Costume Competition: What It Is, Where It’s Run and How It’s Judged

An extra award at a United States dance-studio competition in which the costume worn in a solo or group routine is judged alongside the performance, with a separate Top 3 named for solos and for groups.

A Costume Competition is the part of a dance weekend where what the dancers wear is placed on the results sheet in its own right. Nothing extra is performed for it. A dancer or a team enters the award in advance, then dances an ordinary routine, and the costume is judged during that same performance. It sits beside the Title Competition and the Headshot Competition as one of three extra events a studio can add on top of the normal programme, and it gives a routine a second way to be recognised even when it does not finish in the top places in its dance category.

The rule set eTalenter holds for this award is short. It says the entry must be made before the performance, either online when the studio registers or on site at the event, that all registered entries are judged for costume during their solo or group performance, and that the Top 3 are named separately. For solos there is a Top 3 for dancers aged eleven and under and another for twelve and over. For groups there is a single Top 3 across all age divisions combined. It also notes that costume entries, like title and headshot entries, may still be added at the venue after the main entry window has closed.

What the rules do not print matters as much as what they do. There is no list of judging headings, no marks for fit, colour, construction or suitability, no statement of who on the panel scores the costume, and no costume-specific limits on what may be worn. The general conduct rules do ask studios not to use costumes, props or themes tied to cultural or physical violence in children’s events, and that applies to every routine whether or not it is entered for the award. Entrants who want to know how costume is weighed should ask the organiser rather than assume.

For a coordinator the practical job is to keep the award attached to the right routines. Every entry is linked to a solo or group routine that is already scheduled, so the costume panel sees the same performances as the routine judges, and the Top 3 can be built from the same session. eTalenter installs the contest as three groups, a solo group for eleven and under, a solo group for twelve and over, and one all-ages team group, each open to both genders and marked out of 100 by default. First, Second and Third carry no points because none are printed, and no criteria are installed because none are printed either.

Where Costume Competition is run

In the templates eTalenter holds, the Costume Competition appears in one place: a 2026-2027 United States dance-studio alliance rule set, where it is one of three extra events outside the 22 performance categories. It is a studio-circuit add-on run alongside a weekend of routines, not a school festival item or a stand-alone costume-design contest. Another regional rule set from the same family of events mentions a costume award among its special awards, but it does not print how it is judged, so it is not treated as a second source.

• United States

Key facts

• Judged during an ordinary solo or group routine, so there is no separate stage time, music or routine to prepare
• Entry is made before the performance, online at registration or on site at the event
• Solo costume: a separate Top 3 for 11 and under and for 12 and over, as printed
• Group costume: a single Top 3 across all age divisions combined, as printed
• No judging headings, marks or costume rules are printed, so eTalenter installs no criteria; each entry is out of 100 by default
• First, Second and Third are installed with 0 points, since the rule set prints no points for placings

On eTalenter, Costume Competition is filed under Dance and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.

Across the templates that use it, Costume Competition is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100.

What judges look at in Costume Competition

What a Costume Competition panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• The rule set prints no costume criteria, so a panel is left to judge what the costume does for the routine. The safest reading is that the outfit should suit the dance style and the theme of the piece, and look as though it was chosen for this routine rather than pulled from a drawer
• Fit and condition: a costume that is clean, pressed, sized to the dancer and securely fastened reads as finished. Hanging threads, loose sequins, rolled waistbands and straps that slip are the quickest ways to lose ground, especially in a solo where the whole outfit is seen at once
• Construction and quality of materials, as seen from the audience: fabric that holds its shape under stage light, trims that are attached firmly and colours that do not look different from the back of the room
• Movement: a costume is being judged on a dancer who is moving, so it should not restrict the choreography, ride up or hide the line of the body. Judges see how it behaves in a turn and a jump, not just standing still
• Age-appropriateness: the solo Top 3 is split at eleven and under and twelve and over, which suggests designs suited to the dancer’s age band. A choice that is ordinary for a teen can look out of place on a young child, and the reverse
• Group unity: in a group the costume is judged as a whole, so matching, consistent and well-coordinated outfits count, while an intentional contrast between dancers needs to look planned, not accidental

Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Costume Competition under Scoring Setup, or start from the full group dance competition judging criteria guide.

How to prepare for Costume Competition

How entrants and their teachers usually get Costume Competition right on the day:

• Ask the organiser early how costume is judged, who judges it and whether any size, colour or theme restrictions apply. The printed rules do not say, and a short reply from the event team is better than guessing
• Enter the award at registration if you can, since entries made online sit with the rest of the studio’s file. If you add it on site, do so before the routine is called, because the entry must be in place prior to the performance
• Pick one costume per routine and rehearse in it at least twice before the event, including full run-throughs, so you find any strap that slips or fabric that catches before the day
• Pack a repair kit: safety pins, a needle and matching thread, fabric glue, spare hooks and eyes, and a lint roller. Check every seam and fastening after the last rehearsal, not on the way to the stage
• Look at the costume under bright light and from a distance, ideally in a photo or video, to see which details carry and which disappear. Strong colour and clean shapes usually read better from the back of a theatre than fine detail
• For groups, appoint one person to check the whole team in the wings: matching tights and shoes, hair, accessories and any hand-made pieces. Small inconsistencies are easier to spot in a line than in one dancer
• If you did not place, look at the winners’ routines and compare how their costumes fitted the dance style, how clean the finish was and how they moved, then adjust the next design rather than simply spending more

Frequently asked questions

Is Costume Competition judged individually or as a team?

Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.

What is a Costume Competition at a dance competition?

It is an extra award in which the costume worn in a solo or group routine is judged during that routine. Nothing additional is performed. The rule set eTalenter holds says all registered entries are judged for costume during their performance and that a Top 3 is named.

How is the Costume Competition scored?

The rules print no judging headings and no marks per heading, only that costume is judged during the routine and that Top 3 results are named. eTalenter installs each entry out of 100 by default, and a coordinator can add headings of their own for the panel.

What are the age divisions?

Solo costume has two divisions, 11 and under and 12 and over, each with its own Top 3. Group costume has one division, with all ages combined and a single Top 3.

Can I enter on the day of the event?

The rule set says costume entries may be added on site, but they must be made before the performance, so enter before the routine is called.

Do I need to be in a routine to enter the Costume Competition?

Yes. The award is judged during a solo or group routine, so it can only be entered for a routine that is being performed.

Is the Costume Competition the same as the Title or Headshot contest?

No. The Title Competition judges a solo on technique and overall presentation, and the Headshot Competition judges a photograph. The Costume Competition judges the outfit during a solo or group routine. They are three separate extra events.

Want the full judging picture? Read the full group dance competition judging criteria guide, or browse every dance competition item.