Pittsburgh, PA Jan 15-17, 2021

Studio Registration Kit Information

• Registration Kits

  New this year, all studios and independents will receive their registration kits in the mail pre-event. We will be sending each studio a tracking number and all kits will be delivered by the Wednesday before the event. Your kit will include scholarship numbers, wristbands, your teacher handbook, and a complimentary program. If you have any changes that need to be made please send a detailed list of these to our admin team by 10am on the Thursday before your city and we will have them ready for you at our registration desk for a swift pick up process. We are asking all studios to distribute wristbands and scholarship numbers to their dancers before coming to the venue, which will significantly help with social distancing standards at venues. Venues are prohibiting large gatherings in all pre-function space.

• Program

  You will receive a complimentary competition program in your packet in the mail. Additional programs are for sale at the Merchandise Booth.

• Wristbands

  Your packet sent to your studio includes all of your pre-registered attendees wristbands. All wristbands must be secured on the wrist with only a finger space between the wristband and the wrist. Loose wristbands may be cut off by door guards. Wristbands must be kept on for both days of the convention. No one will be allowed into classrooms without a wristband. Additional wristbands may be available for sale at Registration, depending on availability. Please contact us prior to confirm availability in ballrooms.

• Wristband Level Changes

  Level changes can only be made if there is availability in the room. Due to Covid-19, we have significantly lowered the number of dancers in each room. Please contact the home office for availability in rooms. If the space is available on site, all changes must be done at registration with a registered teacher from your studio.

• Scholarship Numbers

  Your packet sent to your studio includes scholarship numbers for all of your pre-registered attendees (excluding teachers). There are two copies of this scholarship within your packet. The second copy is not for Sunday, but a back up for if the attendee loses their first copy. DanceMakers will not be reprinting any scholarship numbers onsite. The scholarship number should be pinned on their clothing so that the number is visible. All scholarships are picked throughout the weekend by our faculty members in all age levels. Remember, the number must be visible to our faculty to be eligible.

• Observers

  Classrooms will be limited to registered dancers and teachers only. No observers will be allowed in the convention ballrooms in order to limit the amount of people in each room. The exception to this will be our Camp Dance classroom. You will receive 1 Camp Dance Observer Band per registered Camp Dance dancer in your studio registration kit. We ask that each studio only have one observer in this room, but understand with this age group if that is not possible.

• Waiver

  All registered attendees are required to sign our waiver prior to attending.

Convention and Competition Information

• Temperature Checks

  DanceMakers will now have industry forward thermal temperature scanners at each ballroom door for additional safety measures. All attendees will be required to have their temperature taken at the door before entering the ballrooms for convention and competition. Once you have been cleared you will receive a wristband that is good for admittance for that day only. This band will gain you access to all DanceMakers activities along with your designated wristband.

• Mask Regulations for Pittsburgh

  These mask regulations have been put in place based off the local mandates surrounding masks. All attendees are required to wear a mask at all times, including public spaces such as pre-function space, convention classrooms, and competition setting. This mask requirement does include all attendees while they are dancing in convention AND competition setting. All of the DanceMakers staff, crew and faculty will be wearing masks as a preventative measure.

• Social Distancing Standards for Dancing in Convention

  DanceMakers will be providing all dancers with social distancing markers on the ballroom floor that will assist in keeping all dancers a minimum of 6’ apart.

• If you feel sick, stay home!

  We will be performing symptom checks on site for our event, but be proactive on knowing your body and if you have any symptoms of Covid-19. If you have had these symptoms in the past 14 days please stay home!

• Observers

  Classrooms will be limited to registered dancers and teachers only. No observers will be allowed in the convention ballrooms in order to limit the amount of people in each room. The exception to this will be our Camp Dance classroom.

• Water Stations

  Classroom water stations will not be provided due to safety protocols. Please come prepared.

• Convention Times and Breaks

  All dancers will report directly to their classrooms on Saturday and Sunday morning. DanceMakers has staggered the start and end times for convention as well as the lunches to assist with the flow of people.

• Photography/Video for Competition

  Photography and videography during competition are strictly prohibited. Advanced technology of video on cell phones, cameras, etc has forced us to prohibit all camera use. This includes ALL still photography, with or without flash. This is to protect the rights of the choreographer as well as your children’s safety. Any violations can result in routine and/or studio being disqualified.

• Competition Music

  We ask that all competition music is uploaded to support our contactless check in. Please log into your DanceMakers registration account to upload music by clicking “Music Manager” feature for your event. MP3 or MP4 files are accepted. Once uploaded you can preview all music! If you need assistance, please contact our admin team prior to your event to assist.

• Props

  Prop storage is limited this season. It is preferred that props are brought backstage with the dancers before their performance. If prop storage is needed please contract registration for assistance. The use of props is the sole responsibility of the studio. Props must be placed and removed from the stage within 2 minutes combined by the studio. Violation of this rule will result in a 5 point reduction. This time limit includes clean up or sweeping time including confetti/glitter/feathers etc. Stage must be left clean by performers. No studio logos are allowed while on stage helping with props. Any obvious studio affiliation will result in a 5 point reduction. Teachers, parents, or students may assist with props. No props or costume pieces to be thrown into judges area. DanceMakers cannot guarantee props over 8’h will fit on the stage.

• Live Stream

  DanceMakers will now be offering LIVE Streaming for all competition and all award ceremonies here on DM Dashboard!

• Competition Seating

  All seating for competition will be based on current CDC and local guidelines in your city. Observers for competition will be limited based on the square footage of the ballroom. We ask that you help us by limiting observers and watching your dancers only. Please remember to check out our Live Stream on DM Dashboard in the virtual Showroom under Competition!

• Backstage

  We will be limiting backstage to dancers only. We will also be limiting the number of routines staged backstage to comply with social distancing.

• Food and Beverage Restrictions

  Due to PA’s mandates surrounding Food and Beverage distribution, no food may be consumed in the hotel pre-function space, hotel lobby or DanceMakers convention ballrooms as masks must remain on at all times while in public space. All hotel guest will be asked to have all meals in their hotel rooms. For attendees that are not staying at the host hotel, the hotel is providing two rooms as designated dining areas. Locations are Sterlings and Benedum. These rooms are reserved for eating only and are only available to attendees without hotel rooms available. Space in these rooms is limited. All guests are to be actively eating and promptly leave following their meal. The hotel restaurant will be closed during the DanceMakers event due to Covid-19 mandates. The hotel coffee shop, Ground Stop Cafe, is open 24 hours and will have grab and go items for your convenience. Please plan accordingly!

Competition Awards

• Solo Awards

  All soloists will receive an adjudication score on their scoresheets. Scoresheets can be viewed in the registration online portal starting Sunday at 9 am. They will also receive a Solo Participation “trading card” included in the At Home Awards Kit on Sunday. All Overall Awards will be presented Sunday at the Wrap It LIVE, which will be streamed on DM Dashboard. The Wrap It LIVE is not being held in person.

• Group Awards

  Each group routine will be presented Adjudication Awards (High 1st, 1st, 2nd, 3rd & Style High Scores) at the routine’s designated Awards Ceremony. All Overall Awards will be presented Sunday at the Wrap It LIVE! All Awards Ceremonies, including the Wrap It LIVE, will be streamed on DM Dashboard in the virtual Showroom under Awards! They will not be held in person. All awards ceremonies will be available to watch back on DM Dashboard directly following the stream and will be available for 30 days post event!

• DanceAgain! Awards

  DanceMakers will still be offering our DanceAgain Awards! These are our judges’ favorite routines from the entire competition, nondependent on scores. These routines will have their competition performances from Friday or Saturday streamed during our Wrap It LIVE on Sunday! These dances will not be announced ahead of time so be sure to turn in to see if your routine was chosen to DanceAgain!

• At Home Award Kits

  DanceMakers is introducing our NEW At Home! Awards Kits. They will be available for pick up on Sunday starting at 12:30 pm at Registration. These kits will include your awards from all our adjudication award ceremonies on Friday and Saturday, as well as your awards for the Wrap It. Your kit will be sealed and we ask for these not to be opened until post Wrap It Ceremony on Sunday afternoon. Within our At Home! Awards Kit each dancer in each routine will receive a “trading card” of their adjudication award as well as any overall awards! We invite you to have an in-studio awards ceremony where you and your dancers can celebrate all of your hard work! Be sure to tag us on social media so we can join in on the fun!

• Wrap It! LIVE

  As with all of our award ceremonies, the Wrap It LIVE will not be held in-person. The Wrap It will now be streamed on the DM Dashboard in the virtual Showroom under Awards! The timing of the Wrap It LIVE! stream has be adjusted to allow dancers to pack up from the event. Please see your city’s schedule for timing! All awards ceremonies will be available to watch back on DM Dashboard directly following the stream and will be available for 30 days post event!

• Judging Commentary

  All scores will be uploaded by Sunday at 9 am and all critiques will be uploaded by the Tuesday following your event, at 9 am EST to the registration online portal.

• Competition Results

  NEW! This season DanceMakers will be posting all competition results on our new DM Dashboard! All Adjudication Awards and Style High Scores will be posted within an hour of the Virtual Awards Ceremony and all Overall Winner and Scholarship Winners from our Wrap It Ceremony will be posted the Monday directly following the event. Be sure to check it out! Don’t forget that all awards ceremonies will also be available to watch back on DM Dashboard directly following the stream and will be available for 30 days post event!