COMPETITION DETAIL

The Bay Area in California where this event was held, is home to MANY world famous tap dancers. This being said, it was rather disheartening to read that the Headliner judges had little to no tap judging experience and unfortunately it showed. After digging into this further, we were told by teachers in our tap dance community that also train with the local professional tap dancers, that they do not send their tappers to shows such as Headliners for this very reason. In addition, for an event this size, there should have been two stages going at the same time. How Headliners expects their judges to be able to fairly judge from 7am until 10:15pm is beyond my level of comprehension. The awards were rather disappointing as well. For an event this large, only giving placement awards to the top three was also very disappointing. Having been a studio instructor that has attended many shows, I can honestly say that the placement medals that our dancers received were poorly made. In fact, the medals were by far the cheapest ones we have ever seen. It seems to me that Headliners moto is to line their pockets first and then to serve their high paying customers later with the little that is left. Because of this, our studio will not be back next year. The music man was the best thing about Headliners. His energy and smile was infectious.

I (parent and teacher) had the pleasure of attending a dance competition hosted by Headliners, and I must say it was a great experience overall. The venue was top-notch and provided a perfect setting for the event. The judges seemed great and we can’t wait to get their feedback! However, I did have one small concern. I wished there was more competition as the majority of the dances, 65 out of 82, were from one studio. It would have been great to see more diversity and a wider range of talent on display. Despite this, the performances were still captivating, and it was clear that the dancers had put in a lot of hard work. The staff at Headliners were fantastic, the merch guy was funny and providing helpful and friendly assistance throughout the day. They were organized and efficient, making the event run smoothly. Additionally, the videographer was phenomenal, capturing every moment of the performances with great attention to detail. Overall, I had a great time at the competition, and I highly recommend Headliners for anyone looking to attend a high-quality dance event.

Headliners is a class act! We have attended for several years, at many different venues, and the result is always the same: It is a very well run competition which is always either on time or ahead of schedule, it has an extremely friendly and helpful staff, a very organized back stage staff, beautiful stage, super fun merchandise, a very well run, swift awards ceremony, wonderful special judges awards, and most importantly, the judges are very knowledgeable, experienced experts who gave excellent, kind, informative comments/notes. I really appreciate that they select a title winner from the entire division, instead of having a separate "sign up" title division. Finally, I love love the free photo and video package that is included with the registration fee! Thank you, Headliners, for a well run event! See you again next year!

Don't bother wasting your time or money...this was our first experience with Headliners and it will be our last. These judges and staff are obviously overworked and underpaid. One of our dancers was left off the Headliners list. Our studio reached out to them for a week with no response. They responded after we already competed. One judge was tweeting about how awful solos are during the competition. The backstage manager yelled at me and told me she is going to scratch a dance because I told her they are already backstage and they apparently didn't check in (this was a studio block so our studio was the only one there). To top of the wonderful weekend the MC called Phoenix, AZ a bunch of Jerk Off Studios during awards other staff laughed and told her she was live. She did not apologize a the time just continued with awards. Try explaining to a bunch of children what "jerk off" means.

I have never met a more friendly , honest, kind, and well rounded Comp staff as Headliners. We spent the weekend at their Chandler competition and even our fellow studios were kind. It was nice to be part of an organization that encourages studios to lift each other up!!

Nothing surprises me about dance competitions but this one did. During the awards, recognition was given to the teens who choreographed their own routines and fellow student routines. It was a nice gesture however, it seemed as though these students were on the judge's radar and received higher marks than they maybe should have. In the senior division, there were the usual lyrical, jazz and tap numbers which were all the standard dancing that I have seen before. I have been to enough competitions where I know tap doesn't get the same recognition as lyrical. There were a decent amount of tappers ranging from mediocre to professional grade. When it came to the overall top 15, the number 1 spot was a tapper. That was surprising since most don't place in the top 15 or if they do, it's somewhere near the bottom. The tapper was good but nowhere near #1 and no other tappers broke the other 14 spots yet some of them did receive an "Elite Gold" award. I then remembered that she got an award for student choreographer so it started to make sense. The judges have the certain dancer's numbers and they subjectively judge to that. Another special "judge's award" went to a tapper who played some "Mickey Mouse" song, wore a pasted smile and shuffle ballchanged her way to that award. People in the crowd had a confused look on their faces but not surprised. The only Male dancer received 10 recognitions but that is another story. I would love for the judges to put out their criteria for their ratings. As a person with a dance history and eyes & ears, I have a hard time understanding why certain awards are given to certain dancers. It's very subjective and doesn't promote self confidence in these kids. It makes a lot of them not want to compete in the future.

Sending positive vibes to our FAVORITE competition!! Shari, and Headliners are a class act all the way!

Best competition pictures in the industry, there’s really no competition. Clear, free and they actually capture the tricks! The competition is a very professional environment and we always have a very good time! We have been to this competition in many different locations and venues such as Worcester, Derry for three years and this year Woonsocket Rhode Island And we have always had a great experience. This competition holds its events in spaces with ample dressing room space and stages appropriate for this type of event! One of few competitions that still hands out trophies with adjudication which is great especially for younger dancers. In addition the opportunity to donate trophies is an amazing program. This competition also offers a title program for the lower competitive levels which does an amazing job recognizing studios and dancers of all abilities. We love Headliners and can’t wait to be back next weekend!

I also attended the Headliners convention in Hanover, NJ in 2016. The event was amazing! The venue was spectacular (Hanover Marriott). The staff there were helpful and awesome to be around. The staff were amazing like always, the awards were fast and ran amazingly, the overall convention was amazing and probably one of the best ones you'll find out there.

I attended Headliners in Lawrenceville, NJ in April 2018. The venue (Notre Dame High School) was beautiful and the stage was nice, dressing room space was average for a boys dressing room. The judges there were spectacular they gave both constructive criticism and positive feedback, lots of judges I listen to only talk when there is something that needs work, but these judges comment on not only things I needed to work on, but they also focused on some positive moments of my routine. The staff there were AMAZING! The merch stand was amazing, and the backstage crew was nice. Awards were awesome and they always go smoothly, the competition was running on time, and the communication in general was great! I loved the TV's backstage that showed what routines were checked in, which one was next, and which routines just went. It really helped out a lot! I 100% recommend this competition to you, it is one of the best run competitions you can find!

Runs smoothly. Judging seemed fair enough, no real surprises. If you have seasoned intermediate dancers, this is not the comp I would pick. My daughter's team practices 2 nights a week, not more than 3 hours at a time. We attend 2-3 comps per year. I am not casting shade on those super talented groups, it just isn't fair to the intermediate dancer who is making progress, but not an elite performer. The rules about turn, leap and tumbling skills force them into the highest level along with dancers who are obviously dancing every day when they are in 8-10 numbers to our 3-4. They only did a top 5 when there were over 30 small groups. But in categories where there were only 4, they placed all. I would rather see a top 10 in larger fields and only a first or second in the smaller. 4th out of 4 numbers isn't an accomplishment. The special awards seemed to all go to traditional jazz, tap and musical theater. It was an okay experience, but I would not return with the rules about the levels. ADD: Just reviewed the judges commentary. The dancers do not pick costumes, hair styles, etc so it isn't beneficial for the male judge at this event to spend 1/3 of the time speaking to that he doesn't like their hair??? really? And the numeric values assigned were all over the place. Think 10 points different between judges for the same numbers. Makes one wonder if they were even watching the same pieces. How does one judge award a 19/20 for choreography and another 10? That's a 50% difference. The included media package is nice, but it isn't user friendly or simple, Very cumbersome and click-heavy.

We attended Headliners in Seattle this month. They had a few hiccups since it was their first time in Seattle, but they definitely did everything they could to help the event run smooth. The staff was friendly and our dancers seemed to have a good time. Love the video and picture package of each routine that is included in your entry fee. That's awesome they offer that. Loved all the judges awards at the awards ceremony. Judging seemed fair and was so pleased my daughter placed in the top 4 at the competitive level! That is the one thing about this competition that makes me nervous is they base the levels on ability (no aerials, triple pirouettes, fouette turns in the middle level). Our dancers can do all of those so we had to do broadway(competitive) level even though we take a small number of hours each week, so it was scary to go against dancers that are taking 3/4 ballet classes per week, plus tech classes, acro, stretch/strength, etc..., but we did ok! Hoping they do comne back to Seattle next year because we would definitely like to give this one another try!!

Headliners is truly awesome. The staff is amazing, and their intensive and competitions are so cool. The intensive class I went to was spectacular, I had learned so much and was happy to be a part of it!

My son and I LOVE this competition, and are excited to be going again this season! Everything is run on-time and so smoothly. We loved that they were done early and did not go until all hours of the night! Even though he has only attended one Event to date, I felt like I was surrounded by friends and always greeted with a smile. The Judges' critiques, were encouraging and offered keen insight-Not the usual "Nice costumes" or "Great job-Keep working" that he has heard before. The photos were amazing, and I was so grateful to have them all, as well as the videos to each of his routines. I love that they are included at no additional cost! We appreciated the 3 Levels of competition, too! Since he has only been competing for 2 seasons, we were able to enter him in their Novice Division. This year, he can feel comfortable in the Recreational Level, and hopefully the following year, enter the Competitive Level :-) We are excited to come back! Thank you Headliners...

My studio has attended this competition 2 years in a row. We like the competition itself and the staff was nice and the event was organized. The media package was great! We have tested this one out with just a few entries and wanted to be able to go ahead and enter all of ours with them. I wish I could rate this competition higher, but the reason we will NOT be returning is because of the judges. We had 2 of the same judges 2 years in a row and they were horrible! Seemed to be very nice people, but AWFUL judges. One of them is a nice younger man, but did not give 1 critique! He kept saying "Wow!" and laughed a lot, but we came for feedback! We did not get anything helpful from him. The other judge is an older lady, and she had no clue what was going on. She wouldn't speak until halfway through the dance, and on one of our dances she said: "Oh wait this is a tap dance, how great!" 30 seconds later the dance was over.... When she did decide to give feedback, it was all opinion based like saying she didn't like the "hairdo" or in a duo she didn't want them to ever not be touching....the minute one girl had her own part she would say "nope nope this is not a duet" If this competition hired new judges, we would go back. We gave them 2 years and it was the same, so they are not on our calendar this season!

It was my kids first time at Headliners. Pros. Well organized, ran on time mostly. Good programs, not too expensive. The judging was tough, which I like. Elite Golds were earned. Silvers were given. Not a feel good scoring system. Pics and videos come with registration. The pics I did get to preview are excellent. I just love that it's not an extra expense. But the pics were such high quality, I would have bought them. At every award ceremony, each judge gives out 2-3 judges choice awards. They were not based on scores. They give a short speech about why they chose that dance. Wow! Their words were so sincere and heartfelt. I can tell you that those awards meant so much to the dancers at our studio. Probably more than overalls. I wish you could have seen their glowing faces in the dressing room after. Our girls fell in love with one of the quirky judges. How nice to see that judges are people and have personalities. Cons. The venue was way too small. No place to sit or eat. Some studios brought in tables and set them up in the hall way. Talk about human traffic jam. Their was only one set of restrooms available. While looking for another, we walked through other studios dressing rooms, they were literally school hallways with no natural light or ventilation. Stinky. I did find the judging slightly skewed. Especially with contemporary dances. Contemporary dances that were more modern did not place as high as those that included more "traditional" elements as turn sequences, kicks and leaps. That genre, and lyrical are expanding to include really amazing, unique choreo. But choreo that was more traditional was placed higher every time. That leads me to another "con". There was not a high level of talent there. My kids dances were all in the highest level. We mostly competed against 1-2 studios. Kinda disappointing. But their could have been a little more competition if there weren't some studios that were blatantly leveling down. In the rules, the mid level states 2 hours of training a week. At awards, many dancers in the mid level told the emcee that they have danced for 5-7 years. I hope that the 12 year old duo who were in the mid level and told the emcee that they have been dancing for 7 years were super happy to place above a 7 year old duo from our studio. Sorry, that is an integrity issue. We all know that studios level down for the win. It's sad that most competitions do not enforce their rules. And this is not sour grapes. My kid was in the advanced level and her dances did very well. Would I vote to go back? Probably not. If we were a mid level studio I would.

The judging was pretty good and the staff was sweat but the competition didn't run as smoothly as I've seen other competitions.

I recently attended a Headliners event, and then I was browsing through here reading reviews and found some that perfectly explained how I felt about the competition. And now I just read that a judge came on here to defend about how the competition hires great judges. So I think that says enough. I am a teacher at a studio who did not have an overall wonderful experience with Headliners. The competition ran smoothly and the staff were very kind, but that's where the bar stopped for us. Nothing fancy going on here. I will have to agree with another recent review on here, that it is just second rate in comparison to what else is out there nowadays. I have attended "flashy" competitions where the judges are still very well educated, who also are master teachers, and they still hand out tons of overall money, scholarships to conventions and other great prizes. I was expecting more, but sometimes you have to just experience the difference for yourself.

We attended headliners Lawrenceville, NJ. I can honestly say everything snd i mean everything went smoothly. The staff was pretty amazing and friendly. The emcee was loud and clear. Three days of competition with lots of talent. Thank you Headliners for an amazing weekend!

I am a professional dancer, dance teacher, and most importantly to this forum, a dance competition adjudicator for multiple companies, including Headliners. Having been on all sides of the industry, I wanted to express my support and confidence in Headliners as one of the best I've encountered. Shari and the team work hard to bring professional, quality staff to each event they run. The judging panels I have been a part of for the past 6 years of working for them have always included a mix of dance educators with decades of experience, professional dancers with extensive credits and well rounded knowledge of all styles of dance. They do not hire based on the "cool" factor - you will not see the latest, trendiest "flash in the pan" convention "teacher" judging your students. Those stars may be stellar in their own right, but they have never taught a beginner dancer to do a pas de bourree or a time step. Headliners hires judges who care first and foremost about the kids, which is what it should all be about. As referenced on this forum, Headliners will also always take the time to answer your questions and address your concerns. Their events run on time or ahead of schedule, they offer a fantastic media package, and college scholarships. Is Headliners the flashiest competition out there? No. But is it an event run with integrity and support for the dancers? Absolutely.

I really enjoyed this competition. The judging was fair and accurate. There was tough competition but a very friendly and positive atmosphere. Very on time and professional.

I have attended Headliners several times in the past few years, and I have a lot of the same concerns people have expressed below. It all seems to be met with a lot of defensiveness on here from there head office obviously, which concerns me. I will just state my point of view as a dance teacher based on what I know in the industry. Headliners is a well-run, yet very dated competition. Buying iPads and having a computer scoring systems does not make you current or high tech. Truly, the fundamentals of the competition have not evolved, and they need a lot of new high energy ideas to help keep them relevant in the competition industry today. The main problem is the judging panel and who they hire to work at their Nationals. They have the same older lady judges at many events, who really do not give useful feedback on their tapes, but primarily are just not current. The rest of their judges are a bit younger, but honestly I have never heard a judge's tape from this competition that was intelligent or sounded like anyone was invested in the kids learning. There is a lot of opinion giving from the judges, and a lot of it is not relevant to the kids, not relevant for the dance industry in 2017 and just ego-driven. They really just hire second rate judges, which leaves them as a second rate competition. Once they realize that who they hire to represent their organization on stage makes a difference, and get some fresh blood in those judges seats, I think the competition could be back in the narrative. They are a great competition in terms of organization and running on time. However, they need to be honest about the type of studios that they cater to. This is not the competition for your top level studios, and you won't see that type of talent there. They claim you will, but you won't. Headliners is really just missing the big picture. They don't hire people that will attract the top level, because they're not top level. I am not saying that's a bad thing, it's just good to be honest about what you offer and the types of studios you should be hosting. A lot of parents have concerns on here about the scoring system and how their kids were scored at these events. I think scoring systems are all relative at each competition, and they're all just silly. Yes, they spread the love, like most other competitions of this nature, and who cares what they call a Gold or High Silver. The issue really is the substance behind what Headliners is doing that is lacking in integrity to make them a more attractive event for studios. They make a lot of mediocre studios feel like stars from what I have witnessed, and that's great if you think that is important. The judges they have really can't decipher a "top level" studio from a mediocre one at these events by too many points, so keep that in mind if you want to go there and "win everything!" Most parents loving this competition on here are probably studios who went to their event and did really well, because they are not a big competition any more. One or two day events, is really nothing. So you won some overalls and title jackets at their events so you LOVED it, but really step back and look at the substance. There are no scholarships to anything at their regionals (and not at Nationals either!). They award gift certificates instead of cash prizes at regionals. It's all just small things like this that make you sit at their awards ceremonies like, huh, really eh? The video/photo packages are excellent for value and quality of what you get from them. I'd say their photographer and videographer are top of the line from what I've experienced. There are a lot of things they advertise for their events, including Nationals that have likely never evolved. Their title competition at Nationals for me was a huge miss, and needs a lot of updating to attract more top level dancers to come and compete for it. Their master classes at Nationals were a big disappointment, but that comes from the teachers that they hired. There was just no real 'hype' about anything they did. Everything felt like an after thought, or "well, this is how we've don't it for 25 years and it works for us." I was waiting for the big THIS IS NATIONALS moments, and they never came. There are some great qualities that they bring to the competition industry, but there are a lot of old school beliefs that will likely never change unless they have new staff that come in and really make drastic changes to their core. However, if you love their event, it is because you love those 'old-school' qualities and so to each their own. It is a second rate competition, and people should know that going in, although I'm pretty sure if you look at their website/advertising and what they offer you would know that going into it. The people who run the competition seem nice, and eager to please, or defend themselves (however you choose to look at it!) but I really don't know how eager they appear to spend money on the things that need addressing to help bring this competition into the current century.

Worst comp. The director has a reputation for her favortism towards big studios and friends. The most pathetic think is how defensive she is. Every time comes on here to complain on here about the comp she feels the need to come on and disagree with them. It's pathetic. I wouldn't spend $1 on Headliners nor would I recommend it to anyone.

Wonderful experience! Very organized...The weekend ran so smoothly.Staff was always friendly and went above and beyond.The judges were very professional and gave great feedback. Judging was fair and consistent. Loved it!

I would not to this competition again for many reasons. First when I found out that the competition was only one day, I asked to make sure there were sufficient entries to make it a "competition." I was assured that the competition, though only one day would last "until dinner time." We called again as we were very concerned and were told that there were "7 other schools with the same amount of entries" as us (we have 33 entries.) The total amount of entries was 77 - making us nearly half. This is not worth the money for us as mainly we are competing against ourselves. I feel that the directors were extremely deceitful about the amount of entries. We attend many competitions and hold many national titles. Never have I encountered a competition where the directors would not inform us if we were the majority of the entries - therefore not making it a true competition. This was a huge waste of money. This was within two weeks of the competition, I think at that point we should have received an option to pull out. We were told there were no refunds. Except for 5 other numbers, we were the only groups. It makes me feel as though they made us attend as it was our routines paying their bills for the day (spent over $7500). Secondly, the media fee is mandatory. While I understand the package price is worth it - we need to have the option to choose. Sometimes we simply don't want to purchase the videos and pictures. While the option was nice, it is upsetting to be forced into charging our parents more money. All music was set up and being run from backstage, and the MC was also checking people in, etc and announcing. Maybe this was done because it was a small competition? But I thought this was odd and left room for error. I have not heard judges critiques yet or seen pictures so I cannot comment on that. The backstage men, Todd was very friendly and nice to work with.

My daughter attended Headliners for the first time last year and can't wait to go back this year! The competition was well run, the photographer was fantastic. The judges were fair and gave some great feedback.

Headliners is an incredible organization. I grew up competing for Headliners and learned so much from them year after year that I now take with me as a professional dancer here in LA and as a teacher/choreographer for competitve students of my own! Super organized and runs so smooth. Yes the judging is tough- but fair! Half of your score is technique which is the basis for all of dance! 3 great levels for kids of all skill levels.... everybody should feel welcome!! I have never had a bad thing to say about this competition in 18 years!!

Not a fan....very dated presentation and philosophy. I agree with others-the scoring is harsh and apparently based primarily (solely?) on technical skill; this is their prerogative, but if you are a smaller studio with mixed level groups or a recreational program, expect a weekend with Headliners to leave you feeling invisible, or worse, patronizingly patted on the head with a \'nice try\' speech. (we noticed the owner and staff were on a first name basis with many of the directors of the very large studios....that alone was enough for us to decide we would never return...)

What a wonderful and positive experience for my son and students!

Judges: you cannot judge a 6-year old in the recreation category the same as a 10-year old in the competitive category. The majority of high silvers and holds went to young, inexperienced dancers. Isn\'t that what the Hollywood level is for?

I am sincere when I say that the judging was very confusing to me as a studio owner. I would see teams in our catagory get gold scores across the board, regardless of skill level. I felt recreational teams were being graded against the competitive catagory. My students need more experience on stage and that is why we do recreational. This system left them feeling very discouraged and confused. I had one judge say our flaps (in tap) were off and one say great flaps! I had one judge say,\"I didn\'t feel it necessary to put that walkover in the choreography!\" Even though my student performed her skill flawlessly, the judge decided I shouldn\'t put that move in my choreography. I thought that was odd. It was my vision.:/ We got many compliments on our routines being well rehearsed with great attack, yet still couldn\'t get any higher than a gold. That is where I just felt like giving up. Even when I looked at my own dances, I would see that one would look better than another and all were rated at Gold. If this competition had a more clear definition of recreational and competitive and actually grade them on a skill level for each, realistically, I would go again. I like that they value technique. I felt good as a teacher to not get a lot of notes on technique but on the kids experience performing, but at the same time....recreational teams need to be judged at a level that is truly recreational. They are beginner dancers who need these tips and advice, but please grade them appropriately and not set them up for rejection or feel no hope when they can\'t succeed past a Gold. They gave a Dad\'s dance an Elite Gold in the competitive category! That is when my parents were infuriated! When the dad came to get his award, they asked him how long it took for them to rehearse their dance.. he laughed and said, \"Two weeks!\" Our kids give up so much to be on team and work insanely hard. That was a big kick in the gut.

This Competition was absolutely amazing! Aside from the outstanding performances and talent, the judging was so outstanding. They were so nice and paid such close attention to each dancer. It was extremely organized and run so professionally I could not believe it. I love how they encourage each studio to support one another and show great sportsmanship. This is by far my favorite Dance Competition. If I could rate higher than 5 stars I would!

Loved this event! Normal, sane start and end times- (8AM- 10PM), highly qualified judges who gave very thorough critiques, and super organized. I love having the person running the music in the wings as well as a big screen back there where you can view the dance that is on stage, and then listed at the bottom are the upcoming routines. Awards ran quickly and smoothly. Those details were very much appreciated!

Awesome experience. Staff was super helpful and went above and beyond. We brought our music on flash drive and found out at the competition it needed to be on CD\'s. We didn\'t have a laptop, let alone blank CD\'s with us. Todd, the Extraordinaire, went ahead and took our flash drive and put our music on CD\'s for us! He absolutely did not need to do this! WE also had a dancer we had to move and that went seamless as well! Great group of professional administrators, judges and technicians!

Review Has Been Removed - "Terms Of Use Violation"

LOVE Headliners Nationals! ... very grateful for their commitment to equipping dancers with quality training and taking it to the next level by offering college scholarships and professional auditions for agency representation! ... The finale banquet was fabulous with cash awards, a great meal and fun dance party!

We attended Nationals for the first time at Headliners and it was a better experience that I had expected it to be. I have to be honest and say I was a little worried about having to wait until the end of the week to get the results of the overall awards but the banquet experience was wonderful. Dancers had a blast, especially dancing on stage. The \"Academy Awards\" presentation was exceptional because the dancers were called on stage in front of over 800 people and how can they not feel special about that along with overall winner videos being displayed on the big screen as they announced overall winners. They never even asked during the week about overalls since there was so much to keep them busy throughout the week with performances, master classes and an audition workshop which was a great experience for all. Parents were able to observe at no additional cost and the cost of the master classes and audition workshop were very reasonable. That\'s one of the best things I like about Headliners is their fee pricing, AFFORDABLE.I am a mom of dancers and a teacher so I see both sides of the spectrum. They give the kids a wonderful experience and I\'ve seen nothing but appropriate performances at all Headliners venues we\'ve attended, which as a parent I greatly appreciate. The competition always ran on time and the staff was wonderful. I never felt there was favoritism of any one studio as the overall winners came from a variety of studios. They awarded individual dancers with extra scholarships and they were never given to the same dancer so they showed no favoritism or toward any specific studio. They really do care about the dancers and all that they\'ve worked toward. I\'ve read some negative comments and yes there is going to be negative critiques with any competition you may attend and nothing will ever be perfect to everyone, but Headliners is well run and they\'re judges do give critiques and not just sit in silence like I\'ve experienced at some competitions.

I did not care for lumping all of the Hollywood division together. Our small and large groups worked very hard and it was disappointing not to have the different categories recognized separately, and this is coming from a group that did score in the top 5. I understand a cash award was being given but when you work hard all year the kids would have rather had the overall award over any cash. However, my biggest complaint was the \"resort\" and I use that term very loosely. Sawmill Creek was disgusting. The rooms were moldy, smelled of smoke and mildew and the staff was completely unfriendly, sometimes even rude. The dressing room for our studio was in a kitchen with water dripping from the roof. The stage that was constructed was uneven and I witnessed several girls trip and almost fall. I would not recommend Headliners to ever go back to that venue.

Overall, Headliners (nationals) was very good. The competition was very organized and almost always ahead of schedule. There were extra breaks added in to slow down the competition. The backstage staff was awesome. The judges were also rather knowledgeable about dance and judged fairly. I found my critiques to be worth watching and helpful. My one and only complaint about judging was the tendency for lyrical to win pretty much everything, BUT this could easily have been because those dances just happened to do the best. I guess more tap knowledge could be wished for. Based on my scoresheet, the tap judge thought my technique was much better than the non-tap judges which I found odd. The only big complaint I have is not directed to Headliners but to the venue. The \"resort\" was awful. It was dirty and overpriced. The staff was very rude. I hope the Headliners never returns to the Sawmill Creek Resort. If I were not a graduated senior, I would definitely return to Headliners as I have the past few years. I also recommend Headliners to others.

Finally a competition that breaths life back into the dance community. Although I have to admit that I love when my child earns a high placing award it is refreshing to see that my child has to earn her award while being judged fairly as the talent that shows up at Headliners is fierce. Keep up the good work Headliners, keep doing what you do best!

Fair and consistent judging and extremely professional. Love how they reward a dancer with amazing technique just as much as a dancer with exceptional artistry. The key to a successful dance competition is well educated judges. Staff always friendly and accommodating. My students have learned so much not just from the workshops but from the other talented studios that are also attending. They have a banquet at the end of the competition to give out all the overall scores which makes it so much more exciting and so different from a regional competition. Love it.

I have never been to a competition, where the judges were so unfair to specific studios. To not even recognize them for a special award that they give or one of their choreography awards is a waste of our time and money. The idea of not doing any overalls to know where you even stand with the other teams is unusual, save the time with the glitter throwing and add a overall awards. I would also like to mention, the location, I have never been to a competition where are dressing room is in a hotel kitchen where the ceiling was leaking. I misunderstand a majority of what goes on behind headliners, except for a lot of politics of favoring studios. Can\'t wait to hear the video comments, hope they were as great as regionals (sarcasm)

This is our first time attending Headliners Nationals and we will definitely be back. The staff is so friendly and professional and everything runs so smoothly and on time!!! I absolutely love that they provide an amazing opportunity to audition for a dance agency!!! That experience was incredible and my kids absolutely enjoyed that and learned so much about the business!!! The master classes were so fun and we loved the teachers... I think the judges do a great job and were fair with their picks!!! Headliners truly tries to provide a friendly atmosphere for all the dancers... Look forward to the banquet ☺️

This competition is soooo riged! The judges don\'t score fairly at ALL and favorite studios so much! Never coming back

WE WILL NEVER EVER BE ATTENDING HEADLINERS AGAIN!

Headliners\' philosophy is one that parallels our philosophy as a studio. They strive to make sure that every dancer is supportive of one another regardless of the studio they come from. The judges are professional, tough, and fair. This is by far our favorite competition of the season!

Your staff behind the merchandise table and back stage were wonderful. Thanks for accommodating for quick changes and for students who were at college auditions. You did not accommodate for how may students our studio had attending. You did not even have space for all the studios attending- We had students from other studios asking us where there were more dressing rooms and we could not help them, as we had to ask the janitors to open more rooms for us to use as well. Then your staff tried to tell us we couldn\'t be in these extra rooms because you hadn\'t had them approved. It is your responsibility to have the space available for students to change. Your judges claimed to be \"musical theater fanatics\" and the overalls were mostly lyrical/contemporary numbers. Multiple people from all studios were confused at what was awarded- the audience saw amazing dances that were not recognized on multiple occasions throughout the weekend. Your \"recreational\" category is a joke. You need to create more categories beside Hollywood and Broadway. Studios were openly admitting they placed competitive team dancers in \"recreational\" because they couldn\'t have them in the same division as their seniors. That\'s very fair to the 7 year old children who have one year of competition experience and dance 1 hour a week. Thanks for that. Also, how is it that you have solo awards for ages 16 & 18 and have them competing against one another, and then have a separate category for 17 year olds? On what planet does that make sense? I have been a part of the competitive dance world since 2001. We had some numbers place this past weekend in overalls and given decently scored awards, so I\'m not making these comments as a completely disgruntled observer whose dancer received nothing this weekend. What we did learn is that we will NEVER be a part of this competition again. Get it together.

I thought this competition was very well run. They ran on time the entire weekend. Judging was tough but fair. Although special awards seemed to mostly go to contemporary and lyrical dances all types of dances made the top 10. The photos taken were amazing, I wish I hadn\'t purchased them at the last competition we went to because these were so much better. They were also willing to double check the videos to make sure that the tap sounds came through before people bought the video.

I just love the way this competition treats the dancers - yes, the speeches can go on for a bit, but you KNOW they really watched the performances, they want to see dancers develop and grow. I particularly appreciate their commitment to starting and ending at reasonable hours. The judges\' comments are amongst the most detailed and constructive that we have received all season, but they did have an issue with audio synch to video on the critiques which was frustrating.

I enjoyed Headliners quite a bit. The competition ran very smoothly and was never late. It was always on time or early. The judging was fair. The videos were probably the highest quality I have ever seen at a competition. Only negative would be the judges\' critiques. They were not very helpful or understandable. I did not feel as many constructive critiques were given. Also. the audio was very off from the video for critiques, so it was hard to decipher which part of the number was being talked about.

My studio has competed for over ten years. We recently entered a Headliners competition, and the experience from start to finish exceeded my expectations. From the initial phone conversation with Shari to the follow up post competition, I was amazed at the degree of professionalism, compassion, understanding, and overall kindness. The event was on time, no long late night awards, very professionally run . We are hooked on Headliners! Can\'t wait until next year.

As a mother of a teen dancer who has attended Headliners for 8 straight years all I can say is that I LOVE THIS COMPETITION! As much as I love to watch all dances, not all are near perfect and deserving of the highest awards (in Headliners case ELITE GOLD). I find so refreshing to find a competition that evaluates routines fairly and thus utilizes more than just two award levels. Multiple levels gives dancers something to continually strive for. Do I always agree with the judges critiques? Perhaps not always but USUALLY! We find that there is a wonderful mix of positivity and compliments among those corrections. Thank you Headliners for a wonderful dance experience. It has helped shape Gianna into the dancer she is today. We hope to be attending your Regionals (and perhaps Nationals!) for her remaining dance years.

I\'ve never written a review about a competition (good or bad) but I was compelled to do so this time....so very impressed! Most professionally run competition we have been to in a long time. Ran smoothly and on time all weekend, great staff!

I have had the honor of judging for Headliners for the past three years. I have the an incredible amount of respect for this organization. I have been able to give honest and accurate critiques and scores because the Headliners staff has NEVER once interfered with my judging. No one has ever asked me to change a score or to give filtered critiques. I take judging very seriously and take the responsibility very seriously. Having grown up as a competitive dancer and have performed professionally in both commerical and concert dance, I feel I can give informed and via ale feedback to dancers about what is relevant in our industry today. Headliners only hires the most qualified judges. I have worked with some of the most distinguished teachers and adjudicators at Headliners. Thank you for supporting this respectful, honest and organized competition.

We just got back from Headliner\'s Indianapolis. This was my daughter\'s second time going to Headliners. I am giving it a \"great\" because everything about the competition was very professional. They ran on time (even a little early). I felt they scored appropriately. The venue was very nice. The staff was helpful when our studio couldn\'t find our dressing room. The only reason I gave them 4 stars and not 5 is because I felt the competition was a little dated.

I debated about reviewing this because I didn\'t want to sound bitter because we did very poorly. But I decided to review it. First thing most professional atmosphere at I competition I have ever experienced. I thought the idea of donating trophies was so thoughtful (we donated ours to breast cancer) my only complaint was the Hollywood level seemed so frowned upon like it was for the bad people partially because it audience and partially because the mcs sounded bored when they announced them and they had more to say for the Broadway level. (we were broadway) Also I felt larger returning studios got preferential treatment . But the pictures are amazing and great job with handling the snow in Worcester!

As I have written before about Headliners as a studio owner/teacher, I would like to state a few things about being on the \"other side\" of the event: a judge\'s viewpoint. Since I have an International License to judge and have also judged in the figure skating program of the USFSA, I feel qualified to give my viewpoint on events and competitions. For one thing, Headliners is the most fair of all the events I have judged! My scores have never been changed or challenged in any way, and the competition is run on the most professional basis of anywhere I have judged. My colleagues are more than competent, have both professional and teaching experience, and are the best educated in their fields of dance. Many have grown up in the competition field, and they are now professionally engaged in some form of the educational process or career oriented. I will not work for any organization but only the most professional, friendly, family type event that will be good for all dancers, not merely my own. Yes, my students do attend Headliners. That to me is a definite PLUS! I know how they (the dancers) feel in all matters of competitions; and I listen. My Seniors wanted to attend the Nationals again because they felt they were treated fairly, warmly, and with professionalism. To them, that was extremely important! Many are continuing their dance at the university level, and they have fond memories of Headliners already from the past few years. I could not ask for anything more from an organization than that: my students are very happy with Headliners! My \"Newbies\" are so excited already, and they don\'t compete until May! Word has spread:the older girls love, love, love Headliners! That is why I continue these many years with this organization that is truly on the mark for a beautiful dance experience. Thank you, Headliners, for making a difference in all our lives! I am a better person for knowing you all and the quality you bring to my dancers!

we will not be attending headliners again.

I have been taking my dancers to compete with Headliners for 19 years. I love the professional atmosphere, judges critiques and friendly participating studios. The competition always runs on time or even a bit early. The Judging is fair and accurate and the critiques are useful. Headliners is the only competition that has earned my respect year after year for 19 straight years. I couldn\'t recommend it more as a studio owner! The competitions I choose for my students are a reflection on myself, staff and families and that is why Headliners will always be on our yearly competition schedule! Hope to see you there one day as well!

Last weekend we attending Headliners in MA. I have never been to a competition that is friendlier and more accommodating. The theater is at a college and there was a snow storm on Saturday. The college closed the campus and would not let Headliners hold the event. But that didn\'t stop the staff - they went above and beyond and gave us several options for our dancers to compete. They added so many entries Friday night and Sunday that I felt for sure we would be way behind. But that was not the case. Everything moved so smoothly and no one felt rushed. We are back again this weekend for Headliners make-up day. But besides the nice staff the event itself is so easy going. Assigned dressing rooms for all the studios, the sound was great, nice lighting, photos and videos that you can take home AND the teachers get a flash drive with all their critiques before they leave. Great job Headliners!!

After attending the Headliners event in Worcester, MA, I can say without doubt that it is one of the most well run competitions that I have ever been too. Despite the weather and cancellations, Headliners went above and beyond to try and accommodate everyone. I received great customer service at the photo/video table. I look forward to returning to Headliners in the future!

As the mom of a competitive dancer, I have attended MANY competitions in the 6 plus years my daughter has competed. I must say that Headliners is one of my all time favorites. We have attended Headliner\'s Regional competitions and Nationals and have had very positive experiences each time for a variety of reasons... The owners and staff are kind, down to earth and completely invested in the dancers. They also give exceptional customer service to parents, teachers, etc. Admittedly, I am no expert on dance but I know what I see, hear, feel, experience...sometimes vicariously through my daughter and her fellow dancers. As a parent I really appreciate that Headliner\'s staff and judges demand tasteful, age appropriate, family friendly performances. They seem to keep hold of traditional values while accepting new and edgy styles and performances (still keeping it tasteful). This provides a well rounded competition in my opinion. Do I always agree with a score? No. Do I always agree with a certain judge (or judges)? No. But sometimes I do...even if it wasn\'t the best score! Either way, what I think is important to remember is that dance is very SUBJECTIVE. We are not always going to hear what we want to hear but I believe Headliners is a competition that strives to help dancers reach their full potential. For my daughter and I...as long as our studio continues going to Headliners competitions, we will be glad to go!

I loved attending HEADLINERS regionals AND nationals! The staff are incredible people, who\'s best interest is truly to give the dancers a great weekend. As a student and competitor myself, I thought the competition did a fabulous job giving the dancers a truly unbiased, exciting, and overall fun experience! Customer service was in fact incredible. The backstage staff were very nice and were always able to answer any questions we had. The judges were the most honest set of judges I have worked with throughout my competition career, and the Directors of the competition were so humbled and pleasant to our studio. Headliners provides dancers with not just a trophies, but opportunities! I would definitely recommend HEADLINERS to any competitive dancer, or any studio looking for an exciting, honest, and reliable competition, with wonderful staff who treat you as family!

The worst customer service I have ever experienced! Their awards ceremonies are extremely lackluster, and the competition itself is mediocre at best. With so many competitions around that go that extra mile with customer service and rebranding their images you would think this competition would treat their customers with some respect and try to keep up with making their competition exciting for the dancers. We will never go back.

Have always had the utmost respect for the philosophy that Headliners brings to the world of dance competition - they have a brand that you don\'t see in dance competitions...Although dance is evolving and changing their respect is evident for those who have came before who have and continue to share their passion and art in educating dancers. Each studio is different in their competition choices as some competitions are flashy, have young \"now\" judges, while others have the \"seasoned\" judges, and some have a combination...It\'s the choice that matters as opinions vary.

Love this competition!!!! Great staff and very professional!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEEE HEADLINERS! Amazing staff and judges and always leave with a great experience. Fun for all who attend and also always run very organized and on time. Thank you Headliners for all you do to make it such an amazing competition! See you next season!!!!

Judges didn\'t seem to be qualified and their comments made no sense. The competition did not seem to be up to modern times. It did keep on time though, and that was good, but not much else.

After working in the industry for the past 11 years, and growing up a competitive dancer. Headliners opened my eyes to what a dance competition should be. A true honest, fun, positive and family oriented experience. Headliners ultimate goal is to give everyone a positive experience from dancers to directors to parents. After my years in the industry being employed with FDC competitions and other well known competitions, i was almost discouraged with competitions after seeing the lack of integrity on so many levels. As we all know which some still close an eye to, the most money takes home the most trophies. Being a dancer and teacher this negativity in the dance competition industry turned me away from past employers. I began working with Headliners after years of competing at their events always leaving with a great experience. Now being employed with them, they put faith for me back in the industry. From top to bottom their mission is to create a competition for dancers by dancers. They have kept honesty and integrity in competition which has seemed to be lost with so many other competitions. They provide the best judges to give positive critiques and honest scoring. The Headliners staff all has the same mission, to provide the best competition and to always have fun! I am truly so blessed to be part of such an amazing organization after losing faith after so many years with other comps. I hope you can all share the same experience with Headliners i have had and restore integrity and positivity in this industry!!!

Disappointed with divisions and overall awards. We did well but you\'d never know based on how they divided kids for overalls. We also got medals for overalls which is just odd to me. Biggest disappointment was that the junior title winner from last year won the teen title for this year....with the exact same routine??? Doesn\'t seem right to be able to use the same routine if you won a title with it and then win a title again with it. Judges critiques were very very strange too. Did not make sense with routines or were inappropriate for kids to listen to. The atmosphere of the day was nice though so it was a pleasant experience for our girls just odd on the logistical end of things.

LOVE Headliners! ... very grateful for their commitment to equipping dancers with quality, in depth critiques ... and taking it to the next level by offering college scholarships and professional auditions for agency representation at nationals! ... looking forward to nationals and the finale banquet with fabulous performances, cash awards, a great meal and fun dance party - a much better value than just a closing show :)

As a Studio Owner and Teacher, I had a very positive experience attending a recent HEADLINERS event! My new competitive parents, with recreational students experiencing their very first event dancing together on a stage, were welcomed by a cheerful, attentive staff. Their first Gold Medal was a memorable award! Placing in the Overalls was a bonus! All the hours of rehearsal seemed to be well worth the effort. As a few of the parents had attended HEADLINERS themselves when growing up, it was no surprise that they asked to always return to this competition as it had such a positive, encouraging feel for their young dancers. Awards were simple for everyone to understand, scoring exactly like school! Thank you everyone for making this debut so special! We SHALL return!

We love headliners every year, was a little disappointed how jr solos were separated into two groups because so many but not separated by age was a little unfair but they are a tap friendly competition, very organized, fairly judged and we will return!

Glad this was our last competition of the season! It\'s very confusing to have attended 7 LARGE competitions with some of the best local dance schools and then attend Headliners and have the scoring so off in comparison. If the judges critique tapes actually contained information--perhaps it would shed some light onto why our scores were so low. Sad to see this competition self destruct after so many years. Not sure if its management or the selection of their judging panel.

I felt this was an ok comp! Not really sure I understood the scoring and awards system!!

Attended this competition a few years ago… it was an okay competition. Special judges awards were about things that did not make sense. Maybe we can try again in a few years

Terrible experience! The judging and critiques were less than adequate. There were girls who typically score double platinum and high score awards, scoring golds, and the award of choice seemed to be high silver for most. The critiques, if that\'s what they wish to refer to them as, were very inconsistent and not constructive at all. Judge 3 had nothing but rude, distasteful comments for the majority of performances. As a parent, I\'ve chosen not to share these comments with my daughter due to the poor choice of words. The award ceremony was torture. The director, Irma spoke to the performers like 2 year olds, spoke in a monotone voice, and spoke incessantly which caused awards to last entirely too long. Bottom line is this competition was by far, the worst I\'ve ever been to and we will not return.

It was a bad experience. Very cheesy production, judging was erratic and biased. Inexperienced judges and when I asked the director Irma about their qualifications she was rude and defensive. Will NEVER go back!

We recently attended in East Providence, Ma. Loved the competition, the judges were fair and gave good critiques. My only complaint is the venue was to small for the amount of Studios that were there. The fire marshall had to come, they were taking pictures of how crowded it was, there was not nearly enough parking. I think a bigger venue is needed for next year.

My daughter attended this competition in Sacramento CA. and it was a total disappoint my daughter has been involved in competition for about 5 years and I have never experienced such hateful judges and the women who runs it Irma well she is just down right rude and has no business working or mentoring children. I\'m so happy to have a coach who know better and didn\'t share the hateful comments with the children what theses people said about them. They used hurtful word like confused children because they had a faulty sound system one of out dancers was referred to as a gimmick and also said the choreography was to advanced for our children ages yet they all got high silvers and golds and placed in the top 5 it\'s crazy that theses Judges are aloud to criticize negatively they should be taught to give constructive criticism. When the women Irma was informed about our disappointment she plainly said to go to competitions like showstoppers who likes gimmicks and tricks and you don\'t need technique mind blowing that she could respond that way these girls have been dancing for some years and have at least two hours of ballet a week among other classes my daughter dances 6 hours a week and some of the other girls do more. I know we will never attend this competition again and by the looks of most of the other comments I\'m not the only one.

We recently attended the event in Sacramento, and as I see by the below comments, we were not the only ones disappointed. I emailed Headliners about this and focused on these points: 1. Only two judges gave usable, constructive comments we could use a teaching tools. One judge gave only opinions and the comments she did make were so harsh I could never let the children hear them. 2. Ms. Irma was condescending to our recreational dancers by the way she spoke to them, calling them \"confused\" during awards. 3. You could not hear anything during the awards ceremony when you were onstage as the sound system was poor. I suggested Headliners take a page from Showstopper in terms of how a competition should be run. Ms. Irma responded two days later with the following comments. She said if people couldn\'t hear during the awards it was due to \"...not paying attention and had their backs to me, were talking or were on their cell phones texting.\" My students were not on cell phones and they weren\'t talking because they were trying to hear but everything sounded like a Peanuts cartoon. Maw, maw, maw...you get the idea. In regards to my comment about learning a thing or two from Showstopper, Irma replied her event is based purely on technique and, \"When I had my studio I only entered those students in Showstoppers who had not reached a high technical level and choreographed flashy numbers to hide their lack of ability.\" Ouch, sorry former students, that must have hurt. As far as her favoritism of the competitive students and disrespect of the recreational students, she said she had \"never been accused of something so terrible.\" Well, you live and learn and I\'ve learned I\'d rather see my dancers, who fundraise to go to competition, use their hard earned money at Showstopper and other competitions with positive energy, encouragement, balanced judges, and who know what is current in the dance world today.

HORRIBLE COMPETITION IN SACRAMENTO! I haven\'t been to Headliners in a few years, and now I remember why....the scoring is WAY OFF!!! Will definitely not return. I don\'t know why I have to give one star (okay, maybe for a decent venue, the building was beautiful). If you are going to \"donate\" your award you will receive a Gold or an Elite Gold on your routine, no doubt. If the director knows your studio owner, you will score higher...it\'s a fact. If you are doing tap or hip hop you will also do very well, it seems bonus points are given for anyone is a tap or hip hop routine. Also, age categories are way off...they had a dancer \"slip up\" when being given an award and she stated that she was in college!!!! What???? My 11 year old is now in the same category as a college student???!!! Yes, I guess they don\'t check their entries, either! Such a disappointment and an even bigger disappointment for the dancers. I have been to several competitions throughout the years, this one is TERRIBLE!!!!!!!! I wish to let all the dancers know that were treated unfairly at the competition in Sacramento to not give up, especially the newbies....this is not how a competition generally runs or how things are scored.

I wish I could give negative stars to Headliners as they had horribly biased judges. The organizer announced many times to the \"winners\" how she knew the students directors and teachers and yet those were the only studios winning! The only styles that placed were hip hop and tap. They did not have a judge that had a background in anything but tap and the studios that donated their trophies were the only ones that scored Elite Gold. At the end of the evening when I asked the director for my judges sheets she denied that I could get them because she had already turned off the computer. I asked how am I supposed to better my dancers for tomorrow and she said I don\'t know! At the last awards ceremony of the night the judges completely alienated half of the stage and only spoke to one or two dance groups that were sitting on one side of the stage. In the same award ceremony the same girl got three different judges awards. My understanding after 14 years of teaching dance and attending competitions is that these awards are supposed to build dancers up, spread the wealth and point out good things about all the dancers not just the girls that won the overall. Extremely disappointed and I want my studios money back!!!

Horrible competition. Rude staff, harsh judges with bad choice of words. Cold and dry award ceremonies. These people completely forget they are dealing with kids in this business. One judge was so unethical he couldn\'t even hide when he told a dancer that her studio owner was his good friend and to make sure to tell her James said hi. I hope our studio never deals with these jerks again. Even our Elite Gold winning from them has no meaning for me.

We have given this competition several chances over the past few years. We always leave less than satisfied. There awards ceremonies are very lackluster. Their office staff are less than accommodating, and their communication skills are less than desirable. Lastly, their judges critiques were vague and not as helpful with feedback as we had hoped and expected. This competition is not one that we will ever attend again in the future.

Rude rude rude! We are giving you money how about some costumer service at the competition and on the phone!

Scoring was fair. Schedule ran extremely early - by mid afternoon, was over an hour ahead. Special awards were thoughtfully explained by the judges who issued them. Good variety of studios. DVD prices were less expensive than other competitions we\'ve attended.

Horrible competition, schedules and awards all over the place. Awards extra boring, lady was lost announcing all the winners. They ran out of trophies and gave girls some with not even a sticker on it that shoes what they place.

We have always enjoyed Headliners. We had a few \"special\" situations arise and they were very accommodating.

Great Competition Wished It Was closer

I went to the Worcester regional last year to watch, and I was blown away with how hard they judge! They are one of the only competitions that give out bronze silver gold. I'm so excited to register my solos into this years Worcester regional!

good and big

Headliners is a wonderfully run dance competition. They are always on time, kindness is abundant in their staff, and the judges\' comments are spot on.

Ran on time, staff friendly, well organized, great competition. None of our favorites to attend each year.

Headliners is a very well run competition. The staff was friendly and professional and the competition ran smoothly. The judges judged a little more harder then some competitions, but the critiques we got were spot on and very helpful.

I stopped teaching dance about 2 years ago. I attended so many competitions and conventions in my time and have seen the \"beautiful\" as well as the \"ugly.\" Headliners is certainly the \"beautiful.\" Every time I attended, I was reminded why I taught dance. I have taken some of these values with me into the educational classroom and am grateful for those people that changed me for the better. I will continue to take the Headliners amazing dance philosophy with me...it\'s not about the WIN, it\'s not about the MONEY, it\'s about fulfilling a passion to the best of our ability. THANK YOU for touching my heart, my daughter\'s heart, and anyone else who dances for the right reasons. You are a rare find!!

We use to attend this comp but after several years of it being all about Hip-hop we moved on. I got sooo sick of hearing about the world Hip-hop congress crap. Awards were a mess and scoring all over the place. Maybe its different out here on the west coast as others back east seem to have a better experience.

Love the competition ! We go every year and attend Nationals when it is in our area. Always a tough competition but very accurate with their judging. Love the video critiques. They stick with the way awards should be and give students many opportunities outside of their competition. The staff is very welcoming and makes you feel like they have known you for years. Can\'t wait for next year!

Love the Student Choreography category. My students felt so honored and proud to be recognized for their own choreography at awards ceremonies. Headliners consistently has experienced, nurturing judges who give fantastic Special Awards - thoughtful, personal, uplifting. I have been continually impressed with the judging of tap and pointe - these often seem less valued in competition, but not here. I love that soloists don\'t have to pay extra to enter the title category. I love that they give studios the option of making a donation to a charity instead of getting a trophy! What a great idea. And they award real college scholarships at nationals - very cool!

Top Class competition! Organized, on time, professional. Staff is great to work with and very accommodating! Love the video critiques! Keep up the good work!

My daughter is fairly new to dance competitions and the Headliners staff was very encouraging and we felt as if we had been coming for years. This was the only competition where we understood the awards and that the awards meant something. All the other competitions seem to give everyone high score awards or 1st place in everything. The competition was ahead of schedule all weekend, the people running it were approachable and actually thanked me for coming talk with them. Our studio director said these were the best critiques she ever got (and they were video critiques so we could see what the judges were talking about!). Can\'t wait to try their Nationals.

Enjoyed competition. Friendly staff. Ran on time and awards were a normal length. Got great critiques and the judging panel was very well rounded and experienced. Loved how the judges gave their special awards and talked about each competitor who was selected.

I agree with the previous comments. Great competition but awards were too long.

The competition was great in Chicago! It is a tough competition but it was judged very fairly and all of our kids had a great time. The only downside was that awards took forever! They talked for way too long which in turn made the competition itself run late.

As I remember it, this comp seemed a little dated.

We go to this competition every year because a lot of the top studios in the Chicago area always go. It is always a big event and there is guaranteed to be tough competition (at least for Chicago). The venue is great! The staff is fine. They are friendly but don\'t do anything more than what is required. The actual awards are very cheap and break all the time, which is a bummer. The judging is very fair, but really tough! The award sessions are good (they do judges awards, overalls, and adjudication) but VERY long. (too long!) It is always a good, but tough competition.

The competition has great competitors and the judges are fair and know what's up. They do a good job keeping things on time! Keep on trucking