Audience
If you are coming to watch the competition, the doors will usually open about 15 minutes prior to the scheduled stat time. Please be aware of where te audience entrance is, and utilize only those doors- we also ask that you make your entrances and exits to and from the ballroom ONLY in between numbers- it is less distracting for your kids if the doors are not opening and closing while they are trying to perform their best! Plan accordingly for this if you need to quickly run backstage to help them with a costume change- make your way towards the door before the number is quite over. Also, there is absolutely no flash photography or videotaping allowed during any of the competition- this is to protect the choreographer's work.
Always remember - admission to the competition is FREE!
Food and Drink
Onstage New York arranges, wherever possible, for cash and carry breakfast and lunch options. We guide the hotel or convention center to make healthy choices and let them know of our designated breaks. Bringing a snack or water bottle along is a good idea -the dancers are expecting a lot out of their bodies! Occasionally a venue won't allow outside food in their establishment. When this happens, we make every effort to let your studio know in their confirmation packet.
Industry Q & A with your Judges
We invite all parents to join Michael Demby-Cain and the Judges each competition weekend, during the Sunday lunch break, for the Industry Q & A. It's an opportunity to share thoughts, ask questions, and make new contacts and friends. Feel free to bring lunch! It's very casual and informal. The Q & A is open to students an teachers too- basically, anyone who wants to learn more about the performing arts industry! There are no pre-determined topics, but past questions have covered topics such as dancing in college, the importance of singing for dancers, how to audition, what are casting directors looking for, and many other things! The judges share their experiences and lessons from their own careers.
Title Procedures
All performers who are doing solos at Onstage New York competition have the option of entering up to three solos in the title competition for the opportunity to win the title of Mr./Miss Onstage New York. If your performer has chosen to do so, there are a couple of extra things that they will participate in over the course of the competition. First of all, all title performers are asked to check in with stage manager when they arrive backstage to remind then that they are a title performer. When their entry is announced, we ask the performer to step to the designated spot as pointed out to them by the stage manager, and announce for the judges their name, age, hometown, and performance piece. They may then set themselves for the beginning of their piece. Additionally, throughout the competition weekend the judges and title entrants will participate in a question and answer session. Generally this is held after all the performers for a particular age category have performed, but be sure to check with the registration desk and the stage manager to find out when your performer's scheduled interview session is for that weekend. At the designated time, all of the performers will line back up onstage, and the judges will each ask one a question- it could be anything, but usually pertains to dance or other interests. The title entrants should answer the question completely, but also try to keep their answers to 1-2 sentences, approximately under a minute. All title winners are announced at the full awards ceremony at the end of the day.
