Over 30 years ago Starpower Talent began as a small competition with only 11 cities on tour, ending with one National Championship event. Today it is one of the largest talent competitions, traveling to over 70 cities. The impression they make is so great that Starpower is an international sensation, visiting England, Costa Rica, Australia and more! They even have a whopping 7 National Championships in cities like Las Vegas, NV and Atlantic City, NJ.

Their Championships offer master classes and auditions with some of the top performers and teachers in the nation. Here’s the kicker; the classes offered at Nationals are 100% FREE to students and teachers! Last but not least, their Battle of Stars Competition is broadcast all over the WORLD, giving performers incredible exposure.  So what are you waiting for? Sign up for one of Starpower Talent’s Regional events and compete your way to worldwide recognition.

Dynamic duo behind Starpower Talent 

Tens of thousands of dancers come to compete with Starpower Talent on a yearly basis, primarily because of the atmosphere Gary Pate and Grace Wakefield created. Wakefield, now in her 90s, was founder and director of Wakefield School of Dance for 35 years. In her spare time between teaching and choreographing she worked with the United Service Organization. This non-profit organization arranges entertainment and shows for people serving in the military. When she was not traveling with U.S.O., Wakefield choreographed musicals like Wizard of Oz, Damn Yankees, and Oklahoma. She later became President and Executive Director of Dance Educators of America, and in 1974 she was awarded for her dedication and imprint in the dance community.

Like Wakefield, Gary Pate grew up in the performing arts community. At a young age he helped his parents start the first Starpower Talent competition in Washington, D.C. Yearning for time in the spotlight, Pate took any performance opportunity he could. While dancing in nursing homes, state/county fairs, and New Jersey boardwalks, he noticed the lack of professional environments for striving artists. As years progressed, he opened his own studio and became a master teacher. During this time he met Wakefield and the pair quickly realized their shared passion for dance education. They decided to design a competition that offered the professional environment they missed during their childhoods.

According to Pate, talent competitions like Starpower make dancers adopt healthy lifestyles while teaching them the value of hard work and discipline. Competitors also develop team building and time management skills and the invaluable ability to think on their feet. Recognizing the responsibility that comes with teaching these lessons, Pate says “It is important to note that the benefits of dance competitions are largely dependent upon dance teachers, role models and parents. It is up to us, the leaders, to make the experience healthy and positive for young competitive dancers.”

A special relationship that benefits you

Star Dance Alliance is “an alliance of top international dance competitions committed to bringing the greatest dance competition experience.” Not only is Starpower Talent included in this alliance, they are the largest member. This membership means they’re able to provide highly prestigious scholarships and send students to summer dance camps and incredible dance intensives.

Star Dance Alliance also happens to be partners with the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, which has campuses in New York and Los Angeles, CA. This musical theatre school sculpts students to achieve their lifelong dreams of performing in theatre, film, and television. Every year AMDA scours Starpower Talent Regional competitions for 15-19 soloists, awarding $80,000 in scholarships at every event. They also award $160,000 in scholarships at every National Championship event. With this money, AMDA sends soloists to attend their nationally recognized program.  For your chance to win these career evolving awards, check out the end of the article for a list of competitions arranged by month.

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Win your invite to Starpower Talent’s Power Pak Dance Intensive

The person behind Power Pak is none other than Starpower Talent’s Gary Pate. This week-long intensive is designed to show dancers what it is like in a professional dance company. Hand chosen dancers from across the nation learn all styles of dance from master teachers, at a fast pace. They keep classes small in order to develop more personalized relationships between the teachers and dancers. The lucky winners of a Power Pak invite join other students from all over the U.S. in Sandusky, OH, Orlando, FL, or Ocean City, MD.

While there, students learn an opening number for Starpower’s Battle of the Stars competition, presented at the National Championships. This performance is in front of over 3,000 people and televised worldwide! Needless to say rehearsals are seen as a requirement. Aside from Battle of the Stars, Power Pak offers scholarship and audition opportunities. For instance, dancers audition for a spot on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines! Power Pak also recognizes that everybody needs a break from the grind, so they set aside time for fun activities in all 3 cities they visit. If this sounds exciting to you, head to a Starpower Talent Regional competition and show the judges why you’re deserving of an invitation.

Battle of the Stars Competition

This competition is an event dancers prepare for all year and is an essential component of Starpower Talent’s National Championships. As previously mentioned, it’s performed in front of thousands of people and broadcast all over the world! The Battle determines who among the Starpower network is the best. Winners brag about their victory for months, posting it all over social media. Nobody wants to miss out on their chance to compete on live TV!

Starpower Talent can get you to WDC

In addition to awarding students with scholarships, Starpower Talent also gives Golden Tickets to the World Dance Championship. As implied in the name, this championship event brings the best talent ever seen from countries all over the globe. Winning a competition like this gives unimaginable confidence to studios, knowing they succeeded on a global scale. Aside from the possibility of winning an international title, studios love the production value seen at WDC. They provide warm up and rehearsal areas, professional staging, lighting, and sound systems, and live feeds for online viewing. These Golden Tickets are only awarded to top scoring routines from Regionals and Nationals. If you think your studio has what it takes to take home the title, this is the time to prove it.

Thinking about how far Starpower Talent has come from hosting a single competition in Washington D.C. to now touring to over 70 cities is almost unbelievable. As they grow they give students more and more opportunities to progress their art form. From partnerships with AMDA, invites to week-long dance intensives, and tickets to the World Dance Championships, this company proves career development always comes first. Plus they vow to never begin a competition at 7AM, or end with awards at 11PM. If this competition sounds like a dream come true, that’s because it is.  As they say, “You’re always a star at Starpower.”

*For updated tournament information, please visit Starpower.