I was very disappointed in this competition. We took our teams to Anaheim CA for nationals. Our dancers were excited. But then it went down hill, they didn't have passes or lanyards for my coaches. The merchandise was little to nothing for a Nationals. But that was little compared to this competition. Our dancers didn't have a fair chance so many studios were placed in the wrong division. As a dance teacher and studio owner of 14 years I can spot a mile away an advance dancer snuck into a novice level. This happend with Solos, duos, trios and groups. Our novice dancers had no chance of a fair shot. Plus when we tried to talk to staff about this situation we were blown off. The awards were lacking for a Nationals and the amount of money we spent. This was ridiculous
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Revolution is one of the better competitions out there. Our director, families and dancers love the Revolution event and the Revolution venues. The staff is friendly and helpful. Judging is fair to all.
Probably the worst competition I’ve been to in the last five years. Judges are biased. It’s like one or two studios won everything when they were just ok. I feel like if someone dances for Mr. or Miss whatever, they automatically score higher. I guess we didn’t pay enough to be scored high even though we were fantastic and always place high at other competitions.
This competition was just ok for my studio. I found it hard to believe that it was a sister competition to Starpower as Starpower is top notch! The competition itself just seemed boring. There was no real hype or excitement. I feel my studio was judged pretty hard for novice levels as well.
Revolution Talent competition was top-notch in the way they managed a Covid-safe event. And, while we were there as an independent entry, we were treated the same as if we were there with a large studio. Highly recommend!
This was our first year at Revolution Talent. My students, who are small in number, had a good time, but felt that the "levels" were somewhat biased. I had a group with one intermediate dancer and 4 novice dancers, but wasn't able to put them in novice. I also felt that there were several dancers in the wrong competitive levels. If you can do 5 pirouettes, you are not novice or intermediate in my opinion. The staff was polite and awards were great. We will attend again, but not in the venue we went too. May rude parents and families.
We attended the Chicago Revolution regionals recently, as we have many times in the past, and as always their regionals are well done. Judging was consistent with what we have seen at other competitions this season. Critiques were a great mix of what was being done well & what kids need to work on. Backstage staff was energetic & kind (although the stage manager was VERY new - it was only his 2nd competition! - so there were a few hiccups there, but totally understandable given his tenure), the emcee was fun & we enjoyed the weekend. One thing I will mention is that Revolution changed its rules this year so that instead of averaging the dancer levels in a group to determine the group level, groups now dance at the highest leveled dancer's level. I'm sure this change was meant to discourage studios from featuring an higher level dancer in a lower level dance to push up scores, but what actually happened was that soloists leveled down, which was unfortunate. It would be nice if this rule was rethought for next year. All said, though, it was a good competition & we will likely return next year.
Revolution was fun but the city we went made for a tiny competition. There were no other dancers in the advanced level for junior solos except the girls from our studio which is always disappointing. Critiques were good and the judging seemed fair. I would like to try Revolution again but in a bigger city.
Nice competition. Award was cool with the step up system for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and loved the energy and time spend on talking with the dancers who placed with a judges choice award. And I loved how they got the kids pumped before each award ceremony made it a little more fun for them! DID NOT LIKE THE AWARDS THEY HANDED OUT FOR EVALUATIONS THOUGH - My poor soloists either got a pin or a trophy- makes it easier for me as a coach if I can explain to my 8 year olds that you had to get a platinum 1st place for a trophy - UGH! Tons of tears that day! :( Well other than that it was a fun event.
One of my favorite competitions I've been to. We attended their Columbus regional in March 2016. I loved it. I had dances on all three days, but it wasn't strenuous at all. They made it a very enjoyable experience for everyone. The dressing room was crazy, but plenty big enough. The judging was great, they had awesome critiques and didn't seem biased in any way. My studio isn't huge, but we entered dances in almost every style. They didn't seem biased to any particular style or to repeat customers/bigger studios. This was our first time attending and we walked away with several first overall awards and even three golden tickets to World Dance Championship! This was my first time competing as a soloist, and the backstage staff was really encouraging. (I think that may have contributed to my success as a soloist, being the highest scoring in my division.) The competition sold really nice merchandise and was very organized. I don't do well in chaos due to my anxiety, and this is probably the most calming, but fun competition atmosphere I've been in. Awards were really fun. I liked how they had the top 3 in overall stand on the boxes. It kinda gives a classic competition vibe. Most competitions don't do that anymore. It was time consuming, but fun and cute. They gave out really nice plaques. Their pictures and videos were kinda expensive, but rightfully so. They were of professional quality. I had an amazing time at Revolution. Can't wait to attend again this season! UPDATE: I just got back from their Akron, Ohio regional! I had an amazing time as expected. I haven't seen video critiques yet, so can't give any feedback on that, but the judges were engaged the whole time for my performances. They paid attention and seemed quite friendly. The theater was gorgeous. They ran ahead on Sunday morning, only about 20(ish) minutes. Then they ran a little behind in the afternoon around production time because of props and quick changes, but I wouldn't consider that their fault. They managed it well and kept the comp running smoothly. The emcee was great. He knew how to command an audience and was quite entertaining. The backstage manager was really sweet also! Overall, a great weekend!
I really was not a fan of this competition, and trust me....we compete every weekend. It seems they only like acro (which in my opinion should be more of a tumbling competition and not "Dance"). Again, only an opinion. I felt that judging was lackluster as one literally was nodding off during the lyrical portions. We for sure won't do this one again as a soloist and won't recommend to the studios in our area.
Overall really enjoyed this competition. The staff was amazing!
We have experienced Revolution the past two years. The judging is fair and the girls enjoyed the competition.
I had a wonderful experience at this nationals! All the master classes had such amazing talent, my daughter loved it! Also loved our judges critiques and the female MC.
This event was disorganized in so many ways, and ran late every single day because of it. The sound system broke down and it took a couple of dance dads to fix it. THere were LONG pauses between dances and in some cases, they actually waited for quick changes rather than moving on. The judges\' comments were almost non-existent, so not helpful at all. I thought the 15-19 age group was too large an age range. The emcee was entertaining though, but she could have moved along a little faster considerg how late it was running.
We have been going to Revolution for years and normally love it. This year was awful. To start they were behind the whole competition 2 or more hours at some points. They made no effort to move along. They say if you are not ready then you lose points. At one point they waited over 15 minutes for a SOLOIST first thing in the morning. Besides the time which made everyone miserable, the Judging was appalling. Dances with beautiful technique (from schools not my own) that everyone watching backstage was sure would place 1st in overalls getting an elite gold and not placing simply because it was Jazz or Hip Hop. They heavily favored those two styles regardless of technique. They scored one of my dancers with poor technique higher than one with excellent technique. The comments were useless. One judge told my dancer that her intensity was too much and she should smile more (the song is not a happy smiling song). They told our one group they should always be doing the same thing on the same leg when it was clearly choreographed to have them doing different things. One of the judges said almost nothing. The credentials of the judges were a joke. Not one Ballet trained judge. The whole feeling was just miserable.
Worst competition ever!! Horrible judging with little to no critiques given. Could not even understand the man announcing the awards except his \"yeah\" after everything he said. Super annoying. Kids didn\'t enjoy it, it was very boring and very little to no contact with the kids while on stage. Will not attend another
Nice competition. Very well ran.
We attended the Chicago regional this year, as we have many other years. We appreciated that the competition ran on time, had generous awards, and tried hard to make it a fun experience for the kids. Judging was fair & reasonable & relatively consistent with what we\'ve seen at other comps, but it was tougher this year than in the past (not a bad thing, though!). The schedule was crazy, however, with extreme late nights followed by very early mornings, many dancers scheduled for all 3 days (unlike a lot of comps that run all 11 & under one day & 12 & over the other), and no real logic to how/when dances were placed. The dressing room space was far too limited & was honestly probably a fire hazard, given the number of kids & bags shoved into a single room. Another 2-3 rooms were needed to accommodate all the dancers and their gear. Also, the prop regulations (with respect to when & how long props could be put backstage) given to studios beforehand were not enforced, which led to some conflicts backstage. Overall, though a good competition that we will probably come back to.
If you have a child between the ages of 6-8 do not bother with this competition. The judging is completely not fair and extremely biased towards 5 year olds. In every category my child went up against 5 years olds they won 1st -3rd overall with absolutely nothing but a few shakes to the music (not even done with timing) and MAYBE a leg extension (not great technique and even witnessed a complete fall) and a whole lot of cuteness. While I\'ll admit they were cute, the routines were nothing compared to some of the ones I saw with tons of difficulty and awesome technique. I thought technique, difficulty level, musicality, and timing were the main things judged on as far as points go. Cuteness and entertainment should be for judges awards and entertainment awards. The judges send a bad message to the older girls by continuely awarding the itty bitties all the awards. I\'ve watched my child and others grow every year and be able to do more and more, but according to the judges of the Revolution Competition, they top out at 5 years old. Ages 3-5 should have their own age group or they should be judged fairly. We were set to do the Revolution Nationals but we will be pulling our routines from that event since we already know how the judging will go. We also attended last years Nationals from Revolution and saw the same thing happen, but thought it was a fluke. Well now we know it\'s not and will not be attending this years Nationals. So disappointing!!!!! I also want to note I saw an age 6 solo routine (not my child), that blew me away, there was actual dancing and almost perfect technique. A one year age difference. She placed 6th I think out of 9...when the girls that were 5 had nothing in their routine and placed 1st and 3rd. What a joke!
This was our first time attending Revolutuion talent, and I was a little worried by the reviews how my weekend would go. I own a small studio and only bring 10 numbers total to competition. I had dances in all 3 levels and felt that I was not ignored at all! There were big studios at my location and I do not feel that Revolution was catering to just those studios. I feel like plenty of recognition was equally placed on all who attended. Also, I was concered about time, but the comp ran right on schedule. The one thing I wasn\'t a fan of was the length of awards. While the MC did a great job, I do feel it was a little drawn out for my taste. Overall, we had a great weekend!
This was our first time attending Revolution, and needless to say, there were some very disappointing parts to this event. First, we registered well in advance of the deadline, but found out that people who registered the week before the event were given a discount off the regular price in order to get more competitors or the event would have been cancelled. It would have been nice to have been refunded the difference since we actually did register in advance. Second, judging was overall fair, except for one part, the girl who won the 8 and under blue division did one wobbly pirouette and one lackluster leap, but mainly walked around the stage doing push turns and shaking her butt. This was a beginner level routine and should not have won against routines where the dancers had loads of content but got deducted because they wobbled on one or two leaps/turns out of the 10 or so that they did. This dancer also went 2 hours after those she competed against, right in the middle of jr routines. The biggest issue though was the computer issues they were having. Apparently they were using the venues wifi system and it was causing them so many problems that they brought the curtain down at one point for over 45 minutes while they resolved it. As a result, they tried to make up time by rushing awards to the point that you couldn\'t understand what the announcer was saying. The biggest issue though is that we never got audio critiques for my daughter\'s solo. We got 15 seconds of them saying \"come on, record\" and then nothing. When I sent an email asking if it was possible there was a second recording I got a response saying they were still uploading critiques, and then never got a response about if there was anything else. We did receive in the mail written critique sheets but they weren\'t very descriptive.
It was a small comp due to a statewide school long weekend. Mostly solos. Our first time at Revolution. Pros - well organized, on time or early, mostly followed the program order, judges who knew how to judge tap (thanks much for that!), great venue, backstage staff super fun the girls loved it, thoughtful judges awards, good social media posts, schedule released in plenty of time, results posted quickly. Cons - awards take a little too long. No need to do lots of chat with every winner, especially when it\'s obviously awkward, move on. The boxes that the winners stand on, kinda cheesy, dated and adds to the time of awards. Let it go. Overall we would go back but I will bring a book for awards.
Do not go to this competition if you are a small studio or any independent! It is not fair!
Love the staff, super fun awards and great competition
Will attend again this year!
Good competition!
Good competition
When it\'s good- it\'s good and we have attended for several years. But when it\'s not good- it\'s BAD. schedules are either right on or all over the place. Numbers out of order. Studios arbitrarily rewriting the schedule to suit themselves. I get they\'re the largest studio there- but honestly that shouldn\'t let them run roughshod all over the schedule. A lot of dances seem placed in lower divisions than they should have been. Always a great venue. Fun awards. Just get over the deference to that one studio and we will be back again.
Revolution does not care about enforcing their own rules. It was brought to their attention that another studio was placing their group numbers and solos in a lower age division and the wrong categories for skill level at the Chicago Nationals. When the studio owner admitted that many recent changes (7 students quitting before nationals to due to injuries and emotional abuse) Revolution bumped them up to the 9 to 11 age division and let them win there!! They should have disqualified this studio after they caught them cheating in several categories. Instead they rewarded their behavior and revealed the exact email and the persons identity who wished to remain anonymous. Why should a group of kids all aged between 9 to 12, except for 1 6 year old be able to win the National Title, when there are legit groups 8 and under who are not winning? This company has rules that they don\'t enforce. People are paying thousands of dollars to allow their children to compete and it is terribly unfair to the other studios to not enforce their own rules. If competitions are going to have levels of skill, such as this one, which has a level of red for beginners, they should hold the studios to the standards they are setting for this division. This particular studio had dancers in this level who dance 15 hours a week and have competed as many as 10 competitions this year alone. The Red competition level division is for beginning dancers who have little or no experience competing. This was brought to Revolutions attn & they did nothing to enforce their own rules or hold the studio accountable. Studios need to be held accountable for their unethical behavior and lack of integrity. If the competitions doesn\'t hold them accountable then what is the purpose of all of this? To make money. Bottom line! If they aren\'t part of the solution they are part of the problem. Revolution is part of the problem! Say NO to unethical studios that you won\'t tolerate cheating!
The competition itself was fun. The kids enjoyed the podium at awards and the judge\'s awards. That being said, the parents did not enjoy it so much. The announcer talked way to quickly (to try to make up the over an hour in time we were behind), one studio showed up 2 hours late for their solos and they let them still compete and place in the overalls, there was no one backstage telling solos who was next. The competition skipped from #7 to #12 with no warning, and the judge\'s critiques were the absolute worst that we have received all year. They said maybe 3 comments on every dance and they weren\'t even constructive criticism comments. They said, \"good\", \"Nice\", \"thank you\" and left no understanding of the score they gave. The normal pointe your toes, connect your passe and use your center may have been said occasionally but nothing that warranted the fees we paid for each dance. I had high hopes for this competition, but after the disappointment in judge\'s critiques I don\'t know if it\'s worth the money to return.
We attended the competition in Tulsa. It was pretty small, and it ran smoothly. Three levels of competition and many awards given. Only complaint is that they didn\'t have pictures or video available and did not allow you to video or photograph yourself.
Wonderful! Attended the Columbus venue. Judges well dressed and professional. Love the different levels here. Our studio just opened..we have seasonal dancers and 1st year dancers who\'ve never danced before. The levels made it happen for the 1st yr students to be judged fairly. Everyone was friendly. We aren\'t a well known studio, but still placed in categories. That to me shows they don\'t cater to big studios! The competition was Aaamaazing here ..national level..yes, they won overalls, but they deserved it! I\'m happy when the judges score correctly. Thank you Revolution...we will be back!
Always love this competition. Run on tI\'m and judging was very fair.
Love, love Love this competition!!!! It was so much fun!!! Everyone was so nice and friendly! Scoring was appropriate and fair! I can\'t wait to attend another Revolution dance competition!!!! They girls had a blast!!! We have been to so many competitions lately that were unfair and it was obvious that money came before the dancers. Not at Revolution!!! They are so positive and encouraging with every dancer!! I would rate it a 10 if I could!
We haven\'t been to this years yet, but I wanted to give a review. My parents are very reserved and truly wish for a family friendly atmosphere. This competition gives it. They don\'t reward inappropriate dances, nor do they show favoritism. They are extremely nice even to those of us bringing in just a few dances. It is a great competition for new competitors. They are very fair. They have a sliding scoring scale for the different levels which is nice so even our novice dancers have a chance at getting a platinum score which really boosts their confidence. They are extremely accommodating as long as you aren\'t asking for something ridiculous. They follow their rules and try to stay in order which is not always possible. Our location is always jam packed. The staff is friendly, yet professional. We have been going for a few years now and it is the only competition we have been to that has kept it\'s promises and followed it\'s rules even when it does not favor their big money makers. As a studio owner this is one of my two favorite competitions. I look forward to going this year.
The Revolution Talent Competition was one of my least favorite so far. The awards were good and fair - but we felt the awards were too much of an auction and it was hard to follow for the little dancers.
The set up was nicely done. The staff kept things moving on time. They made it enjoyable for the dancers at awards time. The announcements though were hard to follow, especially when your trying to keep track of what your group scored. I know they want to get out fast but even the kids at times had an issue cause the announcer spoke so quickly. They need to slow down a bit and give them a better chance of getting through the crowd to get to the back for the award.
We had a great time this last weekend.... They were great to the kids
My daughter is having a wonderful time. Everyone is so friendly and energetic.
I am writing this prior to actually attending. However, at this point they have been absolutely wonderful to deal with. We have had an unprecedented number of issues. They have been patient and accommodating at all times. It is easy to see that they understand that as studio owners we must also keep our patrons happy. I am very excited for the actual competition.
Great regionals and Nationals . Fun super nice people who are in it for the kids to have a good experience . They did mess up and announce places wrong in my daughters category but we didn\'t find out till results were posted . This compeition is always well organized and runs pretty much on time which is so helpful !
This competition is okay. They are generous with awards & they do try to make the kids feel special. Both regionals & nationals are run at nice venues. However, They always run late, dances are often put on stage WAY out of order, dressing rooms are terrible, and we\'ve had a couple of times where issues we\'ve raised have been dealt with in a very unprofessional manner.
Enjoyed every aspect of this competition traveled 3 hrs to compete and will go again next year!
Always one of my favorites to go to! Ran on time, seemed organized, and exciting awards presentation!
It was a decent competition except it ran way longer and the announcer skipped all over and was hard to follow when writing down awards
Love this comp! Kacy Combs is great , he makes you feel like each studio is family, from the smallest to the mega studios. Top notch staff that keeps you on time or ahead of schedule! Love that a portion goes to charity! Keep up the good work Revolution!!
We really enjoyed this competition last year, and they made the smaller studios feel just as welcome as the larger studios. This year, I felt the judges weren\'t consistent or fair in their judging, but we are hoping for better at nationals.
Great competition to begin year. One studio took over and my prop crew could not get props in or out! Everyone assigned a dressing room/area! Judges critiqued great! Awards are fun!
I really enjoyed the entertainment and energy, you can tell how much love the dancers have
I had a great time at this competition. Smoothly ran and fun!
I find it interesting that it\'s being described as small. This must be because when we did it three years ago it was large and acts continually ran out of order. It was like, you feel like dancing ...okay go ahead, hit the stage. Made for a very confusing day.
This was the first time at Revolution for us and it was super small! With that being said, we have some new girls on our comp. teams and new soloists so it was a great way to \"cut their teeth\". We were there back in March. The only problem I had with them was the pictures. Horrible pictures that took forever to get put up on line. Come to find out that the main office says there was an announcement made that we could take our own pictures that day. However, my daughter was act number 1, and I didn\'t hear said announcement, so I question the validity of that. It was a one day competition, and pretty much went smoothly overall.
BEST COMP EVER. Where the people stand on the stands and get medals for 1st 2nd and 3rd is very cool and original. Fair and right scoring, three divisions. Honestly couldn\'t find a flaw.
Always a fun competition!
First time at this competition. Very large competition with a large number of different studios competing. Very well organized. Friendly staff, fair judging, and ran on time. Extra awards and scholarships given. Love the three levels. We hope to return to Columbus next year to compete again :))
Could me the most un-friendly backstage staff ever. The past couple of years, our competition hasn\'t been very big. IE: my studio was pretty much every other number. Even knowing that, the backstage staff was unaccommodating and rude on how we weren\'t staying on time. Plus, this year they gave out two awards:\"Platinum\" and \"Elite Gold\". Why have a 6 tier scoring system when you only give two of them away? It makes the \"platinum\" not really worth anything when over half of the competition is getting them. They also had many 2, 3 and 4 way ties in the overalls. Plus in each awards ceremony (which took an hour!) they had to give one choreography award and entertainment award to EVERY studio. I understand trying to make everyone happy, but this is a COMPETITION! If we want everyone to be a winner... have a showcase!
Love this competition this is BY FAR our STUDIOS FAVORITE! Our studio has attended this comp for several years, and it has always been well run, fair, and competitive. I have never once seen any favoritism displayed. I love the structure of three levels as it provides an equal playing field for studios and dancers of all proficiency levels. The staff is super friendly and approachable. I can\'t say enough about them! We will be attending this competition for years to come.
Loved the excitement at the Revolution Dance competition!
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Good Competition, Very Fair Because Of The Different Levels. We Like The Awards Ceremony.
If the MC know some of the schools and not the other it places the others at a disadvantage.
I love that it breaks the competition into 3 levels.
We usually have a good experience here. The judging seems fair, runs on time and an overall positive experience for our dancers. Not our favorite, but it\'s a good one to go to.
As a dance mom, it is really hard to find a competition that is friendly, fair and still affordable. Our studio has found all 3 in Revolution! Their staff always makes my DD feel like she is the only one onstage. They remember her name from year-to-year and always go that extra mile to make sure she feels like she did her very best. All of the critiques my DD receives are constructive and I feel they have helped her become a better dancer over the past 2 years since we have been competing with them. The awards last a little longer than some, but that is because they take the time to recognize each level and every group so they don't leave anyone left standing without an award. I have been to some competitions where they just push the kids across the stage and don't even acknowledge the hard work and dedication it takes to just get up and perform onstage. Revolution awards are always fun and energetic with music, free shirts flying all over the place, and great prize money. This year they came onstage with an iPad which made the awards even faster. We love everything about Revolution and would follow them wherever they go. I just hope they decide to come to CA for Nationals as we would do them in a heartbeat. If you haven't tried this competition, please do so. You won't be sorry!
I absolutely love Revolution! It is a wonderful environment for the dancers and teachers alike. I enjoy being a part of a competition with great integrity and positive staff. It is also wonderful that a portion of the proceeds goes back to the Larry King Foundation. It is a fun competition for the dancers and thy always get wonderful feedback from the judges.
We have gone 2 years in a row and enjoyed both so far. Tend to run a little behind as do most. Nothing terrible. Kind staff and professional. Will go back again.
Dancers enjoy the competition but staff seems to stress the instructors. They call for dances to get backstage but then they end of waiting 20-30 minutes before dancing.
I love this comp! Not only is the competition professional but they know how to have fun! Awards are very entertaining, they have fun with the audience, throw t shirts, make the dance teachers dance on stage. With all the competition and studio rivalry I feel like Revolution really tries to burry the hatchet and have everyone come together and enjoy dancing! We went to their nationals and was the same fun times 2. With spirit day where everyone got to dress up and offered several FREE! Master classes. Not to many completions do that. All in all a fun comp that celebrates the art of dance rather then just judge it. Highly recommend it
Ugh, would give ZERO stars if possible. Run! Run fast away from this one! Massive cheating by favored studio ignored/allowed by owner and judges. Completely biased scoring. Worst comp we\'ve ever done and we will never go back!! Save your money!!
Not good, not bad. Wouldn\'t have it at the top of my list
Great competition! We went to their Chicago nationals and it was a very positive experience! We are definitely going to go again next year! They had a couple of master classes, including one where Tokyo came and taught. The chi-town showdown was very fun and awards were not long and very entertaining. We liked how the top three got to stand on a podium. Very good, ran behind sometimes, but not to bad.
Good Competition and really liked their awards ceremony
Didn\'t care for this competition at all. How can you score a technical dance number against an acrobatic number. The kids were contortionists that could bend in half nothing talented about that. If anything left everyone in audience squeamish.
Love this competition
Another competition that we took off our list because we just didn\'t care for it. There was nothing horrible we just didn\'t feel like we got the whole competition experience. There are much better competitions out there.
Nothing great. Nothing too bad. Just okay.
Did this for the 1st time this year....LOVED it!!!