COMPETITION

2025-2026 COMPETITION RATES

The competition fees below do not include our NEW mandatory Media Package rates, priced per dancer. These can be found underneath the competition fees below.

Dance Studios/Studio Directors may apply their own additional administrative and overhead fees.

MEDIA PACKAGES by C EVENT PICS

NEW THIS SEASON

Velocity Dance Convention is proud to continue our partnership with C EVENT PICS to bring dancers an exciting new media experience!

All competing dancers will now receive access to professional Photo & Video coverage of all their routines throughout the entire Regional Tour. This per-dancer Media Package includes content from every regional city in which the dancer competes.
Please note: Season Finale will require a separate Media Package fee.

A $45 Media Fee per dancer will be added to registration. This fee is required for all competing dancers at Velocity.

🎥 What You’ll Get:

Faster turnaround on media delivery
Personalized access for each dancer via a unique code
All content available through our new & improved Media Page (launching soon!)

We’re thrilled to offer this elevated experience and can’t wait for you to take home your memories from the season!

EXTENDED ROUTINE TIME POLICY

Studios may purchase up to 3 additional minutes for any Group, Line, Extended Line, or Production routine at a rate of $5 per dancer, per additional minute. To request additional time, please contact us at info@VelocityDanceConvention.com prior to the event.

Solos & Duo/Trios have time limits and additional fees are listed above on our chart.

⚠️ Please note: Point deductions will be applied to any routine that exceeds the time limit without prior adjustment.

CITY DEADLINES & COMPETITION LIMITS

Please click your city HERE for each registration deadline and event competition limits.

Velocity only allows one solo per dancer at Regional events. If a city is not sold out, we will inform studios registered to allow two solos per dancer. If this is the case, a dancer must compete a different genre for each solo and can only place in the top 10 once.

DEPOSITS

For competition routines. we are requiring a non- refundable and non-transferrable deposit. As you are starting your registration, you will be required to enter the quantity of routines you are planning on registering to compete. The deposit is $50.00 per routine. This deposit cannot be transferred to another event or credited to your account.

Deposits for studios will not be bypassed.

Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferrable.

Velocity will allow studios to forfeit up to 10 routines from what was entered in the quantity of routines for the deposit section. Any routine forfeited past 10 routines will be charged an additional $50.00 per routine that was not fulfilled and scratched. This charge will be in addition to the deposit made on the routines and your final balance.

ROUTINE FORFEIT POLICY

Studios are permitted to forfeit up to 10 routines from the originally submitted / reserved routine count during the deposit stage without penalty.

Any forfeited routine beyond the initial 10 will incur an additional fee of $50 per routine. This charge is in addition to the routine deposit and will be reflected in your final balance.

PAYMENTS

No personal checks, Canadian checks, or Cash are accepted.

Please send one studio check for all Workshop fees, and a separate studio check for Competition fees.

There will be a $35.00 fee for all returned checks.

All major credit cards are accepted: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.

Letter size envelopes only please. No boxes or large envelopes that need to be signed for.

Make all checks payable to:

Velocity Dance Convention

11159A South Towne Square

St. Louis, MO 63123

COMPETITION AGE DIVISIONS

There must be 3+ routines in each category division to qualify for cash awards.

All age categories are based off of the average age of each duo/trio or group. To reach the average age, add the ages of all the dancers together, then divide by the number of dancers in the routine.

When figuring out the average age of a routine, we drop the decimal.

Names, ages, and birth dates of all dancers must appear in the registration system, or it will not be accepted.

In the unlikely event a dancer’s age needs verification, Birth Certificates must be available upon request.

All ages, Convention & Competition, are determined as of January 1st, 2026. (For example: Ages for November 2025 events will be as of January 1st 2026, and ages for March 2026 events will be as of January 1st 2026.)

COMPETITION RULES

In order to compete, a dancer must be registered for convention classes as a two day attendee. One day dancers are not eligible to compete.

Regional competition may be limited due to time constraints, as we will not limit convention classes to add space for more competition. In cities with high numbers of entries, some competition may begin on Friday morning. Competition can begin as early as 7:00am on Fridays and may run as late as 11:30 PM, with awards following. While we acknowledge that these extended hours are not ideal, they reflect the demands of quantity of entries from clients. Refunds are not offered. Please be aware of this if you are planning on competing.

Velocity only allows one solo per dancer at Regional events. If a city is not sold out, we will inform studios registered to allow two solos per dancer. If this is the case, a dancer must compete a different genre for each solo and can only place in the top 10 once.

All ages, Convention & Competition, are determined as of January 1st, 2026. (For example: Ages for November 2025 events will be as of January 1st 2026, and ages for March 2026 events will be as of January 1st 2026.)

Any group routine may age up into the next age bracket. We do not allow anyone to age down.

All entries must register online HERE.

No entries will be accepted via email.

No entries will be accepted by phone.

All entries must be registered by the registration cut-off date. (Information located under the Tour Dates page)

We do not offer live streaming of our competition. We do this to protect the artistry of the choreographer and the safety of the dancers.

Prop set up cannot be longer than 1 minute in length.

Holding dances out of performance order to run routines or other circumstances that are in your control will result in point deductions. Circumstances such as injuries or illness will not receive any point deductions.

INDEPENDENT SOLOS

If you are registered as an “Independent”, you are not eligible to compete a solo.

MUSIC REQUIREMENTS

All music MUST be uploaded 48 hours prior to each event. You may upload your music online under the competition portion of your online registration

To upload music, log into your Velocity registration and select "Media Manager" under the correct city/location. MP3 and MP4 files are accepted. Once uploaded you can preview your music.

Teachers should have a back-up for every entry on hand. The only accepted form of music backup is on a USB-C drive.

COMPETITION GENRES

ADJUDICATION SYSTEM

All entries receiving a Gold award or higher, will be eligible for the 2026 Velocity Dance Convention Season Finale.

POINTS SYSTEM & AWARDS

All ties will be broken; first by the technique score, second by the performance score, and third by a judges’ poll.

In addition to the adjudicated awards, an overall 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place award will be given to the entries with the highest score in each division: Mini, Junior, Intermediate, Teen, Senior, and Pro-Am.

Choreography awards will be presented to the most outstanding choreography in the Mini/Junior/Intermediate and Teen/Senior divisions.

All Adjudication awards will not be handed out on stage. Instead, we will have an award box for each studio to pick up their awards at the end of each Regional weekend. Awards that are not picked up will not be mailed to the studio.

PROPS

General props are permitted. Ceiling heights vary in each venue. Please contact the Velocity Dance Convention Office if you are concerned with the size of a prop.

No dangerous props (Examples: fire, swords, guns, sparklers, etc.)

No use of live animals.

Depending on the venue, Velocity Dance Convention may not be able to store props during the 2024 - 2025Regional Season.

No use of water, paint, food, onstage.

If helium balloons are used in a routine they cannot be released.

Velocity is not responsible if a prop does not fit through the venues doors to the stage area. If your prop needs more than a single door entry, please be sure to contact info@velocitydanceconvention.com to ensure that this possible for the city you are attending.

FRIDAY COMPETITION

When registering for competition you agree to solos, duo/trios, and groups competing as early as 7:00 am on Friday. We will always start with solos and/or duo/trios before any groups will perform.

Photography and Video recording from any media devices (i.e. digital cameras, cell phones, SLR’s, Flip, etc.) is strictly prohibited during classes and competition. This is to enforce the children’s safety and privacy, as well as protecting the work of choreographers and faculty. We offer professional photo and video services at each of our events.

Any guest not complying with these procedures will lead in point deductions and could result in disqualification. No Exceptions.

We’re revamping our Photo & Video Media experience for the upcoming season! While you can still expect the same high-quality coverage you’ve come to love from C EVENT PICS + Velocity, we’re introducing fresh new packages designed to elevate your memories even further. See above under Competition Fees or visit our Media Page for more details.

DIGITAL MEDIA

STAGE

40' Wide x 28' Deep Danceable space - approximately 8' of additional off stage wing space on each side of our MAIN STAGE.

Our secondary stages (in cities where this applies) may be limited to only 40' Wide x 28' Deep that is a accessible directly by stairs. No additional side wing decks maybe present for these second stages.

Total MAIN STAGE deck space 28’x56’ & Marley dance floor

Professional audio including on stage monitors and professional lighting for all performance routines.

Tap mics will be located downstage during the competition.

Professional stage decking will be elevated between 2' - 3' off the ballroom floor. Stairs will lead up to the off stage wing area. The wings provide approximately 8' of additional deck space (off-stage) on each side (Stage Right and Stage Left).

Velocity provides hand rails on each side of the staging which can be removed for easy access to large props. For the safety of all performers, the hand rails must be placed back for all performances.

AWARD BOXES

Adjudication awards (Silver, Gold, High Gold, Platinum) are not distributed during on-stage award ceremonies. Instead, they will be collected and presented to the Studio Owner on the final day of the event.

Awards will be available for pickup at the Velocity Registration Area beginning after lunch on the last day of classes.

⚠️ Please note: Unclaimed awards will not be shipped after the event. It is the responsibility of each studio to collect their awards onsite.

THE FINE PRINT. . .

Velocity reserves the right to change rules and regulations at any time without notice.

Only Studio Directors and Teachers are allowed backstage. Parents are allowed to assist with props but only at the direction of their studio owner. Dances will be disqualified if this rule is not followed.

No changing areas/dressing rooms can be set up backstage or in undesignated areas without the approval from Velocity.

Dancers may compete in more than one city per season. However, each routine may only be competed at one regional city per season if the routine placed 1st overall.

Routines must be age appropriate, and suitable for family viewing. If judges deem routine inappropriate, point deduction or disqualification may occur.

General lifts are permitted.

Teachers are not permitted to perform with students.

Competing dancers must perform in their scheduled order, unless permission is given by Velocity Dance Convention to hold a number to allow time for costume changes. No Exceptions.

Competition order will not be altered to allow for rehearsal time, or pre-performance run-thrus. This can lead to point deduction or disqualification of the routine. No Exceptions.

Decisions made by the judges are final.

Velocity Dance Convention is not responsible for any music that is not picked up.

There will be reserved seating for all teachers with competing numbers.

Visual coaching is strictly prohibited

No Refunds. No Exceptions. Studio credits are up to the sole discretion of Velocity Dance Convention.