What To Expect

  • We recommend arriving 1 hour prior to your scheduled performance time, in hair, make-up, and costume. This allows time for parking, finding your teacher and team mates, warm-up and rehearsal, and a stress free experience for all. We are known for running on time and sometimes run ahead of schedule so be sure to get a seat at least 15 minutes before your child’s performance.

  • The theatre doors will be open 1 HOUR before the competition start time each day. Most days this is at 8:15 AM for a 9:15 AM start time.

  • YES! We assign dressing rooms by studio to ensure space is fairly allotted based on group sizes and scheduling.

    We also offer a boys dressing room, and universal change rooms for any gender, dads with daughters, etc...

    Please contact the festival staff if you need assistance finding a dressing room for your child.

    And, parents, please use dressing rooms to assist your child only as needed to ensure ample space for all performers to prepare.

  • NO. Admission at Shine Dance Festival is free so you can bring siblings, grandparents and friends along too! Souvenir Programs are available for purchase in the lobby.

  • No. Because device use is not permitted in the auditorium we sell printed programs in the lobby for a very reasonable fee. Our programs are filled with plenty of valuable information including:

    • Our Scoring & Adjudicating Systems

    • Festival Etiquette

    • Adjudicator Biographies

    • Scholarships & Awards

    • Info on training programs and conventions

    • Our Friends of The Festival

  • Schedules are delivered to studios approximately 4 weeks before an event.

  • NO. Photography and videography is NOT permitted in the auditorium at any time. We need to ensure our events are safe for all participating children and that choreographers original work is protected. Professional Photo & Video of your children’s routines is available for purchase from our media partner TMM Dance in the lobby.

  • We most certainly do! Our popular hoodies sell out quickly so we suggest you shop early while sizes are still available! We also have souvenir programs, highlighter pens, water bottles, and other quality items at the Shine Boutique with a new selection each season.

  • Please contact your studio for a special link that will match your child’s waiver to the studio for tracking purposes.

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Scores + Adjudication

We believe honest scoring builds motivated and resilient dancers. At Shine, non-inflated scores mean each award has value and meaning. Adjudicators are instructed to use the full spectrum of medals from bronze to platinum, and are advised to award platinums with careful consideration. Any dancer who earns 2 or more platinum solo awards at one event must be bumped up a level the next competition year.

  • Shine hires adjudicators who have been trained and certified by The Dance Leadership Institute. Our adjudicators are selected not only for their experience working with youth, but for their knowledge in a wide range of disciplines and commitment to a safe and healthy dance culture.

  • Our panel is made up of 3 adjudicators providing feedback and scores for every routine.

    We build our panels using adjudicators with different areas of expertise to ensure valuable feedback for ALL disciplines.

    Events that run less than 3 full days will have 2 adjudicators.

  • We’re proud to be the first competition to bring Video Adjudication to western Canada in 2007! Videos of each performance with feedback from each adjudicator are delivered to your dance studio just days after the event so dancers can watch and apply feedback in preparation for their next performance. This format provides the most valuable resource for dancers and teachers by offering deeper insight into the WHY and HOW they adjudicators derive their scores.

  • Shine adjudicators use a scoring rubric that ensures all routines are judged by the same criteria.

    • Age and level are always considered.

    • An average of judges scores determines medal standing.

    • Every dancer in a routine receives a medal based on its average score.

    • Each adjudicator provides a mark out of 100 for each routine based on the breakdown below:

    SKILL / 50%

    Strength, Technique, Timing, Precision, Unison

    PRESENTATION / 50%

    Energy, Commitment, Connection, Impact, Style, Storytelling

    DEDUCTIONS:

    A 1 point deduction per adjudicator may be applied for choreography, concept, costume, or music deemed unsafe or inappropriate for the dancers age/ level/ or for a family audience. Point deductions may also be applied for routines entered into the wrong discipline or category or which exceed the 3 acrobatic elements outside of the Acro Division.

Awards

We recognize more than just great dancing! In addition to awarding dance excellence, we believe competition offers opportunities to honour and reward skills for life like sportsmanship, teamwork, and professional behaviour with our Shine Bright Awards, Choreography Awards & Shine Spirit awards presented throughout each event.

  • As an event that was built to create an inclusive, community-centred experience, we recognize that attending studios play a large role in the atmosphere of every festival. Our Studio Spirit award honours a studio whose students and staff UNITE & EMPOWER the dance community and demonstrate values of integrity and kindness throughout the event.

  • Final Placement Awards in each level are presented following the last session of performances for that level. We also hold a final awards presentation where over $5000 in training scholarships and scholarships are awarded in recognition of the many achievements over the weekend including mentorship, promise, showmanship, and studio spirit!

    Everyone is welcome to attend or view via livestream. You can follow results as they are updated throughout the competition and if you appear on one of the OVERALL AWARDS lists we would love for you to be on site to receive your award.

    Studios, please ensure you have a representative on site for the final awards presentation to take any uncollected awards back to your studio!

  • Cash awards are delivered by e-transfer to studios following each event. Credit awards (for groups) are applied to studio accounts when they reserve and register for the following season. Videos of each performance with feedback from each adjudicator are delivered to your dance studio the day after the event so dancers can watch and apply feedback in preparation for their next performance. This format provides the most valuable resource for dancers and teachers by offering deeper insight into WHY they received the score they did, and HOW to improve the routine for their next performance.

Refund & Withdrawal Policies

  • We want ill and injured dancers to focus on healing and recovery without the pressure of financial loss. We will provide a REFUND on all entries a dancer is withdrawn from due to illness or injury with supporting documentation from a doctor. Dancers will not be permitted to perform in some routines and not others unless outlined in the doctor’s note. Documentation MUST:

    • Outline the type of movement or activity being limited or restricted

    • Dates these restrictions are in effect

    Studios, click here to submit a withdrawal request.

  • Refunds are available on entry fees for all withdrawals due to injury/ illness (w/ medical note) in accordance with our Wellness 1st Policy.

    Withdrawals for non-medial reasons made before the final schedule is published are entitled to a studio credit.

    Withdrawals BEFORE the registration deadline of December 15th must be requested by the studio in Dance Sync and do not incur a fee.

    Withdrawals AFTER the registration deadline of December 15th must be made by the studio using our online request form.

    An administrative fee of $5/ routine will be deducted from all refunds and credits issued after the December 15th registration deadline.

    We collect payments from, and issue refunds and credits to studios only. Parents, please contact your studio regarding withdrawals. Studios, click here to submit a withdrawal request.

  • All That Jazz Enterprises Inc. reserves the right to change or cancel event dates and venues.

    Should an event be canceled due to insufficient registration studios will be notified as soon as possible and given the option to transfer entries to another location or receive a complete refund (including the $10/ dancer registration fee).

    All That Jazz Enterprises Inc. does not offer refunds for postponed or canceled events due to acts of God or circumstances outside of our control and is not liable for any resulting loss to participants. In such an event, Shine Dance Festival will make all reasonable efforts to reschedule the event and when not possible, a studio credit will be issued. Partial refunds will be offered when possible but are not guaranteed.

    All That Jazz Enterprises Inc. is not responsible for travel or accommodation costs incurred by groups or individuals traveling to a Shine event.