What is it?
The Festival was created to provide interested high school dancers the opportunity to immerse themselves in a day of dance. The Festival believes that young dancers should be exposed to the many genres of dance, not only in class but in performance as well.

Who can participate in the Illinois High School Dance Festival?
Any high school student that resides in the state of Illinois is eligible to participate in the Festival and Showcase auditions. High schools do not have to have structured dance programs or student performance groups. Students must be accompanied by a teacher chaperone.

Does a school need to participate in the Choreography Showcase Auditions to be part of the Festival?
Absolutely not. Any dance program can choose to bring their students to the Festival regardless of whether or not they would like to submit student choreography for the Festival Showcase. We also would hope that schools that auditioned for the Showcase and were not selected would still allow their students to come and be a part of this wonderful day. The day provides young dancers with a variety of dance experiences that they can learn from. Every high school dancer is welcome!

Is the Festival at the same location each year with the same master teachers?
The Festival changes location almost every year. Although there are schools that have the space capacity and resources to host it often, the Festival Committee does try to rotate locations at least every four years so that students get to experience different schools and how their programs operate. If you believe your school would be interested in hosting the Festival, please contact the chair of the committee so future plans can be made. Master teachers are selected upon availability and student/teacher feedback. It is not uncommon to have some of the same teachers from year to year. In fact, some master teachers, such as Randy Duncan and Keith Elliot have become traditional figures at the Festival due to their contributions to the dance community in Chicago and abroad.

Is there a minimum amount of students I must bring in order to participate?
Schools can bring as little as one student to the Festival. There is also no maximum number. All students are welcome, groups small or large. If for some reason teachers cannot bring their students but would like to attend themselves then they too, may also just register at the teacher rate.