1ST INTERNATIONAL
DANCE COMPETITION

INTERNATIONAL
DANCE
COMPETITION

Register now

WELCOME ADDRESS

WHO CAN APPLY

The competition is intended for dance students aged 10 to 21, who are divided into the following age categories:

Kids10 – 12 years
Teens13 – 15 years
Juniors16 – 18 years
Seniors19 – 21 years
eligibility requirements

A dancer’s age is determined as of the first day of the competition, 22 February 2027. If a dancer’s birthday falls on that day, their new age will apply. For groups, the age category is determined by the oldest group member.

Age must be verified with a valid passport, national identity card or birth certificate during registration and upon arrival.

For participants under the age of 18, parents, legal guardians and teachers are responsible for their conduct and for any damage they may cause.

Classical Pas de deux is open only to the Juniors and Seniors age categories.

Each participant must have their own health insurance.

COMPETITION CATEGORIES

Classical Ballet
Solo
Classical Pas de deux
Duo
Small Group (3 – 4 dancers)
Big Group (5+ dancers)
Neoclassical Ballet
Solo
Duo
Small Group (3 – 4 dancers)
Big Group (5+ dancers)
Contemporary
Solo
Duo
Small Group (3 – 4 dancers)
Big Group (5+ dancers)

Maximum choreography duration

Solo – classical ballet, neoclassical ballet or contemporary 02:15
Classical Pas de deux Original duration
Duo 03:30
Small Group (3–4 dancers) 04:00
Big Group (5+ dancers) 04:30

The prescribed time limit for each choreography must be observed.

PHOTO GALLERY

REGISTRATION AND NUMBER OF CHOREOGRAPHIES

Registration consists of two separate parts:

1. Dancer registration

Dancer registration – name, date of birth, nationality, school or teacher, and contact details

2. Registration of each choreography

Registration of each choreography – title, category, choreographer and music details

Important information

  • Each dancer may enter a maximum of three choreographies in each category. Registration is valid only after both forms have been submitted and all fees have been paid in full. Payment must be made within 3 days of online registration.
  • Registration is scheduled to run from 15 November 2026 to 31 January 2027. The organiser reserves the right to close registration earlier if capacity is reached or to reject an application.
1. I want to register a dancer 2. I want to register a choreography

COMPETITION FEES

Competition fees Early Bird
15 November 2026 –
30 November 2026		 Standard fee
1 December 2026 –
31 January 2027
Registration fee per person 60 € 60 €
Solo 65 € 75 €
Pas de deux 130 € 150 €
Duo 130 € 150 €
Small Group (3 – 4) 180 € 200 €
Big Group (5+) 200 € 220 €

Important information

  • The €60 registration fee per person is non-refundable.
  • Schools are encouraged to make group payments. The teacher should email a list of dancers, choreography titles and their respective categories to
Submit dancers and choreographies → danzamea@danzamea.sk

JURY AND COMPETITION GUARANTOR

Ondrej Šoth

Ondrej Šoth

Guarantor of the Danza Mea Competition
General Director, National Theatre Košice
Choreographer, Director

An acclaimed Slovak choreographer, dance director and theatre educator. Throughout his professional career, he has worked as a choreographer with the Prague Chamber Ballet of Pavel Šmok, the National Theatre in Prague, Laterna Magika, the Slovak National Theatre and the Slovak State Traditional Dance Company (SĽUK).

In 2000, he became the Artistic Director of the Ballet of the State Theatre in Košice. Between 2010 and 2011, he served as the General Director of the Slovak National Theatre. Since 2020, he has been the General Director of the National Theatre Košice.

He is the creator of numerous outstanding dance productions, including *Carmina Burana, M. R. Štefánik, The Diary of Anne Frank* and *Nureyev*. In recognition of his artistic achievements, he has received several prestigious awards, including the Crystal Wing Award in 2010 and the DOSKY Theatre Award.

Gennaro Sorbino

Gennaro Sorbino

Ballet Artist
First Soloist and Artistic Director of the Ballet of the National Theatre Košice

Born in Naples, Italy, he is a professional dancer, First Soloist and Artistic Director of the Ballet of the National Theatre Košice. He received his training in classical and contemporary dance at the Danza Flegrea school under the guidance of Enzo Correale. He further developed his artistic skills at prestigious international academies in Rome, Madrid, Frankfurt and Portugal, as well as at the summer schools of the English National Ballet and the Hungarian National Ballet.

Throughout his career, he has performed leading roles in some of the most renowned ballet and dance theatre productions, including Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère, Hamlet, Anna Karenina, Nureyev and Charlie Chaplin. He has collaborated with renowned choreographers and leading figures in the world of dance, including Vladimir Malakhov, Denis Matvienko, Jiří Bubeníček, Akram Khan and Ondrej Šoth.

In recognition of his artistic achievements, he has received several prestigious awards, including the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic Award for Artistic Excellence and the Award for Best Male Performance at the International Theatre Olympics in Budapest for his portrayal of Hamlet.

Gabriela Béderová

Gabriela Béderová

Ballet Artist
Dance Educator

A Slovak ballet artist and dance educator who has devoted many years to the education and artistic training of young dancers. She teaches at the Eva Jaczová Dance Conservatory in Bratislava, where she specialises in the pedagogical training of classical dance students.

Throughout her teaching career, she has trained several generations of dancers who have gone on to perform on professional theatre stages both in Slovakia and abroad. She has played a significant role in shaping the artistic foundations and dance development of many of her students. Among her former female students are dancers such as Eva Sklyárová, Klaudia Radačovská, Miriam Káčerová Novitzká, Klaudia Brieška Görözdös, Alena Gorelčíková and Lucia Máčiková.

Her teaching and many years of dedication to dance education represent a significant contribution to the development of Slovak ballet.

additional jury members will be announced soon

MUSIC – IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Music must be sent by email to no later than 20 February 2027. Please follow these instructions when submitting music:

  • MP3 format,
  • include the participant ID, dancer’s name, choreography title, category, age group, style, music duration, and information about the music cue or starting pose in the email,
  • a €50 late fee applies to music submitted after the deadline,
  • dancers must also bring a backup copy of their music on a USB drive,
  • any special instructions, such as pauses or volume changes, must be communicated to the technical team in advance.
Submit my music → danzamea@danzamea.sk

RULES AND CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

Copyright

Participants must hold the rights to the choreography they perform.

Props and costumes

Props must be approved in advance. Items identifying a school, items that soil the stage, oversized props, props requiring lengthy setup, and props resembling firearms are not permitted. Costumes must be age-appropriate and respectful. Nudity, offensive symbols and dangerous accessories are prohibited.

additional rules and conditions

Photography and video recordings

By registering, participants consent to the use of photographs and video recordings for promotional and media purposes, including sharing with third parties. Audience members may not photograph or record competition performances; professional recordings are arranged by the organiser or its media partners.

Conduct and safety

Failure to comply with the rules or disrespectful behaviour towards the jury, organisers or other participants may result in cancellation of registration without a refund. Competition fees do not include participant insurance.

Stage

The stage dimensions are 9 × 6 metres. An open stage rehearsal lasting at least 15 minutes will be scheduled before the competition.

SCORING AND JUDGING

The jury will score each performance on a scale of 0–100 points across three areas:

Artistic expression
Technical level
Performance quality and dancer potential
  • The final score will be the average of the judges’ scores. For Pas de deux, duos, Small Groups and Big Groups, one joint score will be awarded to the group.
  • The jury’s decisions are final and may not be appealed. Results will be announced at the end of each competition day, and the final rankings will be published online.
  • If a dancer performs more than one choreography in the same category, only their highest-scoring choreography will count towards an award.

WORKSHOPS

The fee for a 90-minute class is €30

  • registration and payment are completed together with competition registration,
  • places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited,
  • participation is optional but recommended by the organiser,
  • parents and teachers are not permitted to observe the workshops,
  • not attending the workshops has no impact on competition judging.
I want to register for the workshop

TICKETS AND BACKSTAGE ACCESS

Number of dancers from the school Number of accompanying backstage passes
1 – 3 1
4 – 10 2
11 – 20 3
21 – 30 4

Additional accompanying persons must purchase a day ticket at the theatre box office.

Audience ticket prices and rules for 2027

Category Price
Competitor 25 €