Fursuit Dance Competition

Anthrocon’s biggest and most-exciting event takes to the stage! Join us for the Fursuit Dance Competition filled with high-energy action, zany jokes, and some of the furry fandom’s most talented performers.

The audition form will be available online starting March 2024, and will remain open until June 23rd, 2024. There are no in-person sign ups and we encourage all interested participants to start planning early so you can submit your audition in time.

For Anthrocon 2024, we will be using the following system:

• All dancers will submit their audition with the same form, regardless of individual or team performances. However, you are only allowed to participate in one act – you can’t sign up for both a solo and team performance.

• You will be submitting a video as part of the audition process. The video must be an original choreography or performance done specifically for Anthrocon 2024 (no old videos) and while wearing a fursuit (see requirements below). If you qualify, you may use the same dance routine or an alternative for the in-person competition.

• Participants that qualify for the Main Event will be required to print and sign a performance waiver. Printed waivers can be made available at the convention, should you qualify for the main event.

Please read through each section carefully, as it will help you with what to expect and prepare for.

Online Video Audition - March 2024 until June 23rd, 2024 at the end of day (Eastern time)

You will be uploading your audition video at the same time as your sign up. Competitors are responsible for including their music with their video submission.

• The audition must be done in fursuit. Please see the “Rules” section below on the requirements for fursuits.

• Please submit your video in as high quality as possible, in a widely-accepted video format such as MP4, MOV, AVI, or by uploading them to a platform like YouTube.  We also encourage all competitors to submit videos that are filmed horizontally, or “landscape”, instead of a vertical fashion if you are filming with your phone. 

• The video audition should be limited to 1 minute. If your performance is a few seconds over, we will not penalize you - but any excessive overage of the audition time limit will not count to your scores.

• The link to your video audition should be viewable by our judging team - if you’re uploading to a platform such as YouTube, Twitter or Google Drive, please make sure the privacy settings are changed so that anyone with the link can view.

• All songs must be PG-13 censored - a radio edit “clean” rating in other words. Please remove/minimize any profanity that is in your song or mix.

• Groups have the option to have an in-person preliminary tryout at the convention during the Floor Wars Preliminaries panel. If your group would like an in-person tryout, please fill out the sign up form and indicate “in-person tryout” in the special accommodations field. Please note that this will only be granted on a case-by-case basis. Group auditions will be limited to 1 minute, but will have a larger time allowance for the Main Event.

Main Event - Sunday, July 7th

If you qualify through to the Main Event, you will be expected to performing a routine live on-stage on Sunday of the convention as part of the Main Event. The exact time of the Main Event, and any other related event, will be posted here.

• You will be contacted via the email you signed up with. The email will contain instructions on how to submit your final material, such as your final chosen song.

• You may use the same routine or choose a different one.

• Your in-person performance will have a time limit of 2 minutes. If your performance is a few seconds over, we will not penalize you but any excessive overage will result in us fading out the performance.

• Groups will be granted an additional 30 seconds for each group member, up to a maximum performance of 3 minutes.

Judging guidelines

A brief example of some things that our judges look for in both the preliminaries and main event:

• Execution: How clean and polished do your moves look?

• Originality: How unique is your dance, does it look fresh and non-repetitive?

• Musicality: How well does your dance match the music selection?

• Dynamics: How dynamic and/or exciting is your dance?

• Showmanship: How does your dance appeal to audiences/judges?

Tiebreaker: In the event of a tiebreaker in the Main Event, individual judges’ marks will be considered to break the tie, where the finalist with the highest individual judge score will supercede the other.

Prizes: Historically, prizes have come in the form of commemorative plaques and/or medals distributed to the three highest-placed competitors, and an additional membership award to the winner. Anthrocon’s Dance Competition is first and foremost an event to enjoy and have fun at – we promote an environment and event that is focused on the community and performing for it, rather than competing for status or reward.

Rules

1. The competition has been designated as a PG-13 event, due to the nature of the Dance Competition and its audience. Please keep in mind that content may be rated as such, from music selection to theming. Malicious, lewd, or profane content or behaviour past the accepted PG-13 rating is not allowed under any circumstances.

2. This is a FURSUIT dance competition – other forms of costume will not be eligible. The minimum requirements for costume entry are

   • Fursuit head, hands, tail, feet

   • Any “substitute” fursuit parts, such as Happy Feet (plush-shaped sneakers) or footwear specific for a dance style (i.e. ballet shoes, tap-dance shoes), can be used in lieu of fursuit feet with permission from the organizer.

   • Your fursuit should stay on you at all times during your performance except in the case of medical emergency (Safety staff are on hand to assist all performers)

3. Original dance routines and choreography must be used. We will not tolerate plagiarism of existing dance routines of any kind. An intentional or blatant copy of a pre-existing choreography, with proof, will result in an instant revocation of any award(s) given, and further penalties as determined by the event organizer.

4. Props: Only small clothing or “accessory” props (e.g. a cane, hat, fan) are allowed to be used. Please notify the event team if you want to perform with a prop that could be considered dangerous or difficult to use.

5. Songs must be a radio-friendly or radio-version, meaning no vulgarity.

6. The event organizer(s) reserve the right to make decisions for any performances in the event where necessary.

If you have your audition video filmed and ready to submit, get started with the form below. Make sure your video follows all the formats and rules outlined above.

Am I allowed to participate if I’m a minor? Are there any age restrictions to the competition?

No, there are no longer any age restrictions for our Dance Competition. However if you are a minor, you will need to follow the rules for minors requiring chaperones as outlined in our Minors 12 and Under section.

In addition, if you are a minor and you qualify to perform in the Main Event (on stage at the convention), you will need to have your parent/legal guardian print out and complete the performance waiver that will be provided to all qualified performers by email. Paper copies will also be available at the convention.

I don’t have a certain fursuit part or accessory that is needed to compete. What should I do?

We acknowledge that it may be difficult for some competitors to meet the minimum requirements for our competition. In the event that you are missing a piece or part of a fursuit, such as hands or feet, we would recommend reaching out to your local community or furry network to see if you are able to borrow parts for the competition. Furries are very generous folks, and many are willing to lend a hand (literally) if you ask nicely!

What kind of music/genre/style is allowed for the Fursuit Dance Competition?

We generally allow for most types of music genres and dance styles, but please keep in mind that the competition is rated PG-13 and all music and media should follow that rule. If your song mix or any performance element breaks this rule, we will ask you to change it.

Is the event livestreamed anywhere to watch?

Yes, we plan to have an official livestream on the Anthrocon channel for the in-person Main Event. Further details will be announced and posted to our website.

Will the Fursuit Dance Competition host stop telling bad dad-jokes?

Probably not.

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Disclaimer Notice

By signing up for the Anthrocon Fursuit Dance Competition, you agree to adhere to all rules and regulations set forth in this document, and any others explicitly stated by the event organizer(s) during all stages of the event. The event organizers may also change or remove certain rules or stipulations depending on their collective assessment of situations, should they merit review. They also have the right to revoke a competitor’s registration and eligibility to the competition based on reasonable grounds.

All competitors also acknowledge and understand that their image, or likeness of image, may be used in media representations whether by individuals or media corporations that have been given explicit permission by Anthrocon Inc. during the Main Event. These representations will not be used for monetary profit, and simply for the promotion of Anthrocon and its affiliated events. Questions or concerns may be directed to the address below.

In addition to adhering to the rules of the Anthrocon Fursuit Dance Competition, all registered participants also agree to adhere by all rules set forth by the Anthrocon Attendee Code of Conduct. All participants must be in good standing with Anthrocon Inc. and be registered with the convention in order to participate. Furthermore, all participants of the dance competition shall not hold Anthrocon liable for any damages/injuries to participants incurred at the convention and its events, including the Dance Competition. Any complaints or concerns regarding this event, or with the venue hosted in, can be made to [email protected].

Banner photo: Hokuloa Luau