As Starbound Nationwide Expertise Competitors celebrates its thirty first season, the staff is aware of what retains dance households coming again. “We’ve all the time been one of many leaders on this business, and thru listening to our shoppers’ suggestions and making adjustments, we proceed to set the usual increased,” says Sandra Coyte, founder and director.

With a calendar of greater than 70 Regional competitions and 5 Nationals, Starbound’s occasions mix the glamour and innovation of a large-scale manufacturing and theater expertise with the equity and private consideration you’d anticipate from a family-run firm. Starbound affords the business experience of a woman-owned enterprise based by a former dance instructor and studio proprietor.

2025 is about to be a banner 12 months for Starbound, with new and thrilling alternatives for dancers and lecturers alike. First, they’ll be including much more cities to their in depth roster (together with stops in Omaha, Nebraska, and Jacksonville, Florida). Dancers can look ahead to the addition of an improvisation competitors at each Regional occasion, whereas mother and father and lecturers will admire the brand new assigned-by-studio dressing rooms. Starbound can also be rebranding to maintain up with the instances whereas conserving the integrity of a reputation dancers can belief.

Starbound’s scoring system can also be getting a refresh. A dancer’s rating can be damaged down into 4 classes: method, choreography, aesthetics, and efficiency. On the Tuesday following competitors weekend, lecturers can log in to Starbound’s digital Instructor Middle and see rating breakdowns for each routine, in addition to video critiques. Lastly, to deal with the present sizzling matter of competitors leveling, Starbound may also be including particular, skill-based tips that guarantee equity and assist take the guesswork out of registering routines.

Even with all these thrilling options, Coyte stays most pleased with what has remained the identical at Starbound over the previous three many years. “We’ve all the time strived to maintain our pricing easy and inexpensive,” she shares. “Our entry charges are the identical regardless of once you register, and we have been the primary competitors to introduce rebates to the dance business for registering early.” Starbound is aware of that affordability issues to its households, and Coyte notes that, though costs didn’t enhance this 12 months, the competitors produces the identical high-quality occasions that studios have come to anticipate. Moreover, free images and movies are a long-standing hallmark of Starbound, and occasions are additionally livestreamed.

The competitors additionally prides itself on the experience of its workers. “All three judges on each panel are versatile consultants in a number of types of dance, and we all the time have at the very least one decide who’s educated in faucet,” Coyte says.

Starbound can also be dedicated to elevating cash for the Dancers Care Basis. Since 2002, the corporate has donated greater than $2.6 million in direction of most cancers therapy and prevention within the dance neighborhood.

Trying forward, the 2025 season is shaping as much as be Starbound’s finest but. Need in on the enjoyable? Register now for upcoming occasions. Name us for our early incentives, reminiscent of the next: When your studio enters dancers at two Regional occasions, you’ll obtain a 20-percent low cost on the price of Nationwide Finals, or make a deposit in your 2025 entries by September 30, 2024, and obtain a 20-percent rebate. Contact us for particulars!