Kids Artistic Revue, Inc., also known as KAR, is one of the nation’s most prominent dance companies, hosting about 200 live dance events per year, reaching 500,000 dancers. KAR came to life 33 years ago after the CEO, Noah Lands, decided to take the typical dance convention and make it better. For every event on tour, they offer competitions, conventions, multimedia productions, dance wear apparel, charity events, and award shows all under one roof! Today, KAR tours to over 30 states and 60 cities, providing dancers, teachers, and parents with long-lasting memories and unforgettable experiences. By valuing individual talents and encouraging creativity, KAR not only maintains its reputation as an industry leader in production quality and innovation, but is dubbed “America’s Favorite Competition” by loyal fans.
Competition rules and regulations
For the KAR competition, no independent entries of any sort are allowed to compete. Instead, all entries must be registered through a studio and represented by a studio owner or director. There are over 12 age divisions, and the age of each participant is determined by how old they are as of January 1st. For group routines, their average age determines what division they compete in, and to get this number drop the decimal point and round down to the nearest whole number. In addition to age divisions, there are 7 level divisions, ranging from Novice to Adult. It is up to the discretion of the studio owner/ director to determine division placement. Dancers also have 17 performance categories to choose from including modern, ballet, folk/ethnic, song and dance. For a full competition list arranged by month, please see the end of the article.
Travel to NYC or Hollywood with KAR
All performing acts receive a score, delivered by a panel of three predetermined judges at Regional competitions and five to 
eight judges at National Finals. There over 10 awards/scholarships presented to top routines. One unique award is the KAR Convention Scholarship, granted to soloists from certain experience levels, giving them a FULL – tuition scholarship to any of KAR’s conventions. Another intriguing award is the All Star Dancers NYC, available to dancers from the Primary, Secondary, Intermediate and Elite levels. This special invitation is presented to “All Star Dancers” who display a passion for performing on stage. Winners receive an informational brochure with details of “The New York City Dance Experience”. The Hollywood Dance Invitational Award is similar to the All Star Dancers NYC, but the difference is dancers are invited to participate in the Hollywood Dance Invitational in Hollywood, CA!
What to know about Nationals
All Regional Elite Top First, Top First, First and High Second Place winners are eligible to participate in one of KAR’s 6 National Finals (one of which is held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center). There is a Title Competition open to Regional Title winners and Title runner- ups, and these dancers must perform the same routine they won with at Regionals. If you win the National Title, you are required to perform in the National Star Showcase, scheduled at the end of Nationals. The National Star Showcase is for the top 5 scoring Small Groups and the top 5 scoring Large Groups in the Primary, Secondary, Intermediate, and Elite levels. The highest scoring performances win cash prizes and a National Grand Champion Trophy. In addition to the trophy, there are 5 additional awards given at the National Finals only, recognizing the best choreography, spirit, and talent.
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KAR offers free admission for family and friends
As a parent or supporter of an aspiring dancer, you know the expenses for conventions and competitions add up quickly. However, KAR charges nothing for watching all the hard work and dedication pay off on stage! Bring as many family and friends you want, although please spread the word that any photography and videography is strictly prohibited during all performances. Failure to comply with this rule may result in a point deduction to the act being recorded and/or photographed, as well as confiscation of the recordings and/or photographs.
KAR’s 1 -day conventions
KAR Dance Convention is a one-day dance workshop focusing on Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Hip Hop, and Musical Theater, taught by some of the best master teachers in the country! They make the event one day to drive costs down, but do not worry; they achieve what most companies do in two days, in one! The teachers leading the classes are studio owners and/or choreographers, who specialize in interacting and reaching students of all ages and skill levels. There is no competition involved, so everyone can focus on having fun while improving their technique and learning new choreography. The conventions also offer one hour of mock auditions, helping students learn the dos and the don’ts of the audition process, making them better prepared for auditions in the real world. There are 11 conventions (one in the robust city of Worcester, MA) that typically sell out, so make sure to register for this fantastic service before it’s too late.
The KAR in-house program
If your studio is not able to attend one of the scheduled conventions, do not worry because you can have the convention come to you! KAR will bring 5 teachers to your studio to teach master classes in Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Hip Hop, and Musical Theater. You get all the excitement of the convention in the comfort of your own studio! Recognizing that studios come in various shapes and sizes, KAR introduced a new tier pricing model, so you can be sure the costs are specific to your studio size, not a generic, one size fits all price.
Give a gift of hope
KAR teamed up with Dancers Against Cancer (DAC) to help join the fight against cancer, and is asking studios to “give a gift of hope” by providing financial assistance to those in need in the dance community. So far, KAR has raised $890,000, getting closer and closer to their goal of 1 million. With your help, they could get there! Get your studio involved by signing up and pledge to raise $1,000, which can be done by hosting fundraisers or charity events. Your money will go to dance teachers, dancers, choreographers, and parents affected by the disease, getting them one step closer to dancing again.
When KAR competitions first began, the tour consisted of 6 competitions in California, each lasting only one day, with a maximum of 120 acts per show. Today, KAR reaches over 500,000 dancers annually all over the country, thanks to the diverse and ingenious nature of their team. Since opening their doors 3 decades ago, their name has become synonymous with trust, communication and originality. They’ve grown from hand writing itineraries, to offering visually-appealing presentations, and having a cutting-edge technological team behind them. See for yourself all that KAR has to give through their in-house program and Regional Competitions, and join their half a million loyal customer base.
For updated tournament information, please go to KAR Dance Competition.