What a competition is
At a competition, each routine takes the stage and is scored by a judging panel on technique, performance, and choreography. Scores map to an adjudication tier (like gold or platinum) and to overall placements within an age and level division. It is about the finished product — a polished routine measured against a standard and against other routines.
What a convention is
A convention is training, not a performance: dancers spend a weekend taking master classes from guest faculty across genres — jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, ballet, and more. Many conventions add a scholarship audition, where faculty teach a combination, watch the room live, and select dancers for recognition, scholarships, or invitations. It judges a dancer’s potential and trainability, not a rehearsed routine.
Why studios do both
The two serve different goals, so most competitive studios do both — often at the same weekend event, since many production companies run a convention and a competition together. The competition is where the team’s routines earn results; the convention is where dancers grow, get seen by industry faculty, and chase scholarships. Budget and calendar planning should account for both, because the fees are separate.
More questions, answered
Do you get judged at a convention?
In the classes themselves, no — you are there to train. But most conventions include a separate scholarship audition where faculty evaluate dancers live and make selections. That audition judges the individual dancer’s potential, unlike a competition, which scores a finished routine.
Are competitions and conventions always separate events?
Often they are combined — many production companies run a convention and a competition on the same weekend, so a studio travels once and does both. Some events are competition-only or convention-only, so check what a given event includes.
Which matters more for a dancer’s growth?
They complement each other. Competitions build performance experience and results; conventions build technique, versatility, and industry exposure. Dancers aiming at professional or college paths especially benefit from the training and connections a convention offers.
Do conventions cost extra on top of competition fees?
Yes — convention registration is a separate per-dancer fee from competition entry fees, even when the two run at the same event. Factor both into the season budget.
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