COMPETITION DETAIL

This was our studio’s first year attending Ignite and it was a wonderful experience. The venue was beautiful, the staff was very helpful and kind, and the judging was tough but fair and consistent. The feedback we received from all three judges was fun to listen to and provided great insight into successful moments and improvements for the dancers. We also attended nationals with Ignite in Jacksonville and had just as much fun as their regionals. We loved the firecracker awards and each judge awarding their own special awards directly to the dancers was very powerful. We will definitely be back!

We had a wonderful time here! Can't wait to do another event with this group!

From my understanding this was their first comp in Charlotte last night if I heard correctly. Judging was seriously off! I honestly didn’t know what to make of it. Haven’t looked into the judges backgrounds nor do I care to because we all agreed as a studio we would never return. There was a conflict of interest going on with one of the studio owners that owns another competition. Not going into details but this particular studio did extremely well at this comp needless to say. Now let’s talk about the staff or shall I say ambassadors that don’t get paid? There was no communication going on between the ambassadors that came to call us to the stage and the comp directors. We communicated to them that we would be down and they still kept coming up to tell us we needed to get down there when there were still 12-15 dances before we were set to go on. It was harassment after a certain point and added nothing but stress to our children. I understand the need to save money by using free help at your comps but please teach them how to communicate! The staff at the door entrances to the auditorium were extremely rude or on their phones when we would pass by. I assume they were employees getting paid? Not a good look! Awards were nice but again no 1st, 2nd or 3rd place trophies given for soloists. Just medals like everyone else in the top 10. I’ve said it before and I will say it again - I think is becoming the trend towards everyone gets a trophy. More and more comps are operating like this. I think the most bizarre thing of the night happened when they gave the award for Studio of the Weekend which is given to the studio who showed the most respect or whatnot to other dancers as well as the staff. This particular studio had 4 male teen and adult dancers that were completely obnoxious on and off stage. I understand the staff did not witness them eyeing our girls and asking them how you doin? in an unflattering way while eyeing them up and down but they most definitely witnessed each of these clowns on stage during awards or anytime their studio was called out for anything. No stage etiquette whatsoever. We all saw a lot of the girls from this studio drop their heads or shake their heads in embarrassment while some of their antics were going on. Even the director looked uncomfortable at times. It was like the twi light zone. Our studio did well but this is a comp that we will never return to. Great job on running off a studio at your first event in Charlotte! Edited to add - The venue was great and I also ended up checking into the judges backgrounds since there was no bio for the judges provided by Ignite. One of the judges is a yoga instructor with no dance background whatsoever! Now everything makes sense as to why the judging was so inconsistent and off! This comp is now an absolute joke! You have been warned. Don’t waste your money!

I just wanted to take the time to say what a great experience this competition was for our studio and dancers. This was our first year with Ignite and it was fantastic. From the moment we contacted them, all the way through the competition, to the follow up afterwards, this competition was top notch! We have competed for the past 25 years, and I have to say that one of the most impressive things about this competition was the selection of judges. I never once looked over at the judges and saw them disengaged, and let's be honest, after watching 600 plus dances in 2 days, it's alot. However, every single critique, they were invested. They had FANTASTIC feed back and they were knowledgeable in every genre. They commented on the things that we as teachers and dancers put their heart and soul into, not just technique, and they sounded sincere. They complimented every single level of dancer and found positives to build confidence, as well as feedback to improve performance and technique. The technical feedback was accurate and given in a very positive way. By far this has been my best experience as a teacher with judges. Our parents also noticed how invested the judges were with each dance, and that speaks volumes. The entire Ignite staff was helpful and kind and that showed from all the staff in the lobby to the staff backstage. It was nice to see recognition given for each genre, and not just clumped together. They also give recognition to dancers that standout and inspire others, whether it be something they did backstage or onstage. This helps kids feel confident and serves as a reminder of the affect they can have on others in a positive way. I cannot say enough of how impressed I was, and we cannot wait to compete with them again!

I have been attending competitions for over 20 years with my students, and I must say that I was more than delighted with our experience at Ignite! Whenever I emailed with questions leading up to the event, I ALWAYS got a VERY prompt response! My students loved that they gave out adjudication pins and big trophies for the big awards! I loved that they gave awards for the highest scoring duets/trios and solos (not just for the groups). We loved the FREE master classes that were offered! Meghan, the Executive Director, pours her heart and soul into everything she does, and it shows! Ignite staff truly did everything they could to help make things easy for studio owners! I also love that they began each awards ceremony by explaining to the dancers that their adjudication was only a picture of where they were that day, it was not a picture of where they were going in the future! Ignite is truly FIRST-RATE AND A CUT ABOVE THE REST! We will absolutely be returning to Ignite!!

We attended Ignite in Atlanta this season, and we were completely blown away! They provided such an excellent experience for our studio, dancers, and parents! We have recommended them to al of our studio friends, and we will definitely be competing with them again!!!

I attended Ignite's first competition in Raleigh this past weekend and had so much fun! Their staff was very friendly and easy to work with. They were very professional and kept the audience excited even when there was downtime. I also liked that they did many award ceremonies to keep us all safe and they were quick. I had a really good experience overall and can't wait to go back next year!

We attended Ignite's competition in Raleigh this past weekend and we had such a good time! The staff was so kind and accommodating to when dancers had quick changes, letting other dancers who were ready go ahead and dance to give time to the ones who needed to change. The ambassadors were so sweet and helpful to everyone. We can't wait to attend their winter workshop coming up later this year!

We attended the Raleigh competition over the weekend and had a fabulous time! All of the Ignite employees were so nice and helpful. Our students had so much fun and we can’t wait to attend next year! Thank you Ignite for a great weekend!

We attended the Ignite Dance Competition in Raleigh last weekend and I was quite impressed. Due to Covid regulations in NC, they had used a block schedule to keep everyone safe and with all the quick costumes changes it caused them to run behind in the first session but they caught back up later in the day. The staff were pleasant, and handled the situation well. The kids had a great time (which is why we do this), I would definitely want us to go back next year!

I competed this weekend at Ignite in Raleigh & had a great experience! Ignite is a brand new competition, and it showed in some ways but me and my team had so much fun. I received a firecracker bracelet from one of the Ignite Ambassadors which they give out to dancers that inspire them & I felt really honored. I also loved that the judges gave out specific special awards! The convention classes were great, I loved getting the chance to learn from the judges.

We attended Ignite this past weekend in Raleigh. I was not impressed. Most of the staff didn't speak to anyone, they were not clear about who was about to enter stage and would call numbers out of order and they were running over an hour late. For awards they only awarded 1st place to most of the categories. The scoring seemed very swayed to specific studios. I would not attend again.

My daughter attended most of the Ignite Summer Series classes this summer. The friendly and knowledgeable staff made it great for all ages. The classes were a great size for teacher/student interaction. She enjoyed the different combos and learned many new skills to continue to work on. She thoroughly enjoyed all of the classes!

My daughter attended several classes in the Ignite Summer Series over the summer. These classes provided quality instruction, interaction for the dancers and great combos and skills for the dancers to work on after classes. She enjoyed the choreographers and the content throughly!

Great summer virtual master class series! Can’t wait for in person classes and competition.