Introducing Melbourne Dance Championships!

A new solo dance competition will soon hit Melbourne! The Melbourne Dance Championships (MDC) will be presented on April 28 and 29 at Phoenix Theatre, Elwood.

MDC promises to offer an innovative competition structure that will include an audition class and solo performance. Prizes involve cash, medals, trophies, gift vouchers, dance merchandise and more. Special awards include “Best Choreography”, “Most Promising”, “Best Costume” and more.

Overall, MDC has three events – Solo Championships, an Improv Challenge and Own Choreography Challenge. The audience can view each for free.

The way the Solo Championships work is the competitors first participate in a 45-60 minute audition class on stage. A teacher takes the class and the judge (Brendan Yeates) observes. Dancers will then perform a solo of their choice. Yeates will then give the dancers valuable feedback on their audition and solo performances before announcing the top five dancers from each age group.

The top five dancers from each age group will then be invited to attend the Grand Final where they will perform a different solo for a different judge (Yvette Lee). One winner from each age group will then be awarded “Melbourne’s Best Soloist”.

The age groups are: Mini – 8 years & under; Junior – 9 to 10 years; Intermediate – 11 to 12 years; Teen – 13 to 14 years; and Senior – 15 years and older.

For the Improv Challenge there are two age groups: 12 years & under and 13 years & older. Students participate on stage in an improvisation challenge involving various styles of dance and music. This section runs for approximately 10-20 minutes. The entrants will then receive valuable feedback from the judge (Casey Chellew) as well as the judge presenting the “Most Outstanding Improv Entrant”, who will be presented with a prize.

Lastly, the Own Choreography Challenge, which has the same two age groups, will see entrants perform a routine which is self-choreographed. Chellew will judge and provide dancers feedback and the “Most Outstanding Soloist” will receive a prize.

Entries for this competition have now closed. View the event’s Facebook page here.