YOUR VOICE MATTERS to Your Dance Community
*No purchase from The Dance Enthusiast is necessary to enter or win.
The Fall 2026 “Your Voice Matters” Audience Review Contest is sponsored by The Dance Enthusiast, www.dance-enthusiast.com.
Contest Period
- The Fall 2026 Audience Review Contest is open to original Audience Reviews of dance performances, events, or dance-related experiences that take place between September 1, 2026 and November 30, 2026.
- Contest submissions must be received by The Dance Enthusiast by December 7, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
- The winner will be announced on or around December 15, 2026.
Prize
- One winning Audience Review writer will receive a cash prize of $300.
- The Dance Enthusiast will also publish a follow-up article about the dance company, artist, or group featured in the winning review. The timing, format, and publication date of that article will be determined by The Dance Enthusiast.
Prize Eligibility
- The Fall 2026 prize is open only to writers age 18 or older who reside in the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or U.S. territories.
- Writers from elsewhere are welcome to submit Audience Reviews for publication and community participation, but those submissions are not eligible for the Fall 2026 prize contest.
- Audience Reviews from writers under age 18 are welcome for publication and community participation, but younger writers are not eligible for the $300 prize.
- Employees, contractors, board members, contest judges, and immediate family or household members of The Dance Enthusiast are not eligible for the contest prize.
Eligible Contest Submissions
To be considered an eligible contest submission for the Fall 2026 Audience Review Contest prize, the Audience Review must:
- Respond to a dance performance, event, or dance-related experience that takes place between September 1, 2026 and November 30, 2026.
- Be submitted to The Dance Enthusiast by December 7, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
- Be original to The Dance Enthusiast and not have been previously published or posted elsewhere, including on a website, blog, newsletter, social media platform, or other public forum.
- Be submitted by a writer who is age 18 or older and resides in the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, or U.S. territories.
- Include the writer’s name and email address privately so The Dance Enthusiast can contact the writer if the review is selected.
- Follow the spirit of The Dance Enthusiast’s Audience Review guidelines: write from your own experience. Criticism is welcome; snark is not.
Submission
Eligible contest submissions may be submitted as:
- A free-form response
- A haiku review
- Answers to The Dance Enthusiast’s Audience Review Questionnaire
Multiple Submissions
- Writers may submit more than one Audience Review, provided each submission meets the eligibility requirements.
- However, only one prize will be awarded.
Previously Published Work and Blog Reposts
Previously published pieces and blog reposts are welcome as Audience Reviews for publication and community participation, but they are not eligible for the Fall 2026 contest prize.
Previously published pieces and blog reposts will not be considered eligible contest submissions and will not count toward the minimum number of eligible contest submissions needed to award the prize.
To be eligible for the $300 prize, the Audience Review must be original to The Dance Enthusiast and must not have been previously published or posted elsewhere.
Anonymous Publication
- Writers may publish under their own name or anonymously.
- However, to be eligible for the prize, The Dance Enthusiast must have the writer’s name and email address privately in order to contact the winner and award the prize.
- If the selected writer has chosen anonymous publication, The Dance Enthusiast may announce the winning review without publicly identifying the writer.
Winner Selection
- This is a skill-based contest.
- The winning Audience Review will be selected by The Dance Enthusiast based on the strength, clarity, thoughtfulness, and engagement of the submission.
- Audience Reviews do not need to be formal criticism. They should be grounded in the writer’s own experience and offer readers a meaningful point of view.
- Selection decisions are final.
Minimum Number of Eligible Contest Submissions
The prize will be awarded only if The Dance Enthusiast receives at least 10 eligible Fall 2026 contest submissions from at least 10 different writers.
If fewer than 10 eligible contest submissions from at least 10 different writers are received, The Dance Enthusiast may choose not to select a winner or award the prize for this contest period.
Publication
- The Dance Enthusiast reserves the right to review, lightly edit, decline, or remove submissions at its editorial discretion.
- By submitting an Audience Review, the writer gives The Dance Enthusiast permission to publish the submission on The Dance Enthusiast website, newsletter, social media, and related promotional materials, with credit to the writer unless anonymous publication is requested and approved.
Winner Notification
The selected writer will be contacted using the email address provided with the submission.
If the selected writer cannot be reached, does not meet eligibility requirements, or does not respond within a reasonable time, The Dance Enthusiast may select another eligible contest submission or choose not to award the prize.
Taxes
The winner is responsible for any applicable federal, state, local, or other taxes related to the prize.
General Conditions
The Dance Enthusiast reserves the right to cancel, suspend, modify, or extend the contest if necessary.
The Dance Enthusiast reserves the right to disqualify submissions that are plagiarized, abusive, defamatory, discriminatory, harassing, or otherwise inconsistent with the purpose and spirit of the Audience Reviews program.
The contest is void where prohibited by law.
How to Enter
- See dance.
- Write your Audience Review.
- Submit it through The Dance Enthusiast’s Audience Review page by December 7, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time: https://www.dance-enthusiast.com/get-involved/reviews
- To learn more about Audience Reviews, visit: https://www.dance-enthusiast.com/get-involved/reviews/why-audience-reviews
