Power Pak Q & A – 5 Key Takeaways

July 2024

This month, we attended our first Power Pak, a dance intensive presented by the Star Dance Alliance. Being Disney fans, we opted to travel to Orlando (rather than Ocean City, Maryland). On the second-to-last day, the organizers hosted an information session for the parents and guardians of the attendees. We were told that it was meant to be an opportunity to ask “all the questions the dance teachers tell you not to ask” (those might not be the exact words, but they are pretty close). So I was really looking forward to the session; who doesn’t want to be there when the tea is spilled?!

In hindsight, I probably should have brought a pen and paper to take some notes. But since this was our first Power Pak, I really did not know what to expect. And quite honestly, I was more focused on getting things ready for Jocelyn’s performance the next day. So I’ve written down what I can remember from the session. I think it will be of particular interest to those that participate in Star Dance Alliance, Break the Floor, and other popular events.

Several “officers” from the Star Dance Alliance were on the panel. Henry Bailey (the international director of Starpower), and Noelle Pate Packett (the leader of Starpower) were the primary contributors, with Gary Pate (the CEO of DanceOne) adding his remarks towards the end of the session.

DanceOne

Earlier this year, we dance families heard that a new company, DanceOne, would be forming. This new brand would include all of the Star Dance Alliance competitions, as well as Break the Floor and others. 

Henry and Noelle explained that the combined brand would provide new opportunities for our dancers and their teachers. For example, they plan to create a loyalty program for the dance school administrators, with ways to earn points for participating in their events. 

Another benefit of the merger (my word, not theirs) is increased access to more dance professionals across companies. For example, Derek and Julianne Hough will be judges at this year’s World Dance Pageant! The siblings have also partnered with DanceOne to launch a global ballroom competition and convention tour.

Noelle and Henry introduced another initiative that they are planning to implement that I was particularly interested in. They are hoping to create a judge accreditation program that will vigorously vet potential candidates. Henry cautioned that this would not happen anytime soon, which is understandable. Speaking of judging…

Judging

Several audience members asked questions regarding the judging they experienced this past year. At least two were dance teachers as well as parents, so their questions and comments came from various perspectives. 

Choreography

One woman asked why the judges did not comment on the choreography of the routines during their critiques. She made the point that, if a routine falls short in some way, a judge should offer their feedback about it during their commentary. Noelle and Henry explained that a judge might be reluctant to do that because they might not have understood the choreographer’s vision or intentions, so they would not want to draw an incorrect conclusion. 

Another mother brought up the topic of the appropriateness of choreography. We have all seen routines that push the boundaries of what should be on the stage at a dance competition. Sometimes, overtly sexualized movement being loudly cheered by well-meaning parents. She wondered why these routines did not incur any point deductions. Noelle and Henry explained that they rely on the studio owners’ discretion when it comes to this area. If the judges issued penalties in such cases, it would be the innocent kids that ultimately suffer the consequences. 

While I see their point, I firmly believe the competition needs to flag these routines early in the regional season. By issuing the offending studio an official warning that is tracked in the registration system, they could dole out stiffer penalties for later transgressions.

Quality

A few other audience members expressed their general frustration with the quality of the judging they experienced this year. Henry replied that there are times when a judge’s work is “horrible,” resulting in the company dismissing them after a competition weekend. As with any job, some candidates look fantastic on a resume but fail to meet their standards in the field. This is where a judging accreditation system would help. I was pleasantly surprised by Henry’s honesty; others in his position might have dismissed the concerns or responded with empty half-truths.

Levels

If you talk to a seasoned dance mom about the competitive world, the issue of levels is bound to be raised. Noelle and Henry even joked when the question came up, telling us that it was only a matter of time before the topic made its appearance. When a group of dancers in Level 1 or 2 (novice and intermediate, respectively) start throwing advanced movements into their routine, we collectively raise our eyebrows at how they were categorized.

The mom that asked expressed the frustration that we experienced dance parents have felt time and time again. She specifically mentioned routines that include kids who have been dancing for years beyond the recommended number for their level. She asked if the company’s registration system recognizes the names of these dancers so that they might be more appropriately placed. The panelists answered that it doesn’t, and that they rely on the studio owners and directors to make the right call when leveling their teams. 

Over the years, I have seen other competitions that “promote” dancers when they feel that the routine was placed in a lower skill division. The 2025 Star Dance Alliance rules do mention that they reserve the right to “level up” dancers, but I have personally never seen that happen.

In Break the Floor events (24seven, Jump, Radix, Nuvo, and The Dance Awards), there is only one skill level in which dancers compete. Henry and Noelle announced that SDA plans on introducing a similar “classic” format in a handful of competitions next year. I forget how many they mentioned, but I believe it might have been about 8 cities.

My Question About the Production Category

As soon as the 2025 rules for Star Dance Alliance rules were released, I made sure to take a look. One of the changes I noticed was that the Production category (new for 2024) was to be eliminated. So when I asked the panel about it, Henry explained that it was not being phased out altogether. Rather, they would now have levels of grand lines instead of just one broad category. He went on to talk about how difficult judging is when you have a routine with the works (sets, props, themes, etc.) versus a tap line in the same category. Those big-time numbers would be more appropriately placed as a grand line.

I wholeheartedly agree. In my experience, the “grander” the routine, the better it tends to place. If anyone from the Star Dance Alliance is reading this, please take note! When a routine has a set or huge prop (a cage, staircase, dance platform eight feet in the air, etc.) it should automatically be placed in a grand line category! This would level the playing field, and the judges would be better able to compare the dances fairly.

Location of Worlds

Currently, both the World Dance Pageant and World Dance Championship take place at the Meadowlands Expo Center in New Jersey. At a Believe competition in March, the emcee announced that this would be the last year Worlds would be held at that venue. During the Power Pak session, Henry explained that “everything is on the table” as they consider future locations. He even mentioned the possibility of a venue being built specifically with Worlds in mind, but that remains to be seen (and would not happen overnight, obviously). 

Personally, I would love to see both the Pageant and Championship to stay in New Jersey. But that is mainly because I live here, lol! I am sure dance families from elsewhere would prefer that the location be changed.

**UPDATE AUGUST 2024 – At Worlds, one of our team’s managers was told that the World Dance Championship would remain at the Meadowlands Expo Center for 2025.

With Gratitude

Thank you to Henry, Noelle, and Gary, as well as Madison and Kent (two more Star Dance Alliance managers) for hosting the session! They were patient with all of our questions, and their enthusiasm was contagious. It was especially generous of them to offer their time with two events going on simultaneously (Power Pak and Starpower Nationals). They even graciously agreed to take pictures with me, and spoke to multiple parents after the session had concluded. 

We are already thinking about attending Power Pak again next year, so I hope that another Q&A session will be on the schedule. And next time, I might even remember to bring a pen.

Before you let your dancer skip their least favorite class, read Just Take the Dang Class!