Utah High School Dance Festival

The Utah State Board of Education (USBE), in conjunction with the Utah Dance Education Organization (UDEO), is sponsoring the Nineteenth Annual State High School Dance Festival on Saturday, March 7, 2020. USBE and UDEO hope that you will join us and other Utah high schools and participate in this day of sharing, inspiring, learning, growing, and performing.

The Festival will take place at Snow College in Richfield, UT. This Festival is similar to a high school level, one day ACDFA. The Festival is a full day of adjudication, tech rehearsals, and diverse classes in the morning and afternoon finishing with the Gala Performance at 6:00 p.m. Lunch and dinner is on your own.

Each school may bring two works for adjudication (at least one must be a student-choreographed piece.) The dances will be judged on choreography, performance, and technique. Schools will be adjudicated using a standard of excellence, rather than competing against each other for a ranking. Additionally, each school may perform one dance in the Gala Performance. The Gala Performance is free to the public and non-ticketed. Dancers are requested to watch each other and stay for the entire concert. Dancers who are members of their school's "National Honor Society for Dance Arts" will be recognized at the Gala. Awards and adjudicator remarks will be given to teachers at this time.

Friday, March 6th, there will be a special master class/audition for select seniors/juniors. There is a minimal fee and requires registration to the festival and for the master class. More information on this event will come with confirmation of your registration.

Participation fees are according to your UDEO/NDEO membership status. Please carefully review the attached state festival policies carefully. These fees cover classes, guest teachers, adjudicators, trophies, the gala performance, and rental fees. USBE and UDEO recognize that many dance programs are on a tight budget yet hope you will find this an educational and unique experience worth attending.

Thank you for all the time you invest in your high school students. I also urge you to become an active member of the UDEO. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Ariel Hortin
UDEO High School Festival Chair