Star Dance Alliance Dance Competitions — US Studio Dance Competition: 22 Categories, Three Levels, Six Age Divisions, Grand Lines and Title, Headshot and Costume Awards

Cultural & Folk Festival · North America & Caribbean

US studio dance competition rules for the 2026-2027 season: 22 performance categories from jazz, ballet and hip hop to pom, cheerleading and vocal, for solos, duet/trios, small groups, large groups, lines and grand lines, by Showcase, Competitive and Elite level and six age divisions from Mini to 20 & Over, plus Title, Headshot and Costume competitions.

A ready-made US studio dance competition for soloists, duets, groups and whole studios: twenty-two categories, three skill levels, six age divisions, a studio-wide grand line and three extra awards, with time limits and placings set up from the 2026-2027 rules.

This template sets up a US studio dance competition built from one organiser group’s 2026-2027 rules and regulations, read in full and compared with the previous season’s edition. It has 25 items: the 22 performance categories the rules print, which are Acro/Gymnastics, Ballet, Pointe, Ballroom, Baton, Character, Cheerleading, Clogging, Contemporary, Drill Team, Folkloric, Hip Hop, Jazz, Lip Sync, Lyrical, Modern, Musical Theater, Open, Pom, Song and Dance, Tap and Vocal, plus three extra competitions: the Title Competition, the Headshot Competition and the Costume Competition. Every item has its own page on this site with the printed entry sizes, time limits and scoring, so this page concentrates on how the whole event fits together.

Entries are organised on three axes. By size there are six entry types: a solo of one performer, a duet or trio of two to three, a small group of four to nine, a large group of ten to nineteen, a line of twenty or more, and a grand line, which is a studio routine of twenty or more dancers across all ages and levels. By age there are six overall divisions, counted on 31 December: Mini 5 and under, Petite 6 to 8, Junior 9 to 11, Teen 12 to 14, Senior 15 to 19 and 20 and Over. A group competes at its average age with no rounding, and any routine other than a grand line with a performer aged 20 or over competes in the 20 and Over division at Elite level; grand lines use only two divisions, 11 and Under and 12 and Over. By level there are Showcase (the entry level), Competitive and Elite, and a routine’s level follows its dancers: the dancer for a solo, the highest level in a duet or trio, and a one-third rule for groups.

The template installs 92 groups. Five routine entry types each have 16 groups, three levels across the five youngest divisions plus an Elite-only 20 and Over group, which makes 80; the two grand line groups bring the routine total to 82; the Title Competition has five groups by age (5 and under, 6 to 8, 9 to 11, 12 to 14 and 15 to 19); the Headshot Competition has two (11 and under, 12 and over); and the Costume Competition has three, a solo costume group for each of the two age bands plus one all-ages group costume award. Because the rules do not print which category runs in which division, every printed category is installed in every group of an entry type, with Pointe in Elite groups only because the rules reserve it for that level, and grand lines carry every category except Pointe. The organiser then removes whatever a particular regional event does not run.

Time limits as printed are 2 minutes 45 seconds for solos and duet/trios, 3 minutes for small groups, 4 minutes for large groups, 4 minutes 30 seconds for lines and 7 minutes for grand lines. Each judge has 100 points to allocate, so the installed maximum is 100 per routine; the highest-scoring routine in each age and performance category takes first place, and overall awards are ranked within level, genre and age division. The rules print no judging criteria or marks per heading for routines, no named adjudication levels and no points for placings, so routine items carry no criteria, and First, Second and Third are installed with 0 points. The Title Competition is the exception: it is open to Competitive and Elite soloists, judged on equal parts technique and overall presentation, and installed as 50 marks each, with the top three named in each age division. Entry counts per dancer, extra performance time, penalties for overrunning, fees, music and prop rules, championship qualification and the non-competitive celebration level are left to the registration content the coordinator publishes, and rules are reissued every season, so check the current edition before reusing groups or timings.

Where this event is run

Studio dance competitions that group routines by category, entry size, age division and skill level, then name placings within each division and add a studio-wide grand line and a small set of extra awards, are a well-established format in the United States, where studios enter soloists, small groups, lines and whole-studio routines across a regional season. This template follows one organiser group’s 2026-2027 rules and suits any studio, convention or regional competition that wants three skill levels, every entry size from solo to grand line and Title, Headshot and Costume awards in one structure, without hand-building ninety groups.

• United States

Key facts

• 25 items: 22 performance categories (Acro/Gymnastics to Vocal) plus the Title, Headshot and Costume competitions
• 92 groups: 5 routine entry types x 16 groups (three levels in five age divisions, plus Elite-only 20 and Over), 2 grand line groups, 5 Title age groups, 2 Headshot groups and 3 Costume groups
• Levels: Showcase, Competitive and Elite, set by the dancers; Pointe is installed in Elite groups only, and grand lines carry every category except Pointe
• Age divisions on 31 December: Mini 5 and under, Petite 6-8, Junior 9-11, Teen 12-14, Senior 15-19, 20 and Over (Elite only); grand lines use 11 and Under and 12 and Over
• Printed time limits: 2:45 for solos and duet/trios, 3:00 small groups, 4:00 large groups, 4:30 lines, 7:00 grand lines; Title, Headshot and Costume print none
• Each judge has 100 points, installed as a maximum of 100; the Title Competition is split 50 technique and 50 overall presentation, and First, Second and Third carry 0 points

Age groups

92

Competition items

25

Competitions

1762

Grade bands

0

Rank awards

3

Age groups

Every candidate is placed into one of these groups by age, and competitions are run per group.

Solo Showcase Mini

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Solo Competitive Mini

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Solo Elite Mini

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Solo Showcase Petite

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Solo Competitive Petite

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Solo Elite Petite

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Solo Showcase Junior

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Solo Competitive Junior

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Solo Elite Junior

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Solo Showcase Teen

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Solo Competitive Teen

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Solo Elite Teen

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Solo Showcase Senior

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Solo Competitive Senior

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Solo Elite Senior

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Solo Elite 20 & Over

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Duet/Trio Showcase Mini

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Duet/Trio Competitive Mini

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Duet/Trio Elite Mini

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Duet/Trio Showcase Petite

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Duet/Trio Competitive Petite

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Duet/Trio Elite Petite

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Duet/Trio Showcase Junior

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Duet/Trio Competitive Junior

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Show all 92 age groups

Duet/Trio Elite Junior

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Duet/Trio Showcase Teen

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Duet/Trio Competitive Teen

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Duet/Trio Elite Teen

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Duet/Trio Showcase Senior

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Duet/Trio Competitive Senior

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Duet/Trio Elite Senior

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Duet/Trio Elite 20 & Over

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Candidates aged 20 to 120 compete in this group

Small Group Showcase Mini

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Small Group Competitive Mini

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Small Group Elite Mini

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Small Group Showcase Petite

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Small Group Competitive Petite

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Small Group Elite Petite

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Small Group Showcase Junior

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Small Group Competitive Junior

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Small Group Elite Junior

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Small Group Showcase Teen

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Small Group Competitive Teen

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Small Group Elite Teen

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Small Group Showcase Senior

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Small Group Competitive Senior

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Small Group Elite Senior

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Small Group Elite 20 & Over

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Candidates aged 20 to 120 compete in this group

Large Group Showcase Mini

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Large Group Competitive Mini

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Large Group Elite Mini

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Large Group Showcase Petite

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Large Group Competitive Petite

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Large Group Elite Petite

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Large Group Showcase Junior

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Large Group Competitive Junior

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Large Group Elite Junior

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Large Group Showcase Teen

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Large Group Competitive Teen

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Large Group Elite Teen

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Large Group Showcase Senior

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Large Group Competitive Senior

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Large Group Elite Senior

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Candidates aged 15 to 19 compete in this group

Large Group Elite 20 & Over

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Candidates aged 20 to 120 compete in this group

Line Showcase Mini

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Line Competitive Mini

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Line Elite Mini

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Line Showcase Petite

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Line Competitive Petite

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Line Elite Petite

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Line Showcase Junior

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Line Competitive Junior

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Line Elite Junior

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Line Showcase Teen

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Line Competitive Teen

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Line Elite Teen

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Line Showcase Senior

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Line Competitive Senior

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Line Elite Senior

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Line Elite 20 & Over

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Grand Line 11 & Under

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Grand Line 12 & Over

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Title 5 & Under

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Title 6-8

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Title 9-11

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Title 12-14

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Title 15-19

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Headshot 11 & Under

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Headshot 12 & Over

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Solo Costume 11 & Under

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Solo Costume 12 & Over

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Group Costume All Ages

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Competition items

The events themselves — each with the category it belongs to and how judges score it.

Acro/Gymnastics

DanceMarks

Ballet

DanceMarks

Pointe

DanceMarks

Ballroom

DanceMarks

Baton

DanceMarks

Character

DanceMarks

Cheerleading

DanceMarks

Clogging

DanceMarks

Contemporary

DanceMarks

Drill Team

DanceMarks

Folkloric

DanceMarks

Hip Hop

DanceMarks

Jazz

DanceMarks

Lip Sync

DanceMarks

Lyrical

DanceMarks

Modern

DanceMarks

Musical Theater

DanceMarks

Open

DanceMarks

Pom

DanceMarks

Song and Dance

DanceMarks

Tap

DanceMarks

Vocal

MusicMarks

Title Competition

DanceMarks

Headshot Competition

OthersMarks

Show all 25 items

Costume Competition

DanceMarks