Program Highlights & Benefit
Prestigious Performance with the Pacific Symphony
Perform live at the Renee & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall with the Pacific Symphony on February 21, 2026 — a rare chance to showcase your talent on a world-class stage.Cash Prizes
Top placing dancers in each age group will receive cash prizes, recognizing excellence across divisions and supporting dancers at every stage of their journey.T.O.P Dancer Award
The highest scorers across repertoire audition and solo performance will be honored with this prestigious title—recognizing versatility, artistry, and excellence.Scholarship
Offer scholarship to go to the Summer Festival (Finals) in July/August 2026.Golden Ticket to T.O.P Summer Festival
Join & get a free pass to the T.O.P Summer Festival Finals—no audition required!Every dancer, equal stage.
Our conventions auditions are simple, fair, and inspiring. No preparation required. Every dancer will be evaluated on the material taught during the Masterclass Series, ensuring equal opportunity no matter your background. This process highlights not just technique, but also artistry, individuality, and stage presence in a supportive, professional setting.Professional Media Interviews
Every participant receives a professionally edited video interview reel to highlight their personality and aspirations, perfect for college applications and future auditions.
Dance Category in T.O.P Competition
Your dancer will shine in their favorite style:
Concert Dance: Ballet, modern, contemporary, and other technical forms (focus on artistry + technique).
Commercial Dance: Hip-hop, jazz, street, tap, musical theater, K-Pop, C-Pop, Bollywood, acrobatic dance, and more (focus on energy + precision).
World Dance: Cultural and ethnic dance styles including Chinese Classical, Indian Classical, Flamenco, Hula, Folklorico, and beyond (focus on heritage + storytelling).
Solo [2min 30sec max.]
Duet / Trio [2min 30sec max.]
Small group (4-10) [3min max.]
Large group (10 up) [4min max.]
Production (20 up) [8min max.]
COVENTION STRUCTURE
Day 1 - Inspiring Masterclasses with top instructors.
Day 2 - Repertoire learning to prepare for auditions.
Day 3 - Audition + Competition
Day 4 - Competition + Awards Ceremony — where talent, growth, and artistry are celebrated.
A Glimpse into the Experience:
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
"T.O.P Awards is a great opportunity for my daughter to experience different things, to learn from the different master instructors, and just to learn different genres, and to hone her skills as she continues to evolve as a dancer. And to improving herself not only through dance skills, but through being a better person as well, being a better teammate, and being able to communicate better with her class as well as her her dance ensemble team."
–TIM SHUM, parent of Hailey Shum
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
"I feel that T.O.P Awards ranks dancers or evaluates dancers in a more holistic way. I'm really glad that they also consider the presentation, like dance experience, technique, and artistry. They consider all of those along with the master classes. I know that in other competitions, they usually only look at your performance, which I think is less fair than T.O.P because you just have that one moment that you're on stage and you don't know what will happen. But T.O.P really guarantees that they see your whole entire experience as a dancer and how you perform every single day, other than that just one moment on stage."
EMMA ZHANG, student of T.O.P Awards
Why Parents Love T.O.P Events
Unlike traditional competitions, The T.O.P Awards is about more than trophies. It’s about helping young dancers:
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Build a portfolio with professional interviews and media exposure.
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Receive recognition that opens doors for college and professional pathways.
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Create memories that last a lifetime.
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Enhance confidence with opportunities for skills like dance management, public speaking and self-expression in the Summer Festival final program.
If You Reach the Finals, You'll Unlock:
Cash Prizes: Opportunities to win $2,000, $1,000, $500, or $100.
T.O.P. Awards Crystal Trophy: A symbol of excellence and achievement in dance.
Certificates of Achievement: All participants receive recognition for their dedication and performance.
Recommendation Letters: Personalized letters to support university applications and professional pursuits in the dance industry.
Parent Getaway Rewards: To honor the invaluable support parents provide, winners’ parents can choose from over 30 U.S. destinations or 99 international locations for a memorable hotel stay. In addition, five lucky parents will be randomly selected in a special appreciation drawing to receive a complimentary vacation stay..
Leadership & Career Growth: Enhance your future with public speaking workshops and dance management training. Build the confidence to lead, communicate, and manage in both artistic and professional spaces.
VENUES
MASTERCLASS
COMPETITION