Scholarships

2024-25

General Information

Scholarships will be awarded to dancers for various reasons including, but not limited to: class performance, excelling at a particular genre, focus, attitude, talent, drive, sportsmanship, etc. DanceMakers’ focus is to make sure students are recognized no matter where they are in the room and to recognize the dancer by name and not number. We have designed our scholarship tags to highlight their name large and their number small in the upper corner. This is meant to help promote an intimate and welcoming environment. Each dancer must wear a scholarship tag throughout the entire weekend to be eligible for scholarships.

All scholarships are nontransferable and property of the recipient’s studio. Registrations for scholarship winners must be on the studio account and not independent registrations. All scholarship winner names have been flagged in our system. When adding the attendee to your registration, check the box next to the attendee’s name that says “Scholarship” and choose the appropriate option. Your fee will be removed at this point. Scholarships are non-transferable.

General Scholarships Presented From All Classes

Nationals ScholarshipsThese scholarships are awarded by each of our faculty members to outstanding dancers in the Camp Dance, Junior, Teen and Senior ballrooms in each city. These scholarships give dancers the opportunity to be recognized in all styles of dance for their hard work and dedication. The scholarship is valid for our Nationals event held in Myrtle Beach, SC June 2025.

Courage ScholarshipsThe Courage Scholarship can be awarded to dancers in any age level. We are aware that following your passion and going after your goals requires dedication, consistency, hard work, and courage! This is meant to give dancers affirmation that they are working towards something much bigger than dance and that they can bring this courage into all aspects of life. Courage scholarships are valid for 1 regional convention from the time it was presented to the end of the 2025-26 Tour.

Giving Keys ScholarshipsThis scholarship comes with a customized engraved necklace and also comes with a Nationals Scholarship. This scholarship is all about paying it forward. We want you to wear this necklace until you come across someone who you feel needs the message more than you do. You will then give this person your necklace and tell them how the message has helped you in your life. It is awarded to a dancer who we feel may need this message at this particular point in life. It is meant to encourage growth and broaden perspective and to also acknowledge their perseverance and hard work.

Audition Scholarships

The DanceMakers Audition Class is meant to be just that; a class. While we will be holding a mock audition and awarding scholarships and performance opportunities, this class is meant to teach dancers “how” to audition. We are aware that this is not an actual audition and should be meant to guide dancers on how to be prepared for an audition in the real world. There will be feedback given to dancers on an individual basis to help correct mistakes and to also point out what they did correctly. We do our best to provide a positive, encouraging and loving atmosphere, while also preparing the dancers on what to expect in the real audition world. Audition classes will be held in the Junior, Teen and Senior rooms. In each class there will be a combination presented, which will directly be followed by the “audition process”. In the Junior and Teen levels, all dancers will perform in groups, notes will be taken, and constructive criticism and positive reinforcement will be given. We will not narrow this down to finalists. All winners of this audition will be announced on Sunday at the Wrap It Ceremony. In the Senior level, the dancers will perform in groups and constructive criticism will be presented while narrowing down the finalists to the top 20-30 dancers, depending on the city. All finalists will be asked to perform at the Wrap It Ceremony on Sunday. Directly following the performance, the scholarship winners will be announced. Below are the scholarships that are presented.

Junior, Teen & Senior Audition Scholarship4 Regional scholarships will be awarded in each audition and announced during our Wrap It Ceremony. They are valid from the time it was presented to the end of the 2025-26 Tour.

The Collective

The Collective and Collective JV are elite groups of dancers chosen by the DanceMakers faculty as outstanding representatives of “who we are”. Dancers who show an “it” factor are hand chosen at Nationals by our faculty and invited to attend every stop on the following tour. The criteria is based on recognizing technique, drive, style or attitude, and attendance. The opportunities gained in being a part of this once in a lifetime program will add to the work experiences and performing opportunities for dancers who are on the road to a professional career. The members of “The Collective” will have the privilege of training, studying, and performing with our world renowned teachers and choreographers. This program allows outstanding dancers to become a part of the DanceMakers FAM and travel the country as assistants, performers and staff members for a well rounded experience in the dance industry.

The Collective Will Receive:A year scholarship to all DanceMakers Conventions for their reigning year, as well as, for Collective only a lifetime scholarship to DanceMakers conventions! Honored at all Awards Ceremonies, such as the Warm Up and Wrap It. Receive complimentary DanceMakers apparel and of course, the iconic “The Collective” letterman jacket. A free trip to our “Collective Weekend,” where members will receive head-shots, a welcome dinner, choreography for the upcoming season’s performance and private classes. Travel arrangements and/or accommodations for “The Collective” for at least SEVEN cities per dancer. This makes it the first and only program in the industry providing financial support to mentorship programs.

The Collective JV Will Receive:A year long scholarship to all DanceMakers Conventions for their reigning year, as well as a year long scholarship for the following season. Honored at all Awards Ceremonies, such as the Warm Up and Wrap It. Receive complimentary DanceMakers apparel and of course, the iconic “The Collective JV” letterman jacket. Sponsored attendance to the first city on tour where members will receive head-shots and choreography for the upcoming season’s performance. Travel arrangements and/or accommodations for “The Collective JV” for at least FIVE cities per dancer. This makes it the first and only program in the industry providing financial support to mentorship programs.

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