As the Starbound national talent competition returns for its 31st year, the team knows what brings dancing families back. “We have always been one of the leaders in the industry, and we continue to set the bar higher by listening to customer feedback and making changes,” said founder and director Sandra Coyte.
Starbound’s events calendar features more than 70 regional competitions and 5 national competitions, blending the glamor and innovation of large-scale productions and theatrical experiences with the fairness and personalized attention expected from a family-run company. Starbound provides industry expertise from women-owned businesses founded by former dance teachers and studio owners.
2025 will be a banner year for Starbound, bringing new and exciting opportunities for dancers and teachers. First, they’ll be adding more cities to their extensive list (including Omaha, Nebraska, and Jacksonville, Florida). Dancers can look forward to the addition of improv competitions at every district event, while parents and teachers will appreciate the new studio-assigned dressing rooms. Starbound has also undergone a rebranding to keep up with the times while maintaining the integrity of a brand that dancers can trust.
Starbound’s rating system has also been updated. Dancers’ scores will be divided into four categories: technique, choreography, aesthetics and performance. On the Tuesday after competition weekend, teachers can log into Starbound’s Virtual Teacher Center to view a breakdown of scores for each move and video comments. Finally, to address hot topics at the current competition levels, Starbound will also be adding specific skill-based guidelines to ensure fairness and help take the guesswork out of the registration process.
Despite all of these exciting features, Coyte is most proud of what Starbound has remained the same over the past three decades. “We’ve always tried to keep our pricing simple and affordable,” she shared. “Our registration fee is the same no matter when you register, and we’re the first competition to offer early registration rebates to the dance industry.” Starbound knows affordability is important to its families, and Science It noted that while prices haven’t increased this year, the competition has produced the same high-quality events the studio expected. In addition, free photos and videos are a long-standing hallmark of Starbound, and events are live-streamed.
The competition also prides itself on the expertise of its staff. “The three judges on each panel are all versatile experts in multiple dance styles, and we always have at least one judge who is familiar with tap dance,” Coit said.
Starbound is also working to raise funds for Dancers Cares. Since 2002, the company has donated more than $2.6 million to cancer treatment and prevention in the dance community.
Looking ahead, the 2025 season is shaping up to be Starbound‘s best yet. Want to have fun? Register now for upcoming events. Give us a call to find out about our early incentives, such as: When your studio sends dancers to two regional events, you’ll receive 20% off the National Finals fee, or until September 30th for you Make a deposit for 2025 entries by 2024 and receive a 20% rebate. Contact us to learn more!
