| The Dance Awards | |
| Awarded For: | Excellence in dance |
| Country: | United States |
| Year: | 2011–present |
| Website: | https://thedanceawards.com http://thedanceawards.com |
The Dance Awards is a national dance competition held annually in Las Vegas and Orlando. Dancers between the ages of five and nineteen are awarded to recognize excellence in dance. TDA is widely regarded as a prestigious award presented for dance in the US, and is considered to be one of the toughest competitions internationally for young pre-professional dancers.
The Dance Awards (TDA) is a national dance competition that collaborates with JUMP, Nuvo, and 24 Seven Dance,[1] produced by Break the Floor. The Dance Awards was first held in 2011 in New York City, where it continued to be held annually in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, the competition expanded to two locations, Las Vegas and New York City. It continued to be held this way for another year in 2015. However, in 2016 and 2017, the second location was changed to Orlando instead of New York City.
The competition is usually held in the first week of July.
There have been several competitors that have competed or appeared on several other talent or dancing shows such as America's Got Talent, World of Dance, Dance Moms, Dancing with the Stars, and So You Think You Can Dance. Those competitors include Jenna Johnson, Kalani Hilliker, Briar Nolet, Tate McRae, Brynn Rumfallo, JoJo Siwa, Eva Igo, Maddie Ziegler, Elliana Walmsley, and Mackenzie Ziegler.
New York City was the original location for the competition in 2011, but it was replaced by Orlando in 2016.
| Year | Studio | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Joanne Chapman School of Dance | Joanne Chapman |
| 2012 | Center Stage Performing Arts Studio | Kim Delgrosso and Alex Murillo |
| 2013 | JCSOD | Frank Giorgio |
| 2014 | Elite Danceworx | Dawn Rappitt |
| 2015 | Joanne Chapman School of Dance | Joanne Chapman |
| Year | Senior | Teen | Junior | Mini | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Daniel Gaymon (Columbia City Jazz) | Ricky Ubeda (Stars Dance Studio) | Jonathan Wade (Dance Unlimited) | Travis Atwood (Talent Factory) | |
| 2012 | Ricky Ubeda (Stars Dance Studio) | Kyle Patrick Clark (Elite Danceworx) | D'Angelo Castro (Dance Town) | Jamaii Melvin (Dance Empire of Miami) | |
| 2013 | Zelig Williams (Southern Strutt) | Zenon Zubyk (Elite Danceworx) | Julian Lombardi (JCSOD) | Joey Britt (Southern Strutt) | |
| 2014 | Keanu Uchida (Leeming Danceworx) | Julian Elia (Elite Danceworx) | Findlay McConnell (Elite Danceworx) | Brady Farrar (Stars Dance Studio) | |
| 2015 | Kyle Patrick Clarke (Elite Danceworx) | Logan Hernandez (Stars Dance Studio) | Murphy Lee (Performing Dance Arts) | Tristan Ianiero (Art & Soul Dance Company) |
| Year | Senior | Teen | Junior | Mini | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Bianca Melchior (Elite Danceworx) | Sarah Pippin (CC & Co. Dance Complex) | Jayci Kalb (The Dance Centre) | Leara Stanley (CC & Co. Dance Complex) | |
| 2012 | Jenna Johnson (Center Stage Performing Arts Studio) | Jazzmin James (Elite Danceworx) | Payton Johnson (Jean Leigh Academy of Dance) | Talia Seitel (Murrieta Dance Project) | |
| 2013 | Miriam Gittens (The Dance Studio of Fresno) | Christina Ricucci (Murrieta Dance Project) | Kalani Hilliker (Club Dance Studio) | Tate McRae (Drewitz Dance Productions) | |
| 2014 | Brianne Sellars (Dancemakers of Atlanta) | Jayci Kalb (The Dance Centre) | Sophia Lucia (RT Dance Academy) | Kayla Mak (Westchester Dance Academy) | |
| 2015 | Jazzmin James (Elite Danceworx) | Payton Johnson (Jean Leigh Academy of Dance) | Tate McRae (YYC Dance Project) | Jezzaeyah Slack (Joanne Chapman School of Dance) |
Las Vegas was introduced as a location in 2014. It is widely considered to be the toughest place to compete as the most prestigious dance companies choose to attend the Las Vegas competition instead of the Orlando or New York City locations.
| Year | Studio | Director(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre | Camille Billelo Gross | |
| 2015 | The Dance Studio of Fresno | Sue Sampson-Dalena | |
| 2016 | Larkin Dance Studio | Molly Larkin and Michele Larkin | |
| 2017 | Club Dance Studio | Kelli Wilkins | |
| 2018 | Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre | Camille Billelo Gross | |
| 2019 | Center Stage Performing Arts Studio | Alex Murillo, Robin Murillo and Kim Delgrosso | |
| 2021 | The Rock Center for Dance | Quinn Callahan | |
| Club Dance Studio | Kelli Wilkins | ||
| Larkin Dance Studio | Molly Larkin-Symanietz and Michele Larkin-Wagner | ||
| Danceology | Nicole Lucia | ||
| Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre | Camille Billelo Gross | ||
| 2022 | Danceology | Nicole Lucia | |
| 2023 | Larkin Dance Studio | Molly Larkin-Symanietz and Michele Larkin-Wagner | |
| 2024 | Expressenz Dance Center | Karla Geier |
| Year | Senior | Teen | Junior | Mini | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Eric Scholoesser (Michelle Latimer Dance Academy) | Lex Ishimoto (West Coast School of the Arts) | Carter Williams (Center Stage Performing Arts Studio) | Joziah German (Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre) | |
| 2015 | Michael Hall (Columbia City Jazz) | Graham Feeny (Company C Dance Club) | Ryan Maw (Danceology) | Gavin Morales (The Rage) | |
| 2016 | Lex Ishimoto (West Coast School of the Arts) | Sage Rosen (The Company) | Holden Maples (Just for Kicks) | Artyon Celestine (Murrieta Dance Project) | |
| 2017 | Timmy Blankenship (Artistic Fusion Dance Academy) | Ryan Maw (Danceology) | Tristan Ianiero (Art & Soul Dance Company) | JT Church (Club Dance Studio) | |
| 2018 | Christian Smith (The Rock Center for Dance) | Joziah German (Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre) | Jonathan Paula (Canadian Dance Unit) | Hudson Pletcher (Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Academy) | |
| 2019 | Findlay McConnell (Elite Danceworx) | Holden Maples (Westlake Dance Center) | Stefania Bonomo (Elite Danceworx) | Aedyn Bekker (Murrieta Dance Project) | |
| 2021 | Alex Shulman (Danceology) | Caleb Abea (Larkin Dance Studio) | Cooper Macalalad (The Base Center for Dance) | Jacob Barrow (Danceology) | |
| 2022 | Moses Rankine (Elite Danceworx) | Luke Barrett (Dance Attack! - Los Gatos) | Keenan Mentzos (PULSE Dance Centre) | Matthew Conway (Next Step Dance) | |
| 2023 | Isaiah Villegas (Dance Connection 2) | Patricio Lopez (Flash Dance Studio) | Kazuma Brailsford (Honululu Dance Studio) | Tristan Jones (Gotta Dance Academy) | |
| 2024 | Hudson Pletcher (Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Center) | Zachary Roy (Dance Town) | Matthew Conway (Next Step Dance) | Chase Lang (Larkin Dance Studio) |
| Year | Senior | Teen | Junior | Mini | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Alyssa Allen (Westside Dance Project) | Simrin Player (Club Dance Studio) | Emma Sutherland (Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Studio) | Brynn Rumfallo (Club Dance Studio) | |
| 2015 | Ashley Green (Columbia City Jazz) | Lucy Vallely (Elevation Studios) | Jaycee Wilkins (Club Dance Studio) | Avery Gay (Limitless at Master Ballet) | |
| 2016 | Taylor Sieve (Larkin Dance Studio) | Emma Sutherland (Dance Industry Performing Arts Center) | Emma York (Danceology) | Kiarra Waidelich (The Rock Center For Dance) | |
| 2017 | Simrin Player (Club Dance) | Megan Goldstein (Westside Dance Project) | Avery Gay (Master Ballet Academy) | Brightyn Brems (Center Stage Performing Arts Studio) | |
| 2018 | Lucy Vallely (Westside Dance Project) | Tate McRae (YYC Dance Project) | Kiarra Waidelich (The Rock Center For Dance) | Elliana Walmsley (Michelle Latimer Dance Academy) | |
| 2019 | Ellie Wagner (Larkin Dance Studio) | Bostyn Brown (Club Dance Studio) | Addison Leich (WESTSIDE Dance Project) | Crystal Huang (The Rock Center For Dance) | |
| 2021 | Ella Horan (WESTSIDE Dance Project) | Savannah Kristich (The Rock Center For Dance) | Crystal Huang (The Rock Center For Dance) | Kelsie Jacobson (Larkin Dance Studio) | |
| 2022 | Brianna Keingatti (Columbia Performing Arts Centre) | Avery Hall (Danceology) | Taylor Morrison (Dance Connection 2) | Finley Ashfield (Larkin Dance Studio) | |
| 2023 | Carly Thinfen (Nor Cal Performing Arts) | Crystal Huang (The Rock Centre for Dance) | Fiona Wu (Yoko's Dance and Performing Arts) | Malia Scott (Larkin Dance Studio) | |
| 2024 | Izzy Howard (Westside Dance Project) | Kylie Kaminsky (Danceology) | Skylar Wong (Woodbury Dance Center) | Belle Marie Arauz (Dance Town) |
In 2016 Orlando replaced New York City as the second competition location.
| Year | Studio | Director | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Dance Town | Manny Castro and Lory Castro | |
| 2017 | Vlad's Dance Company | Vlad Novitski | |
| 2018 | Performing Dance Arts | Ashley Daychak | |
| 2019 | Vlad's Dance Company | Vlad Novitski |
| Year | Senior | Teen | Junior | Mini | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Jonathan Wade (Dance Unlimited) | D'Angelo Castro (Dance Town) | Parker Garrison (Stars Dance Studio) | Jonathan Paula (The Dance Zone) | |
| 2017 | Wyeth Walker (Denise Wall Dance Energy) | Findlay McConnell (Elite Danceworx) | Brady Farrar (Stars Dance Studio) | Stefania Bonomo (Elite Danceworx) | |
| 2018 | Michael Novitski (Vlad's Dance Company) | Joey Gertin (Elite Danceworx) | Jackson Foley (Performing Dance Arts) | Anthony LaGrega (companyONE) | |
| 2019 | D'Angelo Castro (Dance Town) | Murphy Lee (Performing Dance Arts) | Timothy Zvifel (Vlad's Dance Company) | Ian Stegeman (Woodbury Dance Center) | |
| 2021 | Jaxon Willard (Center Stage Performing Arts Studio) | Brady Farrar (Stars Dance Studio) | Ian Stegeman (Woodbury Dance Center) | Michael Cash Savio (Stars Dance Studio) | |
| 2022 | Seth Gibson (Studio 413) | Nicholas Moreno (Upstate Carolina Dance Center) | Zachary Roy (Dance Town) | Dylan Custodio (Stars Dance Studio) | |
| 2023 | Sam Fine (Stars Dance Studio) | Ian Stegeman (Woodbury Dance Center) | Santiago Sosa (Stars Dance Studio) | Damian Shillis (Canadian Dance Company) | |
| 2024 | Jackson Roloff-Hafenbreadl (Stars Dance Studio) | Kylan Wright (Stars Dance Studio) | Neo Del Corral (Stars Dance Studio) | Isaiah Santos (Stars Dance Studio) |
| Year | Senior | Teen | Junior | Mini | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Jayci Kalb (The Dance Centre) | Morgan Higgins (Denise Wall Dance Energy) | Bostyn Brown (Club Dance Studio) | Diana Pombo (Stars Dance Studio) | |
| 2017 | Payton Johnson (Jean Leigh Academy of Dance) | Quinn Starner (Stars Dance Studio) | Bella Klassen (YYC Dance Project) | Hailey Bills (Prodigy Dance and Performing Arts Centre) | |
| 2018 | Morgan Higgins (Denise Wall Dance Energy) | Kelis Robinson (Elite Danceworx) | Ava Wagner (Larkin Dance Studio) | Cameron Voorhees (Evolve Dance Complex) | |
| 2019 | Vivian Ruiz (Stars Dance Studio) | Ruby Castro (Dance Town) | Keagan Capps (The Pointe Performing Arts Center) | Gracyn French (Project 21) | |
| 2021 | Kayla Mak (Westchester Dance Academy) | Dyllan Blackburn (Project 21) | Cameron Voorhees (Evolve Dance Complex) | Kya Massimino (Stars Dance Studio) | |
| 2022 | Ruby Castro (Dance Town) | Hailey Bills (Center Stage Performing Arts Center) | Kylee Casares (Stars Dance Studio) | Skylar Wong (Woodbury Dance Center) | |
| 2023 | Julia Lowe (Elite Danceworx) | Cameron Voorhees (Evolve Dance Complex) | Zoe Flores (Stars Dance Studio) | Ellary Day Szyndlar (Club Dance Studio) | |
| 2024 | Sierra Drayton (Elite Danceworx) | Giselle Gandarilla (Stars Dance Studio) | Regan Gerena (Project 21) | Sylvie Win Szyndlar (Club Dance Studio) |
The Dance Awards LIVE was held online in 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mini 2013, Junior 2015, Teen 2018