Dupree Dance Expo ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Stay away from this competition if you are a technical dancer who favors simple costumes. My daughter has attended dance conventions with competitions for several years and we travel to other states for regionals as well as nationals. Decided to attend Dupree in our local hometown and compete in the advanced/competitive category. We typically attend only conventions with one level and which are highly competitive. The scoring criteria used by Dupree is very different from the other large national touring conventions we attend. Not much emphasis is placed on technique. It appeared that judges based their decision largely on if they liked the costume or song, They appeared to heavily favor jazz dances and colorful sequin costumes. Which those are great but a fun song shouldn’t out place a routine with stronger technique in my opinion. My daughter performed a serious contemporary solo. The judges didn’t seem to appreciate this style and the only critique she received was that she needed to smile more and work on facials. They either misinterpreted her entire dance or they just aren’t fans of this style of music or of minimalist contemporary costuming. Several very strong technique dancers did not place overall while there were several weaker dancers who did. I was baffled as to how they out scored them and then I looked on their website at scoring system is only 25% max technique! I should have checked this before spending this much money and done a different competition.

Artists Simply Human ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Artists Simply Human is a fantastic dance convention that my studio had the pleasure of attending. From start to finish, the experience was exceptional. The faculty were incredibly talented and passionate about dance, and they created a fun and supportive learning environment for everyone involved. One of the things I loved about Artists Simply Human was the variety of classes offered. There were so many different styles and techniques to choose from, which allowed each dancer to explore and expand their skills. The instructors were knowledgeable and approachable, and they provided helpful feedback and encouragement to each student. Another standout feature of Artists Simply Human was the showcase performance at the end of the convention. It was an amazing opportunity for dancers to show off what they had learned and to be inspired by the other performers. Overall, I would highly recommend Artists Simply Human to any dance studio. It's clear that the organizers truly care about creating a positive and enriching environment for dancers of all levels and backgrounds. I can't wait to attend again in the future!

Fly Dance Competition ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

This is our 2nd year attending Fly in Sacramento. We like it, but don’t love it. The staff was all super friendly! The judges really are some of the best we have received both years! The awards ceremony can be confusing. There seems to be no consistency on how many overalls they do (a top 2 for 3 in the category or a top 8 for 18). It’s just kind of odd! Judges only do 1 award each. Even when there’s 6 hours of dancing in that session. They awarded a studio spirit after 1 session. Just odd to me as those normally are awarded after the weekend has been done, or all the groups have been completed. None of that is such a huge dealbreaker that we wouldn’t go back, but nothing really stood out to make it our first choice. The venue both years they have been to Sac were pretty bad. The first year wasn’t as bad as this year. It was in a location no comp has ever attended and was literally raining on stage the entire 2nd day. It was tiny. We had parents who had to watch the livestream from the dressing rooms because there weren’t enough seats. It would be helpful it they would reach out the studio owners that attended and ask for better locations. I know I overheard multiple studio owners giving advice to the director of venues to look into, but it would be helpful when booking 2024. We won’t consider attending again until we know the location. The worst part for me was the fact that the livestream costs money and the staff running the livestream were talking badly of the dancers on stage, cussing, and having vulgar conversations. After I told the director, they toned it down, but we’re still so loud. You’d expect better paying for a livestream. So, we would consider coming back depending on venue!

Beyond The Stars Talent Competition ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

This might be my new favorite competition. The dressing room was very small and nowhere to actually run dances and stretch so most kids had to go into the lobby. At this venue you have to go outside to get to the theater which might be a problem for some studios. The scoring was good nothing amazing but the pins are very good quality. Some competitions have the cheap plastic pins but these were metal. The gift shop was the best one I’ve ever experienced. They had cool designs nice squishy sand the prices were reasonable. Most competitions hoodies range from 40-70 dollars while this one was only 35. Now the sweatshirt was on the thinner side but it is great because it is about to get hot. The live stream ad break is really cool so you don’t have to watch people clean stages for five minutes.

Mark of Excellence National Talent Competition ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Mark of excellence is amazing. I love this competition because of their award ceremony, how it’s organized, and the live stream. The gift shop however I felt was over priced almost everything was 45 just for a t shirt, hoodie. And sweatpants. The squishiest were also overpriced and for something they were selling for 50 dollars I could get at Walmart for 20. The Venue was amazing I love how the dressing room is easy to find and the upstairs area for lots of stretching and practicing. It was so easy to stop by one of the restaurants literally walking distance like Wendy’s or subways. I’m guessing subway wasn’t good due to the fact everybody was getting Wendy’s. Overall a very good competition.

Fusion NDC ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

I thought this was going to be a small little and beginner competition but it wasn’t. It Was very fun and great. The gift shop has very nice range of items, some on the higher side and the lower side. I got some star glasses with the case and it was only 20. The parking at the venue was very bad especially because it was cold we had to walk a little bit. The venue felt safe and secure though.

Discount Dance Supply ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

We love DDS! Fast delivery, accurate sizing, great pricing, and helpful staff! Thank you for making my dancers always feel so beautiful.

ConferenceDirect ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Uproar Dance Competition is new and fresh and brings so much to the dance community!

Nick Curry Graphics ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Nick Curry Graphics was an absolute pleasure to work with. Nick created our Dance Competition logos and Ads. We gave him an idea of what we wanted and he brought it life. His designs were so amazing and creative that we could not decide on just one so we used both. He made any updates needed quickly and always responded to emails and calls. We look forward to working with Nick again. Backstage Competition

ConferenceDirect ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Jennifer is attentive and thoroughly understands all the important aspects of what parents, students and teachers need in a great venue. She helps us find the best places so we can truly give everyone the best experience possible. Thx Jenn!

ConferenceDirect ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

I can't say enough about Jennifer Mobley and her team at Conference Direct. They are absolutely amazing to work with. Very responsive, professional and committed to their clients. I would highly recommend their services.

ConferenceDirect ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

I have been working with Jennifer for some time now and she is truly one of a kind. She is extremely hardworking and very professional. It is always a pleasure to call her and it is a great feeling to know that any problem we may have Jennifer and her team have our back. I would highly recommend.