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  • Platinum Star Competition


  • 3.6 - Average Ratings
  • 307 Total Reviews
    Parent : 53.92 %
    Dancer : 14.71 %
    Studio Owner : 20.59 %
    Teacher : 10.78 %

  • 2521 Schieffelin Rd
  • Apex ,NC
  • 919-363-2900
  • concierge@starquestdance.com

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STARQUEST DANCE COMPETITION

Jun 05 2023

It was our first time going to Starquest this season. It wasn't as well attended because there were multiple comps going that weekend, and Starquest isn't as popular (yet) in San Diego, They have a dedicated app that functions well. The media was included, but it is only accessible from the phone app, which is quite limiting. Some judges gave notes that came across as pretty harsh. Not constructive.

Venue : 5
Judging : 4
Staff : 5
Awards : 5
Communication : 4
StarQuest Dance Competition
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Jun 05 2023

Dec 31 2022

I love StarQuest dance competition overall. I love the venues! Judging is fair. I've only had a problem with 1 staff member that was highly unprofessional at the 2021 World Finals in Galveston TX and I don't know his name. The adjudication awards are awesome. The awards for top score have been unfair a few of times in the past but seem to be fair in the recent seasons. The communication at StarQuest dance goes beyond my expectations with the exception of one staff member in 2021.

Venue : 5
Judging : 5
Staff : 4
Awards : 4
Communication : 4
StarQuest Dance Competition
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Dec 31 2022

Jun 14 2022

We had a wonderful time at SQ this season. Professional and on time. Highly recommend. Many awards were given and they used all the adjudications accordingly. The venue was great. The Event Director was helpful throughout the weekend, quick awards too! Thanks StarQuest!!

Venue : 5
Judging : 5
Staff : 5
Awards : 5
Communication : 5
StarQuest Dance Competition
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Jun 16 2022

Hi Jamilynn3000! Thank you so much for your review! We are planning on giving even more awards for 2023! For example, we are separating our Nova and Classic titles to give even more opportunity for recognition. We take pride in being able to help studios have a great time onsite, so hearing your Event Director was helpful is a huge compliment! I’d love to praise them! If you have time, will you send me an email with the event you went to, so I can share your feedback? Please let us know if there is anything you need, and I hope we see you next time! Becky Lundy Concierge Director/Diversity & Inclusion Concierge@StarQuestDance.com

Jun 13 2022

Review Has Been Locked - In Review

Venue : 3
Judging : 1
Staff : 1
Awards : 1
Communication : 1
StarQuest Dance Competition
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Jun 13 2022

May 21 2022

Really wished I would of listened to the reviews about you guys catering to big studios. That was my fault in thinking giving you guys a try. It’s definitely a one and done type of competition for us. You definitely couldn’t of made it any more obvious. Also why would you have nova dancers competing against the elite dancers for titles? I would of never even tried to enter my daughter had I known that.

Venue : 5
Judging : 1
Staff : 5
Awards : 1
Communication : 0
StarQuest Dance Competition
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May 23 2022

Hello Danze1, Please reach out to me about your experience with us. It is important to me to know which event you attended, so that I can look into these things. We make a point to make sure our staff and judges know that it doesn't matter if you bring 1 dance or 100 dances, we are dedicated to fairness across the board. If you experienced something different, I would love the opportunity to see what happened. It is also important to me to look into the title situation you've described. We currently have 2 levels of titles. Elite Dancer is our title for the Elite or Select level of competition. Our Classic and Nova level dancers compete for the title of Emerging Artist. For 2023, we plan to make the Nova level it's own title. If your dancer was in the Nova level for solos, but was up against Select level dancers, this is definitely something that needs to be rectified! Please have your studio director contact me at their earliest convenience. email: becky@starquestdance.com. I look forward to hearing from you or your studio. Becky Lundy - Concierge Director

Apr 28 2022

Our studio likes this competition. The judging is consistent and usually runs on time.

Venue : 0
Judging : 0
Staff : 0
Awards : 0
Communication : 0
StarQuest Dance Competition
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May 23 2022

Hi ElleB! Thank you so much for your review! We do our best to monitor the judges throughout the weekend to make sure they are giving the best feedback, as well! I'm so happy your studio enjoys the events! Please let us know if there is anything you or your studio needs for the future, and I hope I see you next time! Becky Lundy - Concierge Director

Jan 31 2022

We have been going to Starquest for about five years now and we have always had a great experience. Truly one of the most organized and well run competitions. Not to mention they put on a great show and make it feel extremely special at every event. Our kids always have a great experience with the backstage staff and the MC. Their pricing is right in line with everyone else’s and the nice thing is they have all of their media now included. Even though you have to pay an extra fee for it it is well worth it and some of the best quality video and photo out there. We get the best critiques out of every competition we have ever been to. The judges talk the entire time and provide quality feedback that can actually be used. Highly recommend trying them out!

Venue : 5
Judging : 5
Staff : 5
Awards : 5
Communication : 5
StarQuest Dance Competition
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Jan 31 2022

Jan 14 2022

After reading all the negative reviews, I'm left wondering why this competition is still operating. Then I realized that they're operating because they cater to the dance studios more so than the dancers and parents. BY NOT PUBLISHING THE COMPETITION/REGISTRATION FEES, dance studios have the opportunity to collect a HUGE STIMULUS CHECK after each competition! This is their incentive to re-register every year, sometimes multiple times per year! BY NOT PUBLISHING THE COMPETITION/REGISTRATION FEES, dance studios are allowed and encouraged (by SQ) to inflate the fees, taking home a little extra for themselves. Where is the transparency SQ? Where is the integrity SQ?

Venue : 0
Judging : 0
Staff : 0
Awards : 0
Communication : 0
StarQuest Dance Competition
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May 23 2022

Hello Notyouraveragedancemom, I would love to talk more with you about this. Many studios handle competition fees differently, so we keep our fees on the studio side of things, so that people do not get confused. We trust our studios to make decisions about fees for their families. This is also, as we understand it, an industry norm. It does sadden me that you perceive this as us being dishonest, but I also understand that as a parent, you have to do what is best for your family. Our door will always be open to discuss these things with you, or if you choose to return in the future. I hope you can still look back on the experiences you've had with us cherish the memories of your dancer performing on our stage. I do recommend reaching out to your studio directors if you feel you have been wronged in any way, or to us to discuss this further. Though you may disagree with our current protocols, we are always open to feedback. Becky Lundy - Concierge Director

Oct 16 2021

After so many positive reviews, I decided to give this competition a try. Bad idea. The judging was by far the WORST I have seen in a while. They do not take into account technique, and give the highest scores and most awards to the studios with the most routines entered. Worst of all, a studio, who had a great trio, was scored low because they were african american and were judged by three white judges. Not a single male judge, and I feel as if it was not only biased but prejudice as well. Do better.

Venue : 2
Judging : 1
Staff : 1
Awards : 1
Communication : 1
StarQuest Dance Competition
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Oct 20 2021

Hello danceislifealways, Please give me a call! It is important that I dig deep into your issues as the Lead Concierge at SQ, but also as a black woman in this industry. Prejudice and racism is not tolerated at our events in any way. If we have judges that are scoring based on racial bias, I need to know who they are, so I can investigate much further. Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention! My information is below. Please get in touch with me ASAP. I also want to talk about your scores and critiques. Our judges are trained to score based on 45% technique, 45% performance ability, 10% choreography/appropriateness. If this isn't reflected in the scores and critiques, I definitely need to track this down. Although it may feel awkward to talk about, I would appreciate the opportunity to fully understand what happened at this event. Becky Lundy (Lead Concierge) becky@starquestdance.com 919.363.2900

Jul 05 2021

By far the worst experience we’ve ever had. Assuming we were the only ones we were going to count our losses until we found out 2 other studios dropped out even AFTER they made the finals. The venue is great but the judges were awful. All females, all white and not 1 male or any other represented demographic. After listening to the critiques we decided not to let our dancers listen to them. They were judged on their body type despite several companies coming onstage in pretty much bikinis. Not 1 judge was knowledgeable in hip hop or jazz funk and although our studio isn’t a hip hop studio we saw with our own eyes a hip hop routine placed extremely low in comparison to 4 girls who clearly weren’t strong in the genre who placed much higher. I must saw the company that placed low was an African American studio. They were actually really good in many areas but their hip hop was great. They had school desks and reminded me of world of dance. One guy placed 2nd in a hip hop solo that clearly was not hip hop. Studios who brought in 50+ dances were the ones who made it to final. Those studios were good especially the 1s who FINALLY ended up winning when they brought in another white woman, 1 black woman and 1 mixed woman for finals. Still no males and there were plenty dancing. Unsure why they thought an all white panel then 2 black females would show variety but even their resumes weren’t too stunning excluding the 3 they brought in for finals. Never have we been to a competition where studios dropped out or dancers showed such disappointment onstage. Yes we believe in good sportsmanship but when it’s so blatant that the judging is off I don’t blame any of those dancers for giving the Makayla Maroney “unimpressed” look. This competition has gone down and we don’t recommend ANYONE to attend or “give it another chance”. As for the reviews on technique. They’re right. These judges are not knowledgeable in the genres they list on their website. Calling a step a “thingy” or “spin” is not ok. Judges should only be judging genres they know. If you can’t find any knowledgeable in all you list or at least all that’s coming to your competition then hire more judges and rotate them out. There’s nothing wrong with having honesty. We coaches, parents and our dancers would 100% respect and appreciate that. But then again, that’s more money they’d have to spend. So we know that’s not happening. I recommend going to the more evolved competitions that are run and owned by WORKING ENTERTAINERS not someone looking for a meal ticket.

Venue : 5
Judging : 1
Staff : 1
Awards : 2
Communication : 1
StarQuest Dance Competition
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Jul 19 2021

Hello honesty, Thank you so much for your feedback, we take every review very seriously. I would love the opportunity to talk with you if you are willing to dig deeper into your concerns. We always want to improve and this is a golden opportunity to take advantage of that. I can also share a few facts to clarify several topics listed to ensure you have accurate and truthful information. Please call me or email me to set up a time to talk. Becky Lundy (Head Concierge) 919.363.2900 becky@starquestdance.com

Apr 20 2021

Judging is seriously off. Seems like technique is not accounted for. Dancers seriously lacking in technique were given platinums? Nothing made sense about the adjudications whatsoever. Felt like it was the twilight zone. Horrible comp. Two of my friends in the comp world said this competition used to be great but apparently it has went downhill. Will not waste my hard earned money ever again at this comp. They seem to only care about money and how much they can take of it. Cheap awards. For the size of this comp, they need to step it up in so many areas. There are better comps out there. You have been warned. The only positive thing I can honestly say is that the one staff member I encountered was extremely friendly and helpful. I can’t really judge the staff based off one person so for staff I give 3 stars.

Venue : 5
Judging : 1
Staff : 3
Awards : 1
Communication : 1
StarQuest Dance Competition
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Apr 21 2021

Hello DanceMom123, I am sad to hear that you will no longer be joining us. As heartbreaking as it is to hear, I would appreciate speaking with you about your thoughts. Direct feedback is the best way for us to address and change things for the future. Judging is something we take very seriously. We check in with the judges often, and address any concerns with them after each segment. Do you have specific entries you are concerned about? Did you share these concerns with your director? Please, at your earliest convenience have your director give me a call! It is important to me to investigate these entries, and escalate the concerns, so we do not continue a trend if this is the case! I also do not want you to think I am avoiding the awards! Getting specifics on this will, also, help us move forward. We create new designs for our awards every offseason, so this feedback would be greatly appreciated, as well. Please let me know if you or your director has time to talk next week. Becky Lundy (Head Concierge) Becky@StarQuestDance.com

Apr 19 2021

We were very excited to try this competition for the first time but left feeling utterly confused. The judging was very biased. We are a small to mid size studio and our routines have all consistently scored platinum, high platinum and elite platinum all season long until we came here and high gold was the standard. This was our first and last time we will be attending this comp sadly. The judging was very biased and in favor of the bigger studios. It was very obvious which studio you were from because of the block scheduling, hair styles and costume choices. Platinum adjudications were given out to dancers with no technical ability whatsoever, dancers who fell on stage and also dancers who forgot their routines and froze on stage. Another question we were all pondering was - Is this a dance competition or an acting competition? It seemed like technique was not a huge factor at this competition whatsoever. The judging was honestly a mess and all over the place. For the title competition, they collect $45 per dancer and even though they have beginner, intermediate and advanced categories, the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels were all competing against each other for the EA title. If I had known this I never would have wasted $45. There were over 60 people competing for titles at this particular competition. Come on Starquest. Can you not afford to hand out a few extra awards with all the money you are collecting? After reading through these reviews, it appears that our observations are indeed valid since so many people are saying the same things. Disappointed we wasted money at your comp and no, our studio owner will not be in contact with you. She has made the decision we will not be returning thankfully. The only other thing worth mentioning and actually very serious is that while this comp states everyone attending has to wear masks, they don't abide by their own rules. The little old lady who sat at the door when we first entered the building was not wearing a mask. Come on Starquest, you need to do better than this! Safety is obviously not a priority for their staff. This comp is all about $$$ Update Edit: we received the critiques. One particular judge scored our routines lower by almost 20 points each than the other 2 judges. Shady indeed!

Venue : 4
Judging : 1
Staff : 4
Awards : 1
Communication : 1
StarQuest Dance Competition
Reply
Apr 21 2021

DanceParent10, Thank you for sharing your experience, so I can immediately touch base with my team. Can you share which event you were competing in? Venue staff not wearing masks is absolutely not something we condone. Mask wearing is not optional to us, ever! Was this brought to the attention of the SQ staff onsite? While block scheduling has been different, judges should not let this affect their scores. We check in with them often about the performances, and check their critiques multiple times a day. The judges critiques should give all of the insights on why the judges scored the way they did. I would love to speak with you more about this aspect of your review. While I agree that judging can be different from week to week, as every judging panel is different, technique is 45% of the overall score and every entry should be treated this way! I understand if this event is the last experience you will have with us, but I would appreciate the ability to discuss this further, so I can address these concerns for the future, and bring more specifics to my executive board. All feedback is an opportunity for us to grow and learn. Please have your director get directly in touch with me. Becky Lundy (Head Concierge) Becky@StarQuestDance.com

Apr 14 2021

This competition is so popular, yet is obviously biased. Now, I don’t care if my kids win awards or not, but when there’s a problem that’s not okay anymore. This competition gave a 12 year old in novice first place in 12-14 advanced solos? And the wack judging is really the only bad thing, which is a shame because it was a fun competition, just Biased. My 5 year old daughter had a Jazz duo in advanced and it won 1st in junior lyrical novice??? I’m confused, hopefully they can clear this up. But still, another competition that seems like they’re only worried about $.

Venue : 5
Judging : 1
Staff : 1
Awards : 1
Communication : 1
StarQuest Dance Competition
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Apr 21 2021

Hello dancecomplifesince2005, I am very concerned about this! I absolutely want to make sure we have the correct information to move forward, so the correct top scores are given! Which event were you attending? Did you or your director bring this up to the Tour Manager? I would appreciate the ability to look further into this. We triple check our work, but it is imperative to me to find where this went wrong, and make the necessary adjustments with my staff. Please get in contact with me, so I can find out what happened! Becky Lundy (Head Concierge) Becky@starquestdance.com

Mar 29 2021

"Review Has Been Locked Pending Review"

Venue : 0
Judging : 0
Staff : 0
Awards : 1
Communication : 0
StarQuest Dance Competition
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Mar 29 2021

Nov 18 2019

I really enjoyed this competition. It was well ran and fairly judged. My only complaint was how they ran their awards ceremony. I couldn't follow as they were jumping around, instead of going in order.

Venue : 3
Judging : 4
Staff : 4
Awards : 4
Communication : 4
StarQuest Dance Competition
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Nov 20 2019

Hi midancemom, Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. I would love to know more about the ceremonies of your weekend. We want to make sure we have the right balance of recognition for the kids, and the awards not being too lengthy. Gaining more information about this can help us as we enter training for the 2020 season. It will mean a lot to hear your feedback. Becky Lundy (Head Concierge) 919-363-2900

Nov 15 2019

This competition is one of my favorites, it has always been a great one to attend. they have all the rooms close to where you can get to either back stage or if you are a parent you can get to the auditorium really fast after a quick outfit change. the judges have always been very nice and fair, they give great feedback to our kids. if we do not go to this one my daughter is usually very sad. thanks for being awesome!

Venue : 5
Judging : 5
Staff : 5
Awards : 5
Communication : 5
StarQuest Dance Competition
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Nov 18 2019

Hi nmkdancer, Thank you so much for your review! It means a lot to us. What event does your studio attend for SQ? Positive feedback about venues can help us make sure we continuously come back. It isn't always easy to find places with an excellent layout for quick changes. I'm so happy you also appreciate the judging! It is important to us to make sure our judges give you as much information as possible to help your dancer improve. We hope we are getting the opportunity to see you this year! Becky Lundy (Head Concierge)

Oct 21 2019

Wowza! What a mess of a competition. These guys and gals are an impolite group of youngsters, working hard for endless hours each weekend to give us something that turns out increasingly horrendous each time. This was our final year with SQ (thank God), and it could not have come soon enough. Jesus himself can not help this competition get itself together. They need to close and realize the good ol days of SQ being the star it was are way behind them.

Venue : 1
Judging : 1
Staff : 1
Awards : 1
Communication : 1
StarQuest Dance Competition
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Oct 22 2019

Hi Jackson5, Wowza indeed! While it hurts to read reviews like this, it is vitally important for me to learn more about your feelings about the events you've experienced. I am especially concerned about your feeling that the staff has been impolite. We hire people who we believe have the need to serve others as well as being capable in their positions. Have you shared your concerns with your Studio Director? Please have them give me a call at your earliest convenience. Our hope is to continue improving, and your feedback may be helpful in doing so. Becky Lundy (Head Concierge) (919) 363-2900

Jul 08 2019

Have attended Starquest for three years, including 2 national competitions. We are a small recreational studio and always loved being treated just as special as the big guys. We are not attending Starquest this year as they have required a studio package fee for each dancer. Most of my students only perform in one dance so this a 50% increase per child for us. If they ever do away with this required additional fee, we would definitely consider returning.

Venue : 5
Judging : 4
Staff : 5
Awards : 4
Communication : 5
StarQuest Dance Competition
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Jul 12 2019

Hello BD123, I'm sad to hear that you will not be returning this year. We put our media package in place to lessen the cost of photos and videos for all families. Video and photo prices were getting difficult to keep down, but this way, we can offer a way lower price for all, and everyone gets everything. Have you spoken to your studio concierge about the media package yet? Please give us a call, so we can make sure you have all of the info! There are features that may help save your families some money. We would love to host you again! We may be able to help you find a way. (919) 363-2900 Becky Lundy (Head Concierge)

May 30 2019

Staff was friendly. Competition was organized and had fun. We went over a holiday weekend so it was a smaller competition. Judging was fair.

Venue : 5
Judging : 5
Staff : 5
Awards : 5
Communication : 5
StarQuest Dance Competition
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Jun 03 2019

Hi Heather, Thank you so much for your review! We are glad you and your dancers had a great time! Our staff strives to make sure that the event is a blast for every single performer. Thank you for sharing your feedback and for joining us for the holiday​ weekend! Hope to see you next time! Becky Lundy (Head Concierge)

Apr 30 2019

StarQuest is not worth it. Do not give them your time or money.

Venue : 1
Judging : 1
Staff : 1
Awards : 1
Communication : 1
StarQuest Dance Competition
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May 02 2019

​Hello proppop, Thank you for giving feedback. It doesn't feel good to get comments like these, but it is important for us to grow from all input. Giving you and your kids a great competition experience is our primary goal. I would love to learn more about why you feel this way about the value of our events. Please have your studio director give me a call about your concerns. 919-363-2900 Thank you. Becky Lundy (Head Concierge)

Apr 30 2019

Review Has Been Removed - Terms of Use Violation (Multiple Accounts)

Venue : 0
Judging : 0
Staff : 0
Awards : 1
Communication : 0
StarQuest Dance Competition
Reply
Apr 30 2019