Why GDO | Global Dance Open

Qualify for our 2026 Finals!

2026 QUALIFIERS

WHY COMPETE AT GDO

GLOBAL EXPOSURE

Through GDO, we enable dancers, choreographers and studios to be recognized for their hard work, dedication and talent. Through our qualifier and final platforms, dancers can perform on some of the world’s best stages gaining valuable stage time, choreographers are able to showcase their creative work via their students and studios can showcase the hard work and training they are imparting with their students. Our finals are live streamed for free, enabling everyone to be exposed to a worldwide audience.

ESTEEMED & SPECIALIZED JUDGING PANEL

At GDO, great care and research is undertaken when selecting our jury panel. Through our connections with top institutions, performers, choreographers and teachers globally, GDO can work with leading professionals to provide the highest calibre of judging.

At qualifiers, all participants are provided with written feedback to help improve dancers moving forward to the finals and help with overall development.

Judging panels are selected to represent the styles of dance present at the qualifier, ensuring that dancers are correctly adjudicated. We provide honest evaluation that dancers can use to establish their standing in the dance world.

At the finals, GDO welcomes a judging panel over 30 judges over the 5 days of competition, ensuring a full panel of specialist’s judges for every style of dance. Finals jury panel is composed of Artistic Directors and Directors of the globe’s leading dance institutions. Finals are split in 2 halves: Classical Finals & Performer Finals

WARM & SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT

At Global Dance Open, we take great pride in the atmosphere created at every event. Our focus is not on winning, but on learning, growing, and celebrating the journey of dance.

Each event offers valuable opportunities: to connect and build friendships, to learn through inspiring workshops, to gain stage experience, and to embrace the joy of being part of a community.

Scholarships & opportunites are at the core of our focus.

LIFE CHANGING OPPORTUNTIES

Global Dance Open is proud to be one of the few competitions worldwide to offer such a diverse range of scholarships with leading institutions across the globe. Since its creation in 2020, GDO has awarded over €2 million in scholarships, opening doors for dancers to train internationally in the UK, USA, and Europe.

These scholarships cover summer schools, short courses, full-time vocational programs, and BA (Hons) Degrees, providing dancers with experiences they may not otherwise have had access to, while also easing the financial pressures of further training.

Global Dance Open strives to be an industry leader in providing young dancers with new and exciting opportunities. Since 2023, GDO has introduced Dancer of the Globe and Global Grand Prix & Artist of the Globe- initiatives that have provided the top soloists with opportunities to be scouted, assessed and rewarded.

Concepts such as the Grand Defile and a Video shoots, which enabled the dancers to work with professional choreographers & videographers and experience professional rehearsals. GDO continues to expand these initiatives every year.

SOLOIST DIVISIONS

All qualification is based on marks. For many of our soloist categories, the Finals are divided into Main Division and Upper Division. Dancers who achieve a score of 90+ marks in these soloist categories (please refer to our rules for details) at the Qualifiers will advance to the prestigious Upper Division at Finals.

The Upper Division represents the highest standard of the competition – an elite level showcasing some of the world’s most talented dancers.

2026 QUALIFIERS

WHY COMPETE AT GDO

GLOBAL EXPOSURE

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