinized to reasonably accommodate costume changes. Finally, judges are scheduled a break no more than three hours apart, keeping them mentally fresh and engaged.
Simplicity
Dance competitions used to thrill competitors and the audience alike with difficult routines in crowded dance categories and suspense regarding final placement. In recent years, such thrill has been tempered by a dizzying number of new dance categories, skill levels and placement options. These dance categories offer little competition and predictable results. The Dance Championships preserves the intensity of competition and the glory of victory by organizing into traditional dance categories with 1st, 2nd, 3rd and honorable mention placement.
Accessibility
The Dance Championships is owned and operated by individuals who live in the local dance community, thereby allowing all studio directors, teachers, dancers, parents and friends direct and immediate access to the competition organizers. This level of accessibility highlights an unrelenting commitment to providing the most personal and responsive customer service in the dance competition industry.
Informed Improvements
By listening carefully to the concerns and comments of participating studio directors, teachers, dancers, parents and friends, The Dance Championships has satisfactorily adapted to the evolving preferences of our loyal customers.
Studio Recognition
Each city has its own unique personality; The Dance Championships compliment these differences by localizing our efforts to improve and strengthen the local dance community. To celebrate the diversity in local offerings and to encourage the support of local dance studios, our website and competition programs identify participating studios and indicate recital dates and locations as well as a link to your studio website, where available.
Throughout the year, we will be updating our website with helpful information, including competition forms and other documentation, results and photographs from each of our events, stage dimensions and layout, driving directions, participating studios and recital dates and locations and other multimedia. Please register online to receive the most up-to-date information as it becomes available. If you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to starting new friendships and working with you soon.
Sincerely,
Derek Kilborn,
Jennifer Gargiulo,
Natalie Andrzejewski
Directors
THE DANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Copyright 2011/12 The Dance Championships All Rights Reserved
- Official Dates - Buffalo, New York - May 18, 19 and 20, 2012
- Performance Divisions: Each year, we endeavor to keep your competition experience positive and inspirational. We have listened to your feedback and for the first time in 2012, we will add performance divisions based upon dance and competitive experience. Refer to the Rules and Regulations for further details:
- Video Judge: We are excited to announce the introduction of Video Judge, a state-of-the-art technology that allows the judges comments to be recorded over a video of the dance routine. You've seen it at themost popular national dance competitions and now we are bringing this opportunity home to you for no additional cost and no increase in registration fees, if registered before March 30, 2012.
- Age Determination: The average age of all dancers on the first day of competition determines the appropriate age division for each routine. We changed the calculation to require the average age to round up when the decimal is .5 or greater.
- Late Registration and Entry Changes: In an effort to efficiently complete and finalize the competition schedule and minimize the number of late entries and changes received, we’ve added an additional pricing tier for entries received after the standard entry deadline date. Additionally, a fee may be assessed for changes received less than 14 days prior to the 1st day of competition. The Dance Championships reserves the right to reject entries received after the deadline date.
- Online Registration: We implemented our new online registration system last year and we encourage everyone to register their studio if they have not already done so. If you utilized our online registration system last year, you will not have to re-enter all of the dancers and their birthdates this year, saving you a great deal a time! You will only have to enter “new” dancers competing in 2012.
- Scholarship Opportunities: The Dance Championships continues its unique partnership with Dancers Give Back, a local charity. Last year, a convention scholarship was awarded to “The PULSE on Tour.” Similar awards and opportunities are being evaluated for the 2012 season.
CONTACTS
SOCIAL NETWORKING
Family budget hurting in
today's tough economy?
The Dance Championships saves you between 37 and 55 percent. See how we compare...
FEE COMPARISON
CONGRATULATIONS!
...to all of the 2011 competitors
and Grand Champions.
2011 RESULTS and PHOTOS
FAN PAGE
CHARITY OPPORTUNITY
The Dance Championships continues its unique partnership with
Dancers Give Back, a local charity. Last year, a convention scholarship was awarded to "The PULSE on Tour." Similar awards and opportunities are being evaluated for the 2012 season.
ONLINE REGISTRATION
The convenience of online registration is encouraged but not required; please coordinate through your studio.
2012 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
WELCOME TO THE 2012 SEASON
Professional Division: Dancers with competitive experience, dancing more than five (5) hours per week. Age Divisions will remain the same (i.e. 6 & Under, 7-8, 9-10, etc.)
Apprentice Division: Dancers with little or no competitive experience, dancing equal to or less than five (5) hours per week. In a mixed Professional and Apprentice group routine, at least 75% of the dancers must be from the Apprentice Division. For duets/trios, 100% of the dancers must be from the Apprentice Division. There will be no Production categories in this division; they must be entered in the Professional Division. All dancers shall receive a medal or ribbon regardless of age. There will be NO cash prizes in this division. Apprentice Age Divisions: Junior (10 & Under); Teen (11-14 Years); Senior (15 & Over).
