Kennesaw State University's 2025 Dance Festival will be held February 1-2, 2025. This unique platform supports and celebrates the work of high school dancers. Through diverse dance classes, workshops, seminars, and performance opportunities, high school students immersed themselves in the professional practice of dance. A panel of three nationally recognized dance artists adjudicated the two Celebration performances and provided detailed feedback to the emerging choreographers and performers.
The weekend-long Festival aims to build community engagement between KSU's Department of Dance and performing arts high schools and dance studios.
Registration information TBA.
Registration is now closed.
Please join us next year!
Adjudicators: TBA
Festival Guidelines
KSU Dance Festival 2025 Guidelines
The 2025 KSU Dance Festival takes place on Saturday, February 1 and Sunday, February 2, 2025.
All students must be current high school-age students.
The festival is open to High School Dance programs and Dance Studios. There are no
individual student registration options.
Early Registration (dates TBA) is $110 per student.
Regular Registration runs from November 1st, 2024 through January 5th 20254.
Each group may bring 3 chaperones/faculty at no additional charge.
All Festival attendees must be registered. No unregistered guest will be allowed into or at any Festival location or event.
Chaperones/faculty must be onsite at all times while their students are present.
There is an initial cap of 25 students per organization. On December 1st, 2024, if
the Festival has not sold-out, this cap will be lifted and groups can register additional
students until the Festival is at capacity.
All classes take place at the Department of Dance Facilities at Chastain Pointe just
off the main Kennesaw Campus. All parking is free for the Festival weekend.
Lunch will be provided each day at the KSU Commons on the main Kennesaw campus. This
is a food court-type facility with a variety of meals to accommodate all tastes and
dietary restrictions.
There are two Celebration Concerts. Each group may present one work total between
these two concerts. There is an additional $50 fee to perform in the Celebration concerts.
Please see concert guidelines for more details.
The Celebration Concerts will take place on the Marietta Campus at the Dance Theater.
The Celebration Concerts are private and only open to registered Festival Attendees.
At Saturday morning check-in, each group will be given 2 tickets to each concert to
use for outside guest. There are no additional tickets available for the concerts.
Additional information will be posted on the Festival Website at ksudance.com. Emails
with additional registration details and weekly updates will be sent to the group
contact once they have registered. Questions can be sent to KSUDance@kennesw.edu
Celebration – Adjudicated Concert Guidelines:
All performers must be current high school-age students.
All performers must be registered for the KSU Dance Festival by January 5th, 2025.
There is a limit of 25 performers per organization.
All performers must be available for one technical rehearsal. Tech rehearsals will
be scheduled in advance. There will also be limited tech rehearsal times on Saturday,
but these slots will result in students missing an afternoon festival master class.
Each group will be assigned a 20-minute tech rehearsal time slot.
Each dance must be a minimum of 3 minutes, and no more than 7 minutes in length.
Only one work can be submitted from each organization (i.e. high school or studio).
Choreography may be by a faculty member, guest artist, student, or a re-staging of
classic repertory.
There can be no hanging or rigging of scenic elements. Any scenery or props must be
set and struck by the company performers within 1 minute of the start and end of the
work.
There is a $50 adjudication fee to perform in this concert and each group will be
given a link to download a video of their performance
Student Showcase Guidelines:
There is no showcase concert. All work will be performed at the Dance Theater on one
of the two Celebration Concerts.
Festival Schedule (SAMPLE) (View/Download)
8:15 Orientation (Gym)
No Value
STUDIO 1
STUDIO 2
STUDIO 3
STUDIO 4
GYM
CLASSROOM
9:00 – 10:15 a.m.
Classical Ballet, O'Kelley
Yoga for Dancers, Barsky
Contemporary Floorwork, Knowlton
Flamenco, Boulard
Commercial Jazz, Gray
10:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Contemporary Ballet, Eckman
Choreography, Lock
Modern, Hawkains
Flamenco, Boulard
Commercial Jazz, Gray
Afro-Caribbean Dance Lecture, Chapman
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. - Lunch at The Commons
No Value
STUDIO 1
STUDIO 2
STUDIO 3
STUDIO 4
GYM
CLASSROOM
1:15 – 02:30 p.m.
Musical Theatre, Wilson-Berry
Tap, Everhart
Contemporary Jazz, Eckman
Progessing Ballet, Berry
African Dance, Howard/Hayes
KSU Dance Program Introduction for Dance Educators, Barsky
2:45 – 4:00 p.m.
Musical Theatre, Wilson-Berry
Tap, Everhart
Pilates, Berry
Meditation, Ragsdale
African Dance, Howard/Hayes
KSU Dance Program Introduction for Parents, Barsky
6:00 p.m. - Celebration Concert A at the KSU Dance Theater on the Marietta campus
Festival Pizza Social (immediately afterwards)
8:15 Orientation (Gym)
No Value
STUDIO 1
STUDIO 2
STUDIO 3
STUDIO 4
GYM
CLASSROOM
9:00 - 10:15 a.m.
Classical Ballet, O'Kelley
Indian Dance, Thakurta
Modern, Hawkains
Yoga for Dancers, Barsky
Salsa, Moreno
10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Contemporary Ballet, Terminus
Indian Dance, Thakurta
Improvisation, Knowlton
Choreography, Lock
Contemporary Hip-Hop, Louis
Festival Meeting, Barsky
12:00 - 1:15 p.m.
Improvisation, Terminus
Meditation, Ragsdale
Audition, O'Kelley/Knowlton
Caribbean Dance, Chapman
Contemporary Hip-Hop, Louis
Injury Prevention (Educators only), Hilbrands
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. - Lunch at The Commons
3:30 p.m. - Celebration Concert B featuring KSU Dance Company at the KSU Dance Theater
on the Marietta campus
Festival Award Ceremony (immediately afterwards)
Locations and Directions
KSU Dance Department and Gym at Chastain Pointe (Classrooms and Studios) Dance Studios at Chastain Pointe (Kennesaw Campus) 1200 Chastain Road, Bldg. 300, Suite 306 Kennesaw, GA 30144 (Gym is directly across the street from Suite 306)
Directions to Chastain Pointe from South of Kennesaw (Atlanta)
Take I-75 N toward MARIETTA / CHATTANOOGA. Take the CHASTAIN RD exit, (Exit #271). Turn LEFT onto CHASTAIN RD NW. Go through THREE traffic lights. At the 4th light, turn RIGHT onto Big Shanty Road. Turn LEFT into CHASTAIN POINTE (Gray Warehouses). Proceed up the hill to the 300 building. The Department of Dance is located in Suite 306.
Festival orientation will take place in the Chastain Pointe gym (Athletics Practice
Facility, Suite 202).
Directions to Chastain Pointe from North of Kennesaw (Cartersville, Chattanooga, etc.)
Take I-75 S. Take the CHASTAIN RD exit, (Exit #271). Turn RIGHT onto CHASTAIN RD NW. Go through TWO traffic lights. At the 3rd light, turn RIGHT onto Big Shanty Road. Turn LEFT into CHASTAIN POINTE (Gray Warehouses). Proceed up the hill to the 300 building. The Department of Dance is located in Suite 306.
Festival orientation will take place in the Chastain Pointe gym (Athletics Practice Facility, Suite 202).
Or Take I-575 S. Take the CHASTAIN RD exit, (Exit #3). Turn RIGHT onto CHASTAIN RD NW. Go through EIGHT traffic lights. At the 9th light, turn RIGHT onto Big Shanty Road. Turn LEFT into CHASTAIN POINTE (Gray Warehouses). Proceed up the hill to the 300 building. The Department of Dance is located in Suite 306.
Festival orientation will take place in the Chastain Pointe gym (Athletics Practice
Facility, Suite 202).
Dance Theater on the KSU Marietta Campus (Evening Concerts) Joe Mac Wilson Student Center 1100 South Marietta Pkwy Marietta, GA 30060
Directions to Dance Theater from South of Marietta
Take exit 263 towards Marietta from the 2nd right hand lane (South Marietta Parkway-GA 120 Loop/KSU Marietta Campus). Merge onto South Marietta Parkway. Go one mile and turn left onto Technology Way, which leads into campus. Take the first right onto North Drive. Ideal parking: (P2, P35, P36)
Directions to Dance Theater from North of Marietta (Cartersville, Chattanooga, etc.)
Take exit 263 (South Marietta Parkway-GA 120 Loop/KSU Marietta Campus). Turn right onto South Marietta Parkway. Go one mile and turn left onto Technology Way, which leads into campus. Take the first right onto North Drive. Ideal parking: (P2, P35, P36)
KSU Commons (Dining facility on Kennesaw Campus) 540 Parliament Garden Way NW Kennesaw, GA 30144
Directions to The Commons from the Dance Department
Turn right onto Big Shanty Road. Turn left onto Campus Loop Road (before you hit Chastain Road). At the roundabout, take the first exit on Prillaman Way and then turn right on Owl Drive. Take a right into Parking Lot D. The Commons is across the street past the Prillaman Health Sciences Building.
