WELCOME TO DECADANCE!

DECAdance Competition and "un"convention is a celebration of artists and the families who love them. We created this experience not just for competitors, but to honor the educators, choreographers, studio owners, adjudicators, teachers and parents who make the dance community what it is.

EXPERIENCE THE DECADIFFERENCE

Serving all size studios with our competitions and educational experiences, we love what we do here at DECAdance. We built our DECADistinctions based on years of conversations with studio owners and teachers, providing an experience for dance communities that includes the following:

DIVERSE FOUR-JUDGE PANEL: staffed with a combination of in-house DECAdance adjudicators and pre-screened professional judges from Impact Dance Adjudicators to ensure expertise in every genre - tap, hip hop and acro included

GENRE SPECIFIC ADJUDICATION: proprietary scoring system with weighted technique scores from specialty judge in each genre

LIVE CRITIQUES FOR SOLOISTS: from the specialty judge designated to their genre

SKILL BASED LEVELS: determined by skillset rather than hours in the studio and monitored at each event by a fifth judge

SEASONED ROUTINE MONITOR: a fifth judge to monitor genres and levels and move routines as necessary (yes, we really move routines - with no penalty. This ensures the fairest competition for all, and ensures every dancer receives the best adjudication for them.)

DESIGNATED SPECIALS JUDGE: our Routine Monitor chooses DECA specific awards, FACES OF DECA invitees and crafts unique Specials on site for each event

COMPLIMENTARY MEDIA: password protected media just for your studio, delivered in organized folders following your event

COMPLIMENTARY TITLE at regional events for Intermediate and Advanced dancers

COMPLIMENTARY MEALS: designated teacher/studio owner area with real meals, grab n go snacks + coffee

LIMITED CAPACITY EVENTS planned with intention and care to prioritize safety (and fun!) - no sunrise start times or late awards

O’MARA SPRUNG FLOOR: returning energy and momentum to dancers all day to promote safety and whole body health

UNIQUE SCHOLARSHIPS to our fall "un"conventions with live music and our industry networking event FACES OF DECA

TENURED, BACKGROUND CHECKED TEAM made up of dancers, artists and industry professionals who absolutely love what we do

PASSIONATE ABOUT PEOPLE

We believe that helping artists feel seen and respected is the path to a healthy industry. Adjudicators, teachers and studio owners who attend DECAdance events are treated with utmost respect and consideration.

Every event includes a designated space for teachers and studio owners to regroup and recharge. The teacher and studio owner space always contains coffee, water, drinks and grab 'n' go snacks. We even provide meals for teachers and studio owners the same way we feed our team! Healthy dance educators make for healthier communities and this is our way of thanking you for your constant dedication and support of all our DECAdancers.

WAYS TO DANCE WITH US!

2024 Fall "un"conventions

Our dance conventions have always included specialty genres like Latin ballroom and Bollywood. This year, we'll add live music to these classes and pair them with the broader genres that have been influenced by them for a unique learning experience. Think: Latin fusion and jazz dance, or African dance and tap dance. Our educators will focus on quality of movement, musicality, dynamics, and rhythm during each class rather than spending the majority of it on a choreo combo. We'll be sending dancers home with practices they can implement into their training on a day to day basis, empowering them to take charge of their training and get everything they can out of their classes at the studio.

Mini Mayhem: 10.27.24

DECAdance proudly hosts a signature event each October just for minis and petites. Dancers under the age of nine have a full convention day dedicated to their age group called DECAdance Mini Mayhem. Halloween customes are worn, giggles abound, and our guest teachers are carefully selected so that our youngest dancers have classes with educators who specifically work with this age group. We bring in special guests, order plenty of pizza, offer surprise bonus activities and of course - we host a huge dance party at the end of the day (seriously, does it get any better?)

2025 Competition Season

Our 2025 regional tour includes 15 cities across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and Georgia ending with a Nationals event in the Poconos! Our competitions include a unique four-judge panel with genre-specific adjudication, live critiques for soloists and a sprung O'Mara floor.

In-Studio Events

We provide customized in-studio educational events that can include everything from ballet to Bollywood! Prepare for Nationals with a customized cleaning package that backs up the teachers while the dancers apply judges feedback in real time. Or host a studio-specific convention with our seasoned specialty educators who can provide very specific technique classes for acro contortion, several different styles of hip hop, tap dance and music theory or even musical theater (with singing!)

Past events have even included a mock competition with live critiques for every piece, including groups; mock auditions with specialized feedback, and genre-specific masterclasses!

RECEIVE OUR DECADELIVERY

Our bi-weekly email newsletter called the DECADelivery is dropped every other Tuesday! We include dance product and podcast recommendations, studio highlights and teacher tips, DECAdates to remember plus ways to stay connected throughout the season.