NSW Public Schools State Dance Festival

The State Dance Festival celebrates classroom dance achievements of students from Kindergarten to Year 12.  The Festival runs across 5 days with students participating from schools across NSW.

Dates and times

• Monday 15 to Friday 19 September 2025 (Term 3 Week 9)
• Daily evening performances 7:00 pm (no matinee performances)

Venue

Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre, Chippendale

Applications

Applications for the 2025 NSW PS State Dance Festival are NOW OPEN for the following categories:

• school item
• production team
• VET student production team
• audition panel - applications closed Wednesday 25 June 2025

Applications for the following categories are opening soon

• teachers choreographic workshop
• student dance workshops

Tickets

General admission tickets are available from August 2025; please contact the Seymour Centre Box Office directly on 02 7255 1561 or refer to their booking information page.

Nomination guidelines

• Choreography employs safe dance practice demonstrating movement appropriate to the age and ability of the performers. 
• Choreography demonstrates a creative response to dance as an art form through the development of a concept/intent or theme that is expressed consistently throughout.
• Choreography demonstrates an understanding of choreographic principles, processes and structures, including:
  • manipulation and variation of the elements of dance
  • manipulation of the motif (as relevant to the style of dance)
  • use of the performance space including formations and pathways
  • form and structure.
• Students demonstrate strong performance quality, group cohesion, consistency and commitment.
• Costumes and music support the concept/intent or theme while being appropriate for the age of the performers and supporting the values of public education.
• If props are used, they should be integral to supporting and communicating the concept/intent or theme.

Item requirements

• Schools, including community of schools and regional ensemble programs, may nominate a maximum of 4 items.
• Ensembles must have a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 30 students.
• Items should utilise the 10 m x 12 m stage space as relevant to the intent of the work.
• Schools are encouraged to use teachers or students as choreographers for their item/s.
• Primary items must not exceed 5 minutes in length; secondary items must not exceed 7 minutes in length.
• Where possible, schools/ensembles should perform at the area/regional dance festival.
• Music and lyrics must be relevant to the age and experience of the performers, complement the intent of the item, and be suitable for public performance in a Department of Education setting.
• Choreography must be original work created in accordance with copyright guidelines. 
• Copyright information regarding the source of music (CD/iTunes) must be provided for department records. 
• Items will be recorded and may be published online. Please refer to the publishing guidelines below. 
• Nominating teachers are responsible for supplying performance footage for nominated items to be considered by the State Dance Festival selection panel.

How to prepare your group 

Schools nominating for the State Dance Festival are strongly encouraged to participate in their local regional dance festival where possible. Participation in your local regional dance festival provides vital performance experience, develops stagecraft and promotes and celebrates dance in your community. 

Selection process for nominated items

The panel will assess items based on choreography, technical skill and performance quality, the overall cohesiveness of the piece in relation to style, geographical representation, age group of performers and the relevance of the piece according to dance curriculum outcomes. The panel carefully considers all applications and liaises with local festival coordinators and Arts Coordination Officers to support inclusion and representation from across NSW. 

Variation to applications

Schools that are unable to be involved in their local regional dance festival or have considerations that fall outside of the above guidelines, please contact the Dance Team on [email protected].

Publication of items

Successful items will be recorded and may be published on the Arts Unit website as a resource. In order to be published, items need to comply with the following music copyright guidelines.

Schools may use commercial music in the backing tracks of their performances, but this usage must adhere to the terms of the Schools Music Licence:

• Music must be commercially available and legally purchased.
• Music tracks may not be overlapped or mixed together (only hard cuts within or between tracks are allowed).
• Spoken words may be added over the top of a music track, but these spoken words must not be taken from a sound recording that belongs to another copyright holder that has not granted permission for its use  (for example, lifting a voiceover from a film, television show, podcast, YouTube documentary, etc). Choreographers may write and record their own voiceovers.

For more information about what is allowed under the provisions of the Schools Music Licence, please contact Smartcopying.

Additionally, in order for videos to be published online all students will need to have Authority to film and record.

• Smartcopying – Schools Music Licence 
• Department of Education – Legal services – copyright

The professional development will comprise of a practical component, viewing dance works in the theatre, process of production and discussions about dance choreography.

Participants will develop an understanding of:

• the dance syllabus in relation to choreography
• the elements of composition
• the processes and methods involved in the construction of a dance composition
• skills involved in composition and choreography
• processes in the development of dance items for public performance
• the effects of lighting, sound, costuming and use of props in dance performance
• dance as an art form.

Participants will be able to:

• understand the compositional process
• experience a variety of approaches to dance composition
• manipulate the elements of composition
• explore a range of dance ideas and accompaniments
• demonstrate a creative response to choreography.

View the dance festivals page for more information about regional dance festivals.