Festival of Dance 2026

The UNCSA Festival of NC Dance is an annual event that welcomes dance companies and schools from across the state of North Carolina to the UNCSA campus for three days filled with master classes, workshops, and performances. 

Dates & Fee

The fee for Festival 2026 is $225 per student. This registration fee includes: 

• Student souvenir t-shirt
• Directors tote bag
• Six-eight master classes with UNCSA dance faculty and guest artists
• Waived audition fee for UNCSA Summer Dance 
• Special seminars and workshops
• Opportunity to perform in the Festival gala (pieces chosen through video submission and adjudication)

Registration

Registration is now open and will close when we reach maximum capacity. 

Register Today

Dancers must be 11 years of age or older to participate and must attend as part of a school or dance company. There are no refunds available after the registration fee has been paid. 

Directors will register their students online in one of three categories:

• Advanced
• Intermediate
• Young dancer (ages 11 and 12 with at least two years of training)

Video Submissions

Companies are welcome to submit videos for consideration to be included in the Festival gala. The deadline to submit videos is December 15, 2025. The adjudication panel will notify companies in mid-January regarding  acceptance into the Festival Gala performance. To learn more about the process, please refer to the rules and regulations. 

Director's Workshops

The Festival of Dance Directors Workshops offer professional development designed to strengthen teaching, support dancer wellness, and elevate studio culture. Participants will explore evidence-based cross-training for safer, stronger ballet training with Proteus Fitness representative Sara Miller; gain positive psychology tools from UNCSA faculty member April Ball to navigate casting with resilience and clarity; learn audition-readiness strategies from Assistant Dean of Ballet Jared Redick; and deepen their understanding of healthy turnout with contemporary faculty member Abigail Yager. Together, these sessions provide directors and educators with practical, research-backed tools they can implement immediately in the studio.

Register today

Contact

For more information about the UNCSA Festival of Dance, please contact: