COMPETITION DETAIL

great comp and convention!

This is by far, my favorite dance convention and competition we attend. The staff is positive, encouraging and so nice! Judging for the competition is extremely fair. They find something positive to say about each dance and dancer. Judges critiques are encouraging and helpful. The convention classes are fun and they give away so many scholarships and opportunities to the dancers, They also seem to value good training and technique, which a lot of the other west coast conventions/comps seem to be getting away from. We love NYCDA!!

NYCDA really needs to look at the size of the classes. Have been to many 10+ of their conventions. The most difficult is when they combine teens/seniors/ and then let college students attend as well. So many casualties and it makes it difficult to see what is being taught and to get any space to execute. Paying a lot of money and don't feel valued when not being given sufficient space and attention.

I have mixed feeling about NYCDA. I do feel that my child learns from the teachers there but I also feel it's all about the money. Over 300 kids in the junior and 400 in the teen room was crazy. In order to get to the front to see the teacher, you would need to take a few hits from other students, there were many girls that were hit in the eye or had their feet stepped on because it was so crowded. Joe tends to lecture the kids it's not about winning which I agree with but don't much emphasis on winning by showing videos of people winning and going to New York and seeing famous people. The closing show was way too long but I understand that they needed to announce all the winners. The competition part was upsetting because they told our studio we would need to compete Thursday evening and then said the kids needed to return on Friday morning for the award ceremony. Surprise they had an award ceremony on Thursday night but most of the dancers had already left. Poor communication. The competition went way too late into the night, I think they forgot that these kids attend school all week and dance at their studios during the week only to do awards at 1 AM. Maybe they shouldn't have taken so many numbers and think about what's best for the dancers. Also, Joe told the kids numerous times that dance is not about competitions so why does he own/run 2 competitions? Very mixed messages this year, I'm hoping that it was an off year for NYCDA and they learn from their mistakes.

2016-2017 SEASON: Rough convention/competition for true minis with their mini division being 7-10 years. Very little feedback (good or bad) on solo audio critiques, which is always disappointing. However, I do think as my dancer gets older, my opinion may change because older dancers at our studio love it. She has attended past two years (as a 7 and 8 year old) so it will be interesting to see how the next two years go.

AMAZING experience! It was definitely a convention I will attend in the future. I learned many thing about dance, how to be myself as a dancer, and even how to be myself anywhere! The faculty at NYCDA were incredible and super fun! NYCDA makes dancers want to improve, to learn new things, to grow as a dancer and a person, to be inspired by other dancers that attended, and to be an artist! The only problem I had (which was super minor and somewhat out of their control) was that that there was an extensive amount of dancers that attended.

Great faculty and very professional. Absolutely love that they have college scholarship opportunities for juniors and seniors. What a great opportunity for them!

This is the cream of the crop. Attending NYCDA this past summer was an inspiring experience beyond belief. I\'ve never left a comp/convention this inspired. Top-notch faculty in the classes. The kids that go there are excellent dancers, and you know that you have some serious talent and competition around you which is unlike any other place. The opportunities they give you with college scholarships and Broadway auditions is unlike any other competition. Fair judging, but they\'re tough (A good thing). Glad to say I\'ll be going back next year.

I love this competition!!! I highly recommend it to everyone for their professionalism We went to that\'s entertainment and they were HORRIBLE!!!! Rude and disorganized !! But this competition made us feel welcome and definitely had a better flow with awards and overall event !

Rating is for the convention only - we did not compete. Facility was spacious, so despite the large number of students in each level, there was plenty of room to move. Most teachers were engaging and gave good feedback. My dancer loved the Latin-inspired jazz piece they used for auditions - several from our studio taught it to their classmates later in the week because they wanted to keep doing it! We would definitely go back, and hope my studio considers competing next year.

Great faculty and people!! One of my favorites!!

My girls had a positive experience with NYCDA, overall. The teachers were top notch! My only concern was with the room monitor for the Mini\'s (Nashville). I did not know that there was a fee to watch my Mini (as I was not asked to pay a fee to watch my youngest daughter). The room monitor did not identify herself, but just kept asking me if I had a red bag. Long story short, the monitor got a little bit forceful and rude (with even my 7 yo commenting about the monitor\'s behavior). After purchasing a red bag, the staff explained that the bag is used instead of bracelets, to allow us watch our children as they are being taught. Not a big deal...once explained nicely. Perhaps a little better id of monitors and training on how to approach others would have been better option.This was our first NYCDA Convention, and I would love to attend another. I just hope my youngest stops talking about \"that rude lady\".

Best convention with best teachers. 100% class act all the way!

Love NYCDA - We look forward to it every year. We really missed Joe in Minneapolis this year!!

There was a lot of energy and learning. The teachers were wonderful!

So nice! Staff was great, nice venue, great crowd, great energy!

fantastic atmosphere focused on learning and collaborating in a comfortable way while preparing dancers for the stress of a real-world audition.

Great experience overall. Competition and convention ran smoothly. Venue (mobile convention center ,mobile al) was very nice and clean. Staff was helpful. Judges critiques were very inspiring and helpful. Lots of awards given which helps boost confidence of younger dancers. Video and photos were excellent.

Outstanding classes with a top notch faculty!! Always on time and beyond organized. This is a must attend each and every year!!!

Outstanding classes! My daughter said it was the most difficult convention she has done so far, & she LOVED it!! She got helpful feedback from almost every teacher & was able to come home & work on her own. The teacher that made her day: Chloe Arnold!!! What a great spirit of a woman. My daughter dances en pointe but she\'s a Hoofer at heart. Training with Chloe was life changing.

This is our favorite convention. We alway go to Philly to compete our group number and the meadowland to compete our solos and duos. They draw the best of the best and the competition is fierce.

Always enjoy NYCDA when they come to Nashville!! My daughter loves the classes and I love the vendors!!! :)

We love NYCDA! The classes are challenging with great instruction in ballet. The focus is on technique and the faculty really cares about the dancers. Joe\'s parent forum is something I look forward to. He answers the parents\' questions and gives great advice. We have been to nationals three times and the opportunities are unlike any other nationals we have attended - auditions, workshops and college scholarships. I highly recommend this convention and competition. The judges critiques are very constructive.

amazing competition! Its great for beginners and professionals as well. Staff was amazing, ran on time, rooms were not too over crowded, everything about this competiton was great! Highly recomend!

have attended the last two years and my daughter has absolutely enjoyed this convention. The combos are tough and challenging which provides for a great learning experience. She remembers her combos from two years ago! Teachers are very positive and really makes for a fun non threatening environment. The only con I have is I wish the class sizes were smaller. Typical for most conventions but the kids squish together to try and get noticed but that ends up giving them no room to dance and end up kicking each other. We will be back next year, still worth every penny!

As I write this review, I\'m incredibly torn. I love attending NYCDA. It\'s run well, the judging is hard but very fair, I have only ever encountered one teacher our girls didn\'t like, and their new venue for Buffalo is so much better. Now here\'s where they didn\'t earn the extra stars. It seems like the same kids are noticed and awarded every year. They also happen to be the same kids who attend multiple cities. I even spoke with a parent who said their studio director had taken recordings of the audition combos from online and taught it to their students before attending. Not surprisingly, they had a number of kids receiving scholarships. I\'m all for the hardest working kids winning, and I wouldn\'t say that is out-and-out cheating, but it is in a bit of a gray area. My last complaint is about the general atmosphere. It wasn\'t so competitive a few years ago, but it has gotten a bit cutthroat. On one hand you have people saying it\'s all about having fun and the experience. Then they lavish praise and attention on the kids who win. This isn\'t even sour grapes as my daughter was there on a scholarship she won last year. But she and her teammates noticed the big discrepancy in which kids were chosen for things, and which ones felt like just a part of the massive crowd. We\'ll definitely go back next year, I just hope some of these things improve.

The instruction was good and the combos were lovely. But it was inappropriately competitive for the younger dancers. Not all 11 year olds are going to be auditioning for professional jobs, and even those who are have years to learn the ins and outs of the business. No need to treat the kids like little adults. There was no effort to make it fun - it was all about work and getting ahead. The rooms were very crowded, which we have come to expect at conventions. So it was unfortunate that the instructors told the kids they should never mark anything and should always dance full out. A couple of dancers got kicked because people were dancing full out way too close together.

Overall great convention, tough competition which we appreciate.

Getting so ready...cant wait to go!!!

Used to love this convention but this year we were very disappointed to find out that TWO of the teams had already attended NYCDA in two different cities.This is unfair to our dancers because in the workshop the kids from the two teams already knew the combos EVEN including the audition combos. The kids from these teams who had already won scholarships we not allowed to audition however it still left more than half their teams auditioning the same combo they did in TWO other cities !!If you have TWO teams who have already attended TWICE and is attending for a third time in one season what is the harm in changing the audition combo? We felt so bad for the other kids in the room when they started to realize what a huge disadvantage they were put in having to audition with girls that had learned the combo twice already.The instructors knew many of them by first name & even asked them to assist saying telling the room how they already knew the combo anyway.These are the same instructors who judged the competition and now have worked with these teams three times. Part of competition is being judged on your teams first impression and not your third. Very unfortunate experience for our dancers as they are learning early that some teams will do anything and bend any rules to gain the advantage at all cost. They also witness the greediness of a circuit focused on money rather than honoring dancers. Shame on NYCDA for allowing this to happen this weekend at the expense of these children. Judges shouldn\'t be judging numbers for the third time now being able to see improvements and corrections.In this situation at the VERY least NYCDA should have at least changed the audition combo. What a ridiculous choice. Our team parents will make sure we no longer attend this one as what happen here was disrespectful to our dancers and why competition dance gets such a bad name. Heartbroken over the downward turn this convention has taken.

Loved NYCDA. Can\'t wait to attend the Nationals in NYC! Love the opportunities this organization gives to the dance world!

We had attended this in years past and it was challenging and fun experience. This was the 1st attending again after 3 years and it was ok. They say they are encouraging and positive experience, but I heard many instructors calling out the kids in a not so positive, encouraging way. I saw many confused faces on the students, who were struggling with the speed that they were showing the combos.

NYCDA is a good organization overall, but the convention atmosphere has taken a turn. This is our 3rd year coming as a mini. This year the room was too small much less room enough for observers who paid $55 to watch. I had to sit outside the room one of the days because it was so crowded. Also, no one can see the footwork that the teacher is showing because it is not set up well. The teachers themselves are great, but the atmosphere is lacking. I would rather pay more and get the bigger room so that it is a great experience rather than a fair experience.

We attended their regional convention and it was very good. Therefore, we attended their Nationals in NYC (made this our family vacation). Very disappointed in the extreme overcrowding. I understand that all conventions can be crowded but this one crossed the line and compromised safety. The space they rented was not adequate for the number of dancers that attended. Even the area outside of the dance rooms were so crowded with people after classes let out that you were working in a tight mob of people, taking baby steps, pressed up against others, until you were able to reach the stairs. The rooms were so overcrowded that is was not possible to dance even close to full out. Kids were being kicked and many looked frustrated. The stage was too low so therefore, if you were not tall, you could not see the stage. I feel that this could have been prevented by cutting off registration but I guess in the end, it is all about money. We won\'t be returning.

It was a fun convention. Good ballet. Did not like the Teens and seniors being in the same room, it was too crowded

A truly great convention. Seemingly attracts the best of the best. My daughter is looking forward to going to multiple NYCDA conventions next year!

We have attended twice and were impressed both times.

Been going to this convention in Pittsburgh for 20 years, always my favorite. Love Joe!

Excellent reputation among high skilled young dancers in northeast

We have done this Philly convention for 4 years. Joe Lanteri was not there this year and boy was the atmosphere different! Usually the atmosphere is exciting but this year it was blah. Joe\'s replacements didn\'t seem to know what they were doing nor were thy knowledgeable enough to talk about the wonderful things NYCDA has done and hopefully will continue to do. Quite disappointed this year.

Amazing competition and convention with very high quality instructors. Could not ask for anything more!

The level of competition here is always amazing. And the class instruction workshops are outstanding!

Always a favorite! Competition at NYCDA is always fierce, but no matter how the results turn out, the dancers enjoy themselves and can\'t wait to return in the next season.

Went to competition, ran smooth and judging seemed fair. Loved that special awards were given out to many many dancers! Great stage!

New york is so great and the dancers are so committed i loved it

Would like to see tap qualified judges or at least one to judge tap. Workshops too full!

Classes were fun for the kids.

I think one of the best conventions out there. The fact that they push college as much as or more than commercial work is amazing! The only reason I didn\'t give them 5 stars was due to their competition schedule this year: The venue we were at overbooked, so they were not able to have competition on Friday night. They had competition on Saturday starting at 3 or 4 and going until 1 am with two stages (one for solos/duets/trios and one for groups). I had to run back and forth between the two stages and even missed some of my dances because of it. I understand that this was most likely a one-time situation, but it was still unacceptable. Besides that, love the faculty, love the message, love the classes!

Relatively new to the convention/competition world but have attended a few now with my daughters. NYCDA has been our best experience, nothing has come close yet (from both parent and child perspective). I felt it had the most high-quality classes of the ones we have attended. The classes were not too large (full but the dancers could dance full out). Other positives: great stage and lightening for those doing competition, schedule was not insane (reasonable times), Variety in that the classes didn\'t \"run together\" in style and the teacher teaching the classes knew that genre of dance well. Very challenging but also fun and encouraging,technique was taught,excellent \"parent talks\" Professional, ran on time

Excellent classes! Students favorite workshops.

Great convention! I love they judge on technique. We will definitely be back.

Great dance convention!! We were at the Pittsburg PA location. Joe Is very down to earth and has great talks with the students and parents about why we all spend our time and money on dance. Very positive experience with Judging and fairness. Classes are great. They do go through the routines rather quickly in classes, but the choreography is very creative and age appropriate for mini level. We have already asked our teachers if we can return next year.

One of our favorite conventions, be prepared for a technique focused competition and convention. I love this for my daughter because their audition is based on both a ballet and jazz combo reinforcing the need to continue that ballet training and you are competing against the top dancers in the area. If you have never attended an NYCDA I highly recommend you add it to your list to try out.

Great well experienced teachers. They know what they are doing unlike many newbie New York conventions.

NYCDA was a very big competition but without the chaos, had a good time.

One of the toughest competitions we\'ve attended with full workshops, but its very organized and professional my daughter learned alot and enjoyed herself. I loved shopping at the vendors :)

Very busy convention with high quality teachers. Interesting that some feel they favor contemporary, my impression is that they are far more traditional (w the exception of Joey D).

Excellent convention & competition. Great learning experience and fun for the kids! One of the best around!

This will be our first year attending but everyone I've talked with absolutey loves this comp and workshop!

We really enjoyed this convention. The teachers were all exceptional - passionate, serious and really pushed the kids to focus. The audition process was a great learning experience as well. The assistants were really inspiring too.

Our favorite! The teachers are great, and the ballrooms are full but not as crazy crowded as the other convention we usually go to.

Good convention. Very tough competition!

Great convention! Joe lanteri does a great job getting great teachers and putting together a great experience for the kids, even though i believe it is very contemporary driven. (contemporary, contemporary jazz, contemporary ballet, etc.) however I feel the competition side suffers, awards is very plain and dry. And like I said before about contemporary driven, the judges are usually contemporary teachers/choreographers. Giving less chances to the routines that are not contemporary of getting scored on par. Lets face it we always root for the home team. But all in all this comp is good for the advanced experienced solo dancers, and not so much the group performing studios

Great competition and convention!

We never miss this convention. We do not compete at this one because we focus more on the classes and learning. We do compete at their sister competition Onstage NY. Highly recommend both!!

Only attended the convention, but it was very good. Though crowded the instructors did their best to split the group in half and have the front section sit down every once in a while so the back could see. The convention was run well and there was a very positive vibe throughout the weekend.

LOVE this convention! My kids walk away with so much and feel so inspired!!!

Enjoyed the convention just too crowded! Please split the kids up.

It\'s ok. Rude instructors, overcrowded rooms; not enough room for all kids to dance at once. Didn\'t do the competition.

Liked NYCDA. Good classes and competition. Very crowded, especially in the teen and senior room.

Haven\'t done competition, but the convention is great. My only wish is that they would split the Teen/Seniors into two rooms as it is too crowded and I think the kids would benefit more if there were 200 in the room as opposed to 400.

Love the message that all the instructors send to the kids-large classes but they had the kids change lines and used small groups. Great staff my kids like every class and felt they learned alot Can\'t comment on competition as they do not allow independents to compete here .

Great experience.