Parent & Studio Guide
What Is a Dance Convention?
If your dancer just came home talking about a convention weekend — or your studio announced one and the group chat is full of questions — here's the plain-English version of what actually happens, what it costs, and how to decide if it's right for your dancer.
The short answer
A dance convention is a traveling weekend of classes taught by professional choreographers and performers — the people dancers usually only see on TV, on Broadway, or on tour. The event moves city to city through the season, sets up in a hotel or convention center, and packs hundreds of dancers into ballrooms for two to three days of training across jazz, contemporary, hip hop, ballet, tap, and more. Most conventions also run a competition alongside the classes, so dancers can perform their studio's routines the same weekend.
Convention vs. competition — they're not the same thing
The two words get used interchangeably, but they describe different events:
- A competition is about performing. Dancers bring routines they've rehearsed all season, perform for a judging panel, and receive scores, feedback, and awards.
- A convention is about training. The weekend revolves around taking class — learning new choreography, new styles, and new ways of moving from faculty members at the top of the industry.
Many events combine both. At Intrigue, for example, dancers train in convention classes during the day and the optional competition runs in dedicated blocks — so a single weekend covers both sides of a dancer's development.
What a typical weekend looks like
- Friday: studios arrive, check in, and competition often begins with the first routine blocks in the evening.
- Saturday: the big training day — classes run morning to late afternoon, split by age level so minis aren't dancing next to seniors. Competition continues in the evening.
- Sunday: more classes, often including audition-style or improv rooms, then final awards and scholarship announcements before everyone drives home tired and inspired.
Class sizes are bigger than studio classes — that's part of the experience. Dancers learn to pick up choreography fast, hold their own in a crowded room, and dance full-out next to kids they've never met.
Why studios go
Three reasons come up over and over. Access: a weekend of classes with working professionals — Emmy-winning choreographers, Broadway performers, TV and tour dancers — that no single studio could book on its own. Growth: dancers come back noticeably sharper; picking up new choreography from new teachers in a packed room builds skills a familiar weekly class can't. Opportunity: conventions award scholarships, titles, and assistant or training-program invitations that open doors — and college programs and agencies pay attention to them.
What it costs
Convention tuition typically lands between $200 and $350 per dancer for the weekend, depending on the event and age level. Competition entries are separate, charged per routine, and handled by your studio. Add travel, hotel (events usually negotiate a discounted room block), and meals. It's a real investment — which is exactly why it's worth understanding what a given event actually delivers for the money before you book.
How to pick a convention
- Look at the faculty list, not the logo. Who is actually teaching, and what have they done lately? That's the product.
- Match the format to your dancer. Some events are competition-first with classes attached; others put training at the center. Ask your studio director what the weekend emphasizes.
- Check the calendar early. Tours announce their cities in the spring and summer before the season; popular stops fill up.
- Ask about more than the trophy. Scholarships, improv and choreography platforms, assistant programs — the events that invest in dancers beyond awards tend to be the ones dancers remember.
Frequently asked questions
What is a dance convention?
A dance convention is a traveling weekend event where dancers take classes from professional choreographers and teachers — usually in large hotel ballrooms — across styles like jazz, contemporary, hip hop, ballet, and tap. Most conventions also run an optional competition alongside the classes. Dancers attend with their studio, train with faculty they would never have access to at home, and often perform or compete in the same weekend.
What's the difference between a dance convention and a dance competition?
A competition is primarily about performing: dancers bring rehearsed routines, perform them for judges, and receive scores and awards. A convention is primarily about training: the weekend is built around classes with professional faculty. Many events — including Intrigue — combine both, so dancers train all day in convention classes and compete in the evenings.
How much does a dance convention cost?
Convention tuition typically runs $200–$350 per dancer for a full weekend of classes, depending on age level and event. Competition entry fees are separate and charged per routine. Travel, hotel, and meals add to the total — most families should budget for the weekend as a short trip. Studios usually handle registration and can give exact pricing for their dancers.
What age do you have to be for a dance convention?
Most conventions welcome dancers from around age 5 up through seniors in high school, with classes split into age levels (often called minis, juniors, teens, and seniors) so dancers train with their peers. Some events also offer classes or observation passes for teachers and parents.
Do you have to compete at a dance convention?
No. At most combined events the competition is optional — many dancers attend only for the classes. Competing adds performance experience and feedback from judges, but the training weekend stands on its own.
What should a dancer bring to a convention weekend?
Comfortable layers for long days in ballrooms, multiple dance shoes (most classes are taught in jazz shoes, sneakers, or bare feet), water, snacks, and any costumes and accessories needed for competition routines. A small bag dancers can keep with them between classes makes the day much easier.
See one for yourself
Intrigue Dance Intensive & Competition tours 30+ cities every season with convention classes, competition, improv, and choreography platforms — taught by Emmy-winning and Broadway faculty. Find the stop nearest your studio.
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