Q & A with Joel of Journey Dance Competition

Wouldn’t you LOVE to have the chance to talk to the owner of a dance competition? Well, I got to do just that with Joel Valdiviezo from Journey Dance Competition! Read below to get some behind-the-scenes insight into making a great event. Thanks so much to Joel for this amazing opportunity!

One of the highlights of the awards ceremony (for me, anyway) was the giving of “Excellence in ___” certificates. What categories do you have (Excellence in Emotional Execution, for example)? Why do you feel these are important to give out?

We present “Excellence” awards in categories such as technique, performance, storytelling, musicality, entertainment, artistry, impact, costuming, choreography, and emotional commitment. These awards give our judges the opportunity to recognize routines that stand out in specific areas that aren’t always reflected in the adjudicated and overall awards. It’s a way to highlight and celebrate the unique strengths of a performance.

In the leveling, it looks like you have minimum routine requirements for placement that are new this season. Can you tell us a little bit about what led to that decision?

Yes, we introduced routine limits per level in addition to factoring in how many hours a dancer trains each week. Since no competition can truly verify training hours, we felt it was important to add a guideline we can measure to help keep levels fair. While it isn’t a perfect solution, it gives studios a clearer framework for placement and helps ensure dancers are competing in the most appropriate level.

How often have you “leveled up” dancers? What goes into making that determination?

At every competition, our judging panel has the ability to “Level Up” dancers to a higher level when a routine’s overall skill, technical ability, and overall score exceed its placement. For a routine to be officially Leveled Up, it must meet strict criteria: it must be nominated by every judge on the panel, receive a top-range score, and get final approval from the Event Director. On average, we Level Up about 2–3 routines per competition. While it’s not an easy decision—especially once division awards have already been announced—we believe it’s an important step to keep levels fair and protect the integrity of the competition.

Many dance parents complain about the mis-leveling of routines. Would you ever consider going to a non-leveled format? If not, why would you prefer to stay “leveled?”

We don’t see ourselves eliminating levels completely, but we are focused on tightening the requirements for level placement and moving more toward skill-based criteria. We may also explore hosting a few non-leveled format events in the future. As an industry, we don’t believe competitions, parents, or studios are fully ready to do away with levels altogether. While levels have served an important purpose, they can sometimes be taken advantage of. For us, the priority is ensuring accurate placements rather than removing levels entirely.

How do you find and book your judges (are they vetted, do you use a company, etc.)?

We proudly handle all judge hiring in-house. Every potential judge goes through a multi-step vetting process to ensure they align with our philosophy and standards. The process begins with an interview with our Judging & Talent Coordinator, followed by an “audition critique” so we can evaluate their delivery, tone, and feedback style. From there, candidates meet with a member of our Leadership Team for a final interview.

Once hired, both new and returning judges participate in our judge training program, where we dive deeper into our philosophy, expectations, and critiquing style. Throughout the season, our team continues to provide feedback to judges so that our company standards are consistently met and dancers receive the most valuable and constructive critiques possible.

Tell us about your Student Choreography genre. How often are routines entered under this category? Why is there a distinction between teacher-created and student-created choreography?

While we typically see just a handful of Student Choreography solos each season, the number has steadily grown since we first introduced the category. It’s inspiring to watch young dancers step into the role of choreographer—challenging themselves not only as performers but also as creative leaders. We love seeing studio owners encourage their students to take this leap and provide them with the space to showcase their original work.

We feel the distinction between teacher-created and student-created choreography is essential. It ensures our judges understand that the dancer crafted the piece themselves, and most importantly, it gives these young artists the recognition they deserve as choreographers.

What is the difference between the open and wild card categories?

Our Open category is designed for routines that blend multiple dance styles within the same piece. The Wild Card category, while not used as frequently, exists for routines that are truly unique—performances that don’t fit into the traditional categories you’d expect at a dance competition. It gives dancers and choreographers the freedom to showcase work that is unconventional, innovative, or outside the norm.

Please give us an overview of your national competition (how many rooms/stages, do you have an end-of-event showdown/battle, are there “extras” like master classes, improv battles, squad games, etc.).

Our Nationals are without a doubt the most exciting events we host! The week typically spans five competition days across two stages, starting with soloists and building up to groups. Beyond the competition itself, we pack the schedule with fun extras: free convention-style classes, nighttime activities for dancers, parent dance battles, coloring stations, multiple photo ops, squad games, and more. We intentionally design Nationals to be an unforgettable experience not just for the dancers, but for their siblings and families too.

The week concludes with our prestigious Mirror Ball Finales—one for the beginner/intermediate level and another for the advanced level. This is where we completely transform the event format: multiple hosts introduce routines, a multi-camera production captures performances in a dynamic new way, and our judges provide live post-routine commentary before we close with high-energy awards.Nationals are truly something special, and one of my personal favorite events of the year. You can get a glimpse of the fun here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwKzIqJV72s

Tell us about the “featured dancer” process for nationals.

Our Featured Dancer competition is our title competition, with divisions for both intermediate and advanced dancers. The process is multi-layered to showcase not just performance ability, but versatility and professionalism.

Each contestant begins with a master class, where they’re judged on class etiquette, technique, and how quickly they pick up choreography. From there, they perform their solo, and we combine the solo score with the class score. The top 15 dancers then advance to our Improv Experience.

The Improv Experience is a highlight of Nationals. In front of a live audience, dancers introduce themselves, answer a question from the judges, and then improvise to a 30-second music mix. Each dancer receives a different track, allowing us to see how they interpret music in the moment.Final scores from the Improv are combined with previous rounds to determine our winners. The announcement takes place at the start of our Mirror Ball Finale awards, where all contestants arrive in formal wear to find out who will be our new National Featured Dancers.

How would you describe Journey’s “vibe”?

Journey’s vibe is celebratory, inclusive, and full of energy. Our events are designed to feel less like a competition and more like a weekend-long party where everyone, dancers, studio owners, parents, and siblings, feels welcome and part of the fun. From the moment you walk into the venue, you’ll feel the excitement: music pumping, our team cheering, and an atmosphere that radiates positivity.

We call it Journey Magic – that feeling of joy, connection, and unforgettable memories. It’s playful, high-energy, and designed to remind everyone why they fell in love with dance in the first place. Since day one, our mission has been to produce events that beam with this kind of energy. When our guests feel it, they pass it on to each other, and the entire event becomes one big celebration of dance and community.

I saw members of the Journey staff interviewing people in the lobby area. This is so fun! Tell us about how you came up with the idea, and what it adds to the event.

Our social media team is truly the best! At every event, we have a dedicated team member focused on live event coverage across all of our platforms. If you’ve been to one of our competitions, you know how active we are on both our feed and stories. We train our team to capture everything—from performances on stage to behind-the-scenes moments and guest interviews.

The lobby interviews have become a favorite because you never know what dancers will say—it’s always entertaining and authentic. It’s also a great way to break the barrier between our team and our guests, creating real connection. Dancers love it too; they’re locked into our social media all weekend long, hoping to see if they “made it” onto our Instagram.

There are countless dance competitions out there. Why should a studio owner choose to bring their teams to Journey?

With over 400 dance competitions out there, the fact that studios choose Journey is something we never take lightly. Every weekend, dancers, parents, and studio directors put their trust in us to deliver more than just an event, they expect an unforgettable experience. And they deserve exactly that.

At Journey, our guests deserve to feel good, to be celebrated, and to experience a competition unlike anything else. Studio directors pour their hearts into preparing their dancers, and parents hand over their most precious gift, their children, trusting that we will provide a safe, inspiring, and high-energy event to showcase their talents.

One of the reasons we connect so deeply with our community is that our Leadership Team has worn nearly every hat in this industry—dancers, teachers, studio directors, event producers, and parents. Those perspectives shape the way we run Journey, ensuring every decision we make enhances the experience for everyone involved. That’s what makes Journey different.

What do you hope the dancers and their families remember about their experience at Journey?

More than anything, we hope dancers and their families remember how they felt at Journey. The performances, awards, and photo ops are all special, but the real impact comes from the energy in the room, the celebration of every person, and the connections made throughout the weekend.

We want every guest to leave feeling inspired, celebrated, and part of something bigger than themselves. Years from now, our hope is that dancers won’t just remember the routines they performed, but the joy, confidence, and lifelong memories they created here.

For my firsthand experience attending two Journey events (a regional and a national), head to Competition Spotlight: Journey!