frequently asked questions

Child Licensing Requirements: 

• Signed Child Licensing Agreement 
• Signed Details of Performance Form (including gender breakdowns of all participants)
• Staff Names and DBS Numbers and Chaperone Licenses (if required) 

• Child Details List (including full names, DOBs and postcodes) 
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Monitoring Information

Performance Requirements: 

• Participant and Staff accessibility and medical information (for dressing room allocation and medical requirements)
• 60 Word Blurb and Performance Title 
• Lighting State Sheet  

• Copyright and Ownership Form (for copyrighted music, film and images or choreography) 
• LED Screen Content Video in .MP4 or .MOV format (with music embedded) 
• Journey to Dance Live! Video in .MP4 or .MOV format 

You are permitted to have a maximum of 100 performers and no more than 20 stage crew. Stage crew includes any participants working on Lighting, Video Editing, Props and Stage Décor and Hair and Makeup.

For each person who enters, there is a participation fee of £12-£14 depending on location. This fee supports the production and delivery of the event. Each school will be invoiced for their total fees, which must be paid by the deadline stated on the invoice. The fees apply to all ‘student’ team members engaged with the delivery of the event on the day, therefore the dancers, crew, technicians and creative participants. Teachers and adult volunteers who are supporting the development and delivery of the event do not need to pay a participation fee.

Performance length must be between 5-7 minutes, penalty points will be deducted if you fall out of this time. 

There will be 3 judges all of whom have worked within the sector. Judging for the main piece will be split into 2 segments ‘Creative’ and ‘Performance’. Each segment will contribute equally to the final score. It will be made up of the following: 

Performance: 50%  

Creative:  

• LED Screen Content: 20% 
• Lighting Design: 5% 
  
• Soundtrack Creation 10%  
  
• Costume, Hair and Makeup: 5%  
• Concept: 10% 

For more information on how performances are judged, please view the Dance Live! Information Pack.  

Please find an example of a Junior event day and a Senior event day schedule (including rehearsals and arrival and departure times) here:  

• Junior Schedule  
• Senior Schedule  

Please note: Dance Live! Events are subject to Child Performance Laws and therefore we can only have a maximum of seven schools per Junior event and nine schools per Senior event.  

Dance Live! ensures that all IOW schools perform within the first half of the evening show. IOW schools and their parents/guardians are able to leave the venue in the first interval of the show to catch their ferry. Dance Live! will notify IOW schools of discount ferry travel information in the Autumn term of each school year.  

Dance Live! does not share or sell photos or films directly with parents or guardians for safeguarding and media consent purposes. Audience members are not allowed to film or photograph performances. A DBS Checked professional photographer is in attendance at Dance Live! Events and all performances are filmed. All professional photographs and films taken of each individual school’s performance are sent directly to the lead teacher of each school post-event and it is the responsibility of the school to distribute photos and films to parents depending on the media consent of their students.  

Schools are notified of photo package costs in the Autumn term of each school year. All videos are sent to schools post-event, along with Judges Feedback, free of charge.