The Masquerade Dance Experience

At Masquerade, we pride ourselves on being the most exciting and fun-filled dance competition touring today! It is our mission to blend the thrill of Mardi Gras and the spirit of New Orleans with a well-organized and stress free competitive dance event. We have adopted the phrase “Laissez les bon temps roulez” which simply means ‘Let the good times roll!’

Celebrating our 19th season, we are looking forward to another year of excellence in dance education, and the opportunity to engage with and help guide the next generation of talented, young artists.

2022 Masquerade National Title Winners

At each of our 2022 National Finals, dancers in each age division competed for the coveted Masquerade Title. By competing two solos in contrasting genres, talented young performers from all over the country brought the best of their artistry and technical abilities to the nationals stage. We are so proud of these hard-working, inspirational dancers and thrilled to have each of them represent the Masquerade legacy. Congratulations to our 2022 Masquerade Dance National Title Winners!

Dancers Against Cancer

We are proud to sponsor the Industry Dance Awards, an annual event that raises funds and awareness for Dancers Against Cancer (DAC). This season dancers will have the opportunity to give back by entering our Dancers Against Cancer Improv Contest at each regional event! It’s only $5 to enter, and all the funds are directed to DAC. We are looking forward to raising funds for those in need, while encouraging the dancers to show off their artistry, and passion for dance!

2022 National Steven Boyd Memorial Award Winner

Congratulations to our National Steven Boyd Memorial Award winner, Sam Burtch from Renee Johnson’s Dance Studio! Sam is not only a talented performer but a supportive teammate who demonstrates an elevated level of sportsmanship and Masquerade spirit.
The Steven Boyd Memorial Award is presented to the dancer who not only demonstrates an exceptional level of confidence, but who also shows an undeniable passion for dance through their performance quality and interactions with others.
Mr. Steven was a talented dancer, instructor, choreographer, adjudicator, and mentor for many. His true passion for dance and his ability to inspire young artists continue to serve as a benchmark for all of us at Masquerade and we are proud to honor his spirit as we see it reflected in each generation of dancers.

Darby's Dancers

We are encouraging our Masquerade family of dance studios across the country to initiate a Darby’s Dancers program at their studio today. In fact, in 2023 any studio competing at any Masquerade regional event may bring their team of Darby’s Dancers to perform at no charge. We are looking forward to bringing more awareness to this exceptional program for special needs dancers, and we hope you will join us and help build a stronger coalition of Darby’s Dancers across the nation. For more detailed information about becoming part of the Darby’s Dancers family please visit www.darbysdancers.com.

Parade of Stars

At each regional event the Masquerade staff selects outstanding dancers they have watched over the weekend to join our Parade of Stars! These dancers are recognized on stage, featured on our website, and are invited to perform in the opening number at one of our 2023 Nationals events. This thrilling performance, produced by Two4One Productions, combines the talents of top tier dancers from all over the country and offers young artists a realistic, professional dance experience.

All Star Dancers

Students chosen for Parade of Stars at each of our regional events are also eligible to attend the 2023 All Star Dancers New York Experience. Offered by Artistic Adventures, this six-day trip to New York City includes Broadway shows, master dance classes, formal dinner and dance cruise, and a scenic tour of New York’s most spectacular sights! Dancers will also have the opportunity to study with the World Famous Rockettes and take a tour of Radio City Music Hall! For more information about the 2023 All Star Dancers New York Experience please visit www.artistic-adventures.net.

Dance Scholarships

Continuing with the tradition of recognizing outstanding graduating seniors, we were pleased to award over $20,000 in scholarships to dancers from participating studios all over the country. We are looking forward to another outstanding season in 2023, and we wish all of our graduating seniors continued success on whatever path they choose!

UnMasked Audition Intensive

We are looking forward to presenting the UnMasked Audition Intensive again this fall at studios all over the country! This customized, in house convention teaches dancers how to improve their audition game and get an edge up on the competition. Audition classes in different genres allows dancers the opportunity to memorize and master dance combinations in a time crunch. Each dancer also has the opportunity to sit down for a one-on-one feedback session with our UnMasked panel! We appreciate this opportunity to help guide dancers with a supportive and interactive experience. For more information about booking your customized UnMasked Audition Intensive for your team please email judges@masqueradedance.com. We hope to see you this fall!

2022 Dancer of the Year

Young artists at both of our 2022 Nationals events participated in the Dancer of the Year program. This three-day event allowed students the opportunity to take a variety of classes with some of our Masquerade faculty, receive individual feedback, and compete for the title of Dancer of the Year! The top finalists in each age division put their talents to the test in a one-of-a-kind battle experience during our Finals Night Dance Off! We are pleased to bring this unique opportunity to dancers from all over the country and celebrate the talent and determination of each generation of dancers! Congratulations to all of our 2022 Dancers of the Year!