UK DANCE COMPETITION
Take Centre Stage at the UK's Premier Dance Event...
Awards, scholarships, workshops and 3 industry professional judges at every event. It's the ultimate dance experience....
"Incredible comp! The energy and vibe were outstanding - thank you!"
THE AD DANCE COMPETITION
Our American-style dance competition welcomes dancers of all ages and abilities from around the world, to unite and showcase their talents st some of the UK and Irelands top performing venues.
11K DANCERS
over 11,000 performers
430 DANCE STUDIOS
entries from over 430 schools
LOCATIONS ACROSS THE UK AND IRELAND
WHAT OUR COMMUNITY SAYS:
"Brilliant comp. Superb feedback given. Very smooth running. Thought the judges were kind & supportive & I loved the way Aaron consistently praised the dancers..."
"Incredible comp! The energy and vibe were outstanding - thank you!"
"Thanks to Aaron Dwyer and his team. Everything was very well organised. It was an amazing show and amazing experience for my daughter..."
ABOUT THE AD COMPETITION
The AD Competition was founded by Aaron Dwyer and it is the UK's ultimate dance event for performers of all ages, abilities and styles.
Last season saw over 1000 dancers competing and enjoying our comp days packed full of dance fun, education and opprtunities!
Every competition features our famous golden buzzer round, knockout workshops and tons of prizes, awards, titles and scholarships - it's the dance event you really don't want to miss!
ALL AGES
Dancers of any age can compete at The ADDC, which is why we set the standard with our competition age categories.
TINY TOTS - 4-6 yrs
MINI - 7-8 yrs
JUNIOR - 9-11 yrs
TEEN - 12-14 yrs
SENIOR - 15-17 yrs
ADULT - 18+ yrs
*Age is determined by how old you are on 1st January
**Duo/Trio age is determined by the oldest dancer
***Groups are determined by the average age of the dancers
ALL DANCE LEVELS
If you're a dancer that feels ready to compete, then you are ready to hit our stage! Our two dance level categories mean that we do as much as we can to group you with dancers of similar experience.
NOVICE
This category is for dancers with little, or no experience the competition world and/ or are new to dance.
NOVICE entries are not eligible for highest overall or title awards.
COMPETITIVE
This category is for experienced dancers. Those who have had a lot of training and previous competition experience.
COMPETITIVE entries are eligible for all awards.
ALL DANCE STYLES
We believe in variety, as it makes our dance comps some of the most inclusive in the UK. It's also true that by inviting a wide variety of dance styles - performed by anything from soloists to large groups - it makes the whole event a fantastic show for the spectators!
DANCE STYLES EXPLAINED
ACRO / CHEERLEADING
A routine that contains primarily gymnastic tricks, including, but not limited to walkover, front/back limbers, handstands, headstands, cartwheels, etc. there should be a blend of gymnastics and dance together.
BALLET
A routine that includes classical ballet steps and technique.
COMMERCIAL
A routine based on street movements or a derivative of this including commercial.
CONTEMPORARY
A routine that combines contemporary styles such as cunningham, graham, limone or hotron techniques. with lyrics to inspire movements to express emotions.
JAZZ
A routine: that consists of jazz technique.
LYRICAL
A combination of jazz & ballet techniques to slow music, incorporating emotion and story.
SONG AND DANCE
A routine that features either just a song, or a song with dance. Hand held microphones will be available at each competition. If a head mic is required, please add this into your comments.
TAP
A routine that must include tap technique - with no pre-recorded tap sounds in the music.
MUSICAL THEATRE DANCE
A routine that features any style of dance to interpret a number from a broadway show or movie musical.
OPEN
Routines in this category can either be a combination of multiple genres, or ones that may not fall into any other dance division.
SEN - OPEN GROUP
Not all disabilities can be noticed so this category is to include everyone.
ENTRY TYPES + TIME LIMITS
SOLO
Solo Performer
Time Limit: 2 min
DUET/ TRIO
2 or 3 Performers
Time Limit: 2 min 30 s
SMALL GROUP
4 - 9 Performers
Time Limit: 3 min
LARGE GROUP
10 + Performers
Time Limit: 4 min
PRODUCTION
20 + Performers
Time Limit: 5 min
What makes AD the UK's Number 1 Dance Competition?
3 INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL JUDGES
All of our competitions feature three judges, each with a different specialist dance style. Some of the incredible industry professionals we have had at our events have included;
LIVE AUDIO FEEDBACK
Feedback is a valuable part of our dance competitions, allowing industry professionals to give their comments live to every dancer.
As part of an entry with The Aaron Dwyer Dance Competition the dancer will receive individual audio feedback, which gives those dancers recognition of the areas that they performed well, plus vital tips on how to improve in the future.
GIVING YOU PROFESSIONAL CRITIQUES AND HIGH QUALITY TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE YOUR ROUTINE STAND OUT!
TITLES, AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
CATEGORY AWARDS
🏆 1st Place Trophy
🏅2nd Place Medalian
🏅3rd Place Medalian
SPECIAL AWARDS
💃Top 3 Soloists of the Day
💯Highest scoring group routine from each age category
🤩Three Judges Choice
🕺Stand Out Dancer
🎶 Choreography Award
🏫Studio Award
🪞Costume Award
👑Title Awards
GOLDEN BUZZER
KNOCKOUT WORKSHOP SCHOLARSHIPS
COMPETITION FAQ's
We have registered our routines, does this mean our entries are guaranteed?
Registering your routines is the first step. However, entries are not reserved until your deposit is paid which must be done within 14 days of registration. Following receipt of your deposit we will then hold your places for another 28 days, during which the remaining balance must be cleared. We can only schedule routines that have been fully paid for.
When is the payment deadline for a competition?
Our competitions are extremely popular and places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
All registered entries must be confirmed, with music uploaded and payment made in full within 6 weeks of the initial registration. Following this period, late fees become applicable and entries cannot be guaranteed.
On your website it says you can get spectator ticket and book workshops at discounted prices. How can I take advantage of these offers?
Online ticket sales begin 2 weeks before an event. To take advantage of the spectator and workshop discounts simply purchase your tickets before the online sales deadline - which is normally on the Monday before the event begins. Once sales are closed ticket are only available on the day at full price. All tickets are available on a first come, first served basis.
When will a schedule be released for my competition?
Competition schedules are released 2 weeks prior to an event. Up until then, as details are subject to change, we are unable to give any confirmation of the day (for events lasting more than one day) or time of your dance.
Will a workshop clash with my performance time? So If I'm already competing at an event, should I wait to see the schedule before I book my 'Knockout Workshops?
All of our 'Knockout Workshops' take place on the main stage during breaks in the main competition. This means you can book any workshops you'd like to do in advance, safe in the knowledge there will be no clash with your performance.
Is it possible to find out in advance the timetable for an event, so we know which day and at what time a routine wil be on?
Performers may be asked to perform at any chosen time over the weekend. It's important for participants to be aware of this and to plan accordingly. We can't give any guidance in advance of the release of the official schedule before the event.
How much are spectator and 'Knockout Workshop' tickets when purchased online?
To take advantage of our online offers and for up to date prices please see the page dedicated to your particular event on our website. You will be able to purchase spectator tickets and workshops at a discounted rate and we even offer further reductions for multiple workshops when you purchase one of our 'Knockout Workshop' bundles.
Is there a minimum/ maximum time limit for routines and will a too short or too long routine put us at a disadvantage?
We have a comprehensive section regarding time limits, which can be found here.
We haven’t worked our way into the competition world just yet and would like to come and watch to see how things run. Is this OK?
We always say to those who don’t compete at the moment that they are welcome to come along and watch how our competitions run and our scholarship workshops are also open to dancers who aren’t competing so to take advantage of those to sample the atmosphere!
Prefer to chat?
Site Links