Dance Competitions

2024 Dance applications are now OPEN!

Download 2024 Syllabus here

Pay application fees here

  • Closing date for all group applications: Thursday 30 November 2023
  • Successful applicants will be notified by: Wednesday 13 December 2023
  • First day of the competitions: Wednesday 3 July 2024

 

C1. TRADITIONAL FOLK-DANCE GROUP (Thursday 4 July)

     Prizes: 1st International Trophy and £600, 2nd £350, 3rd £200.

  •  Groups of 4 to 30 dancers
  • A total of 8 musicians and 2 flag-bearers are also allowed.
  • Perform a programme of up to 5 minutes showcasing the folk-dance traditions of the group’s culture.
  • Dancers must be aged 16 or over on the first day of the competitions.
  • The programme must focus on the dance tradition and not on instrumental numbers or dramatics.
  • Groups may choose how many traditional dances to include, and costumes changes are allowed at the discretion of the group so long as the dancing on stage is continuous.
  • Staging and transitions must be carefully considered. J
  • Judges preference is for music performed live on traditional instruments, but pre-recorded tracks will be accepted. Pre-recorded tracks must be sent into the music office by 13th

C2. CHOREOGRAPHED/STYLISED FOLK-DANCE GROUP (Friday 5 July)

Prizes: 1st International Trophy and £600, 2nd £350, 3rd £200

  • Groups of 4 to 30 dancers.
  • A total of 8 musicians and 2 flag-bearers are also allowed.
  • Perform a programme of up to 5 minutes showcasing the folk dance of the group’s culture.
  • Dancers must be aged 16 or over on the first day of the competitions.
  • Groups are required to present creative, entertaining choreography based on their folk-dance traditions. The programme must focus on the dance and not on instrumental numbers or dramatics.
  • Groups may choose how many dances to include, and costume changes are allowed at the discretion of the group so long as the dancing on stage is continuous.
  • Originality and inventiveness are encouraged. Creative, innovative staging and transitions must be carefully considered.
  • Judges preference is for music performed live on traditional instruments, but pre-recorded tracks will be accepted. Pre-recorded tracks must be sent into the music office by 13th

 

LUCILLE ARMSTRONG DANCE AWARD

The winners of C1 and C2 will compete for this prestigious Lucille Armstrong trophy and £500 on the final night of competitions, Saturday 6 July. It is, therefore, important that all dance groups competing in C1 and C2 stay at the Eisteddfod until Sunday 7 July. For this competition, group are required to present an entertaining programme of dance lasting up to 5 minutes. If a group wins in both categories C1 and C2 it must perform the programme for which it obtained the higher mark and the second highest scoring group from the other category will then go into the Final.

C3. CHILDREN’S TRADITIONAL FOLK-DANCE GROUP (Wednesday 3 July)

         Prizes: 1st International Trophy and £350, 2nd £175, 3rd £100

  • Groups of 4 to 30 dancers under the age of 16 on the first day of the competitions.
  • A total of 8 musicians and 2 flag-bearers are also allowed.
  • Perform a programme of up to 4 minutes showcasing the folk-dance traditions of the group’s culture.
  • The programme must focus on the dance tradition and not on instrumental numbers or dramatics.
  • Groups may choose how many dances to include, and costume changes are allowed at the discretion of the group so long as the dancing on stage is continuous.
  • Staging and transitions must be carefully considered.
  • Judges preference is for music performed live on traditional instruments, but pre-recorded tracks will be accepted. Pre-recorded tracks must be sent into the music office by 13th

C4. LLANGOLLEN DANCE OFF (Saturday 6 July)

Prizes: 1st International Trophy and £300

Think you have what it takes to win the Llangollen Dance Off 2024?! Come and battle it out in the competition where the audience crown their champions.

  • Groups of 4 to 30 dancers aged 18 or over on the first day of competitions.
  • A total of 8 musicians and 2 flag-bearers are also allowed.
  • A performance of up to 6 minutes in a traditional or contemporary style – any genre of dance permitted.
  • Entertainment value and engaging the audience is encouraged.
  • The audience will be able to indicate their favourite group and this ‘vote’ will be noted by the Eisteddfod adjudicator.
  • Judges preference is for music performed live on traditional instruments, but pre-recorded tracks will be accepted. Pre-recorded tracks must be sent into the music office by 13th

 

C5. LLANGOLLEN CHILDREN’S DANCE OFF (Wednesday 3 July)

Prizes: 1st International Trophy and £200

Think you have what it takes to win the Children’s Llangollen Dance Off 2024?! Come and battle it out in the competition where the audience crown their champions.

  • Groups of 4 to 30 dancers. Dancers must be under the age of 17 on the first day of the competitions.
  • A total of 8 musicians and 2 flag-bearers are also allowed.
  • A performance of up to 6 minutes in a traditional or contemporary style – any genre of dance permitted.
  • Entertainment value and engaging the audience is encouraged.
  • The audience will be able to indicate their favourite group and this ‘vote’ will be noted by the Eisteddfod adjudicator.

Judges preference is for music performed live on traditional instruments, but pre-recorded tracks will be accepted. Pre-recorded tracks must be sent into the music office by 13th March

NEW FOR 2024!!!!

D – OPEN DANCE (solo, duet or trio)

  • Closing date for all applications: Thursday 7 March 2024
  • Successful applicants will be notified by: Thursday 21 March 2024
  • All competitions in this category include a Preliminary and a Final round

 

D1. OPEN DANCE 11yrs & under (Thursday 4 July)

Prizes: 1st International Medal and £100, 2nd £75, 3rd £50.

  • A solo/duet or trio performance in any genre, including, but not limited to, ballet, contemporary dance, folk dance, street dance, tap dance, ballroom dance etc) lasting no more than 2 minutes, to a pre-recorded music track.
  • The track may be original or commercial in nature but any commercial track used should be by permission from the copyright holders.

 

 D2 OPEN DANCE 12yrs – 17yrs (Thursday 4 July)

 Prizes: 1st International Medal and £125, 2nd £100, 3rd £75.

  • A solo/duet or trio performance in any genre, including, but not limited to, ballet, contemporary dance, folk dance, street dance, tap dance, ballroom dance etc) lasting no more than 2 minutes, to a pre-recorded music track.
  • The track may be original or commercial in nature but any commercial track used should be by permission from the copyright holders.

 

D3 OPEN DANCE 18yrs and over (Thursday 4 July)

Prizes: 1st International Medal and £150, 2nd £125, 3rd £75.

  • A solo/duet or trio performance in any genre, including, but not limited to, ballet, contemporary dance, folk dance, street dance, tap dance, ballroom dance etc) lasting no more than 2 minutes, to a pre-recorded music track.
  • The track may be original or commercial in nature but any commercial track used should be by permission from the copyright holders.

H – NON-COMPETITIVE PARTICIPATION 

H2 – Dance Groups

  • Closing date for all group non-comp applications: Thursday 30 November 2023
  • Successful group applicants will be notified by: Wednesday 13 December 2023
  • First day of the competitions: Wednesday 3 July 2024
  • Late applications will be considered

The Eisteddfod welcomes non-competitive participation and can offer the following range of activities to visiting non-competitive choirs, dance groups, instrumental ensembles and solo performances:

  • Informal public performances on our outside stages and at various locations throughout North East Wales
  • Possibility to participate in choral, dance or instrumental workshops
  • Possibility to perform on the main Pavilion stage
  • Possibility to receive non-competitive assessment by a panel of adjudicators.