ADC|IBC

Final

General

Reviewer:

Parent

Dancer Age:

Competition experience:

More than 10

Event Details

Round:

Final

Season:

2025-26

Location:

St. Petersburg, FL

Entry affiliation:

School

Rules Easy to Access?

Yes

Did Dancer Miss School?

Yes

Days of school missed:

Attended master classes:

Yes

Master Classes

Master Class Types:

Technique, Contemporary, Variations

Distance from venue:

Less than five miles away

Received corrections:

Yes

How corrections were given:

Corrections were more general for the whole group, but my dancer receives some individual technique corrections, All dancers also have some time to run their compulsory variation one by one and they received specific deedback

What corrections were about:

Very professional language

Anatomical language:

Yes

Correction tone:

Positive, Neutral

Teacher engagement:

Most of the time very engaged teachers. Different style but all of them very professional

Crowding:


Really Crowded	Plenty of Room to Move

Master Class Feedback

Technique:

Contemporary:

Variations:

Additional master class comments:

Performance Details

Venue name:

Mahaffey Theatre

Venue description:

Beautiful venue

Stage description:

Good flooring but as usual in competitions, some dancers use water or rosin and makes it challenging

Off-stage warm-up space:

Not warm up off stage area. Kids warm up at the lobby

Dressing rooms:

Dressing rooms are label for male and female dancers

Parents in dressing rooms:

Male dressing room:

Yes

Parents backstage:

Onstage warm-up:

She was at the lobby, no complains but very distracting

Schedule adherence:

Tended to mostly run on time

Staff communication:

Parent seminar offered:

Yes

Parent Education

Seminar content:

I did not attend. It was more for dancers

Seminar helpful:

Why (not) helpful:

N/a

Judging

Judging rubric clarity:

Judges' attentiveness:

Yes, all judges were actively watching

Feedback turnaround:

More than a week after the competition

Type of Feedback:

The school keep the scores and analyze them with each dancer

Feedback helpfulness:


Not Helpful At All	Extremely Helpful

Main takeaway:

Positive and encouraging

Scoring felt fair:

Why Scoring Unfair?

I can’t say whether the actual scores are being manipulated because we don’t have access to enough information to make that claim. But the placements are another story. Some of the results are so questionable that it is difficult to believe placement is based strictly on what happens on stage. At times, it feels like the scoring may be one thing while the final placement reflects something very different. When dancers with comparable—or even stronger—performances consistently end up behind others for reasons that aren’t clear, it naturally raises serious questions about how those placements are determined. So if you attend, expect the unexpected—especially when it comes to placements. Go for the training, experience, and exposure, but don’t assume the results will necessarily reflect what you see happening on stage.

Awards & Scholarships

Awards ceremony:

The award ceremony is very long, starts with a super long gala and culminates with the awards. Expect a long, boring night (even if your dancer placed as mine did)

Won an award or training offer:

Yes

Festival offer:

Gala offer:

Award or Training Offer Description:

She placed and also got a couple of summer intensive scholarships and year round admissions

Final Comments

Best aspect:

The beautiful location is definitely a highlight! The theatre is gorgeous, and the surrounding area is even better—nothing beats Florida in the spring! I also really appreciate the educational focus of the competition. There are so many opportunities for the dancers to learn and dance through master classes, rehearsals, and other activities beyond the competition itself. The concept is great and very valuable for the dancers, although at times it felt like a lot to accomplish in such a short amount of time, especially with the demanding schedule.

Worst aspect:

The worst aspect, by far, was the lack of transparency and fairness in the scoring and placements. The favoritism toward Cary Ballet was so blatant that it became difficult to take the results seriously. It went beyond simply having a school perform well—it felt like certain dancers and schools were being given an advantage before the results were even announced. When placements repeatedly don’t seem to reflect what actually happened on stage, it undermines the credibility of the entire competition. A competition can have a beautiful venue, excellent master classes, and a strong educational component, but none of that makes up for results that feel predetermined or influenced by factors other than the dancing itself.

Competition culture:

I’d describe the culture as very polished and welcoming on the surface, but highly political underneath. There is a strong emphasis on making everyone feel included, supported, and part of an educational dance experience, which is positive. However, the favoritism and perceived lack of transparency create a culture where dancers and teachers can feel that relationships and affiliations matter as much as—or sometimes more than—the dancing itself. It gives the impression of smiles and diplomacy publicly, while very different dynamics may be happening behind the scenes.

Attendee culture:

The culture among the attendees felt very competitive and, at times, overly political. There is a lot of support and camaraderie, but there is also a noticeable sense of comparison, cliques, and people being very aware of who is connected to whom. Some attendees are genuinely encouraging and focused on the dancers, while others seem more focused on status, placements, and networking. Overall, it can feel like everyone is being friendly on the surface while quietly watching, comparing, and positioning themselves underneath.

Suggested changes:

I would like to see more transparency, consistency, and fairness in scoring and placements, along with a more genuine culture among the attendees. The politics and fake friendliness were honestly unbearable, and the uncertainty around the results made it difficult to trust the competition. For full transparency, my dancer has placed in both competitions. Even so, we would not attend this one again. I would much rather do YAGP, where we know what we’re signing up for and what to expect.

Cost vs. expectation:


Significantly More	Significantly Less

Time worth it:


Not Worth It	Worth Every Minute

Overall rating:

Anything else?

Honestly, don’t waste your time or money on this competition. The favoritism, politics, lack of transparency, and uncertainty around placements make the experience frustrating and, in my opinion, not worth the investment. There are better ways to spend a dancer’s time, energy, and money.