Personal Injury/Damages

By signing up for the MAW Dance Comp, a performance event run by Michigan Anthro Weekend, you agree to be solely responsible for any kind of injury that may occur to yourself or your person(s) during the event. This is including but not limited to physical and emotional injuries or damages, destruction or damage of clothing articles and/or fursuits/cosplays used, and equipment brought to the event by yourself. You also agree to not hold Michigan Anthro Weekend and the convention space where the Dance Comp takes place accountable for any reimbursement for damages.

Media Consent

By signing up for the Dance Comp, you consent to being a part of any media coverage or promotional material that includes Dance Comp. Michigan Anthro Weekend will not be held liable for media released by third parties, including but not limited to public press, television, and independent videographers. All disputes regarding sensitive or inappropriate material relative to ‘MAW Dance Comp’ will be dealt with by the involved parties directly, with the exception of material released by other parties.

Behavioral Consent

By participating in the Dance Comp in any form or manner, you agree to behave in a manner that conforms to all rules set forth by the MAW Dance Comp Official Rules, Terms & Conditions, the host convention’s Code of Conduct, and all applicable policies relevant to the event. As an attendee of our event and convention, you are inherently an ambassador of your peers and the community as a whole, and we wish to maintain a positive image of our community. Please treat your peers, and the environment around you with respect. Any belligerent, dangerous, or disrespectful behavior may result in temporary or permanent disqualification from the event, as well as further repercussions at the discretion of the event and/or convention organizers.

Signing Up

Sign-ups must be completed by 11:59 PM on September, 26, 2026 through the form linked.

Each competitor may submit ONE solo performance AND/OR ONE group performance.

If you are a Group Performance (which is two or more people), only ONE person has to submit a form. Please communicate beforehand who will be submitting the form in order to clear confusion.

Music Selection

Even though we are an 18+ convention, music should be radio-friendly or censored. Light swearing is acceptable, but please make note that music excessive swearing, slurs, or heavy sexual undertones will not be accepted. The organizers have the right to ask you, the competitor(s), to change your music if it is deemed too inappropriate. Please prepare an alternate track in case we must ask you to change your music.

Song length should not exceed a maximum of 2 minutes. If your song submission goes longer than that, it will fade out at the 2-minute mark.

Group entries will get an additional 30 seconds for each member that is higher than 1 (For example: 2-person group = 2:30, 3-person group = 3:00, etc.). The maximum amount of time for group performances is 4 minutes (5 or more person group).

Music will be submitted through the form. Please make sure to label your file like the example followed:

• PERFORMERNAME_MAW26.mp3
  • Example: Callisto_MAW26.mp3

Costume/Fursuit Requirements

To compete, your fursuit must consist of at LEAST a fursuit head, handpaws, and tail (unless your species typically has no tail). You may wear a partial fursuit, a full fursuit or anything in between, but minimum requirements must be met.

• Your fursuit MUST consist of the following to be allowed into the competition:

• Fursuit head: A costume head piece that fully covers the dancer’s head/face. This DOES include ‘use your own eyes’ fursuits or other similar designs. This does NOT include half-face masks such as therian masks.

• Fursuit paws: Costume gloves that fully cover the dancer’s hands. This does NOT include baseball gloves, winter gloves, or other gloves that have not been modified for a fursuit.

• Tail (if your species has no tail, no biggie!)

Clothing and accessories cannot contain profanity or inappropriate content, as per the discretion of the event organizers and con staff.

Clothing/fursuit/costume should cover everything so no skin is showing/intentionally exposed; there should be coverage at all times unless in the event of a medical issue or emergency.

Props MUST be approved by the organizers before the convention. The prop CAN BE REVOKED from your performance if it is deemed a safety hazard to yourself, your fellow performers, the audience, or convention staff. Anything that would need clean up/be difficult to clean (glitter, sparkles, confetti, etc.) is not allowed.

Preliminaries and Finals

ALL DANCERS WISHING TO COMPETE IN FINALS MUST ATTEND THE IN-PERSON PRELIMINARIES. THE ONLY EXCEPTION IS THOSE WHO SUBMIT VIDEO AUDITIONS VIA THE SIGN-UP FORM. If you are not in attendance of preliminaries, it will be considered a drop and you will NOT be eligible to compete in the final event.

If you choose to submit a video audition, make sure your routine is fully visible, recorded landscape (horizontally), and has no video editing added to the recording. The ONLY editing allowed is overlaying your music onto the video, cutting out the starting and/or ending of your recording, or adding text descriptions to parts you are unable to complete in your recording space.

Video auditions should be submitted in mp4 format with the file name as follows:

• PERFORMERNAME_Audition.mp4
  • Example: Callisto_Audition.mp4

Preliminaries is a CLOSED event. Only competitors and handlers will be allowed into the room during this time. Recording of others is NOT allowed unless explicit consent is given (i.e. a handler taking a video of only the dancer they are assisting for the dancer to review later).

Your preliminary audition MUST be done in fursuit. It is encouraged to do your audition in the same fursuit/outfit you are planning on dancing in for finals to make sure you are comfortable dancing in that attire.

During preliminaries, a team of judges will score all dancers (same rubric for preliminaries and finals) and select the top competitors to proceed to the final event. Judges are scoring based on technicality, originality/creativity, and execution.

Choreography performed MUST be original choreography created by the dancer performing it.

After all dancers have done their preliminary audition, judges will also watch and score the video auditions at this time. After preliminaries, judges will compile scores and determine the finalists which will be announced on Midwest Anthro Weekend social media.

If you are selected for finals, you will need to meet in the Main Ballroom 30 minutes before the start time of the event. Role call will be done at this time, and final role call will be done 15 minutes before the event starts. If you are running late, email [email protected] as soon as possible.

Competitor order (run of show) will be announced at finals and will be available backstage for dancers to reference. When it is your turn to perform, a backstage handler will help you prepare to go on stage to perform.

While you perform, a panel of judges will be scoring your performance on the same rubric used in prelims. At the end of your performance, one judge will give verbal feedback while you remain onstage, then you will be sent backstage again until the end of the event.

Winners will be announced by the judges at the end of the event.

FAQ

1. Can you explain the terms being used for the rubric?

   • Technique
   • Understanding of foundations of a style or styles, execution of moves, body control.
   • Choreography/Creativity
   • Pacing of the routine, vocabulary and/or variety of movements, innovation and novelty of moves or format
   • Musicality
   • Connection to the music, usage of layers/different beats, ability to remain on beat/in sync with the music
   • Performance
   • Energy, ability to captivate the audience, usage of space and levels, character

2. Do I need registration to participate?

   • Yes, you will need a registration badge to participate. If you do not have one, you will not be allowed to compete.

3. I don’t have one of the required fursuit parts to participate. What do I do?

   • If you are missing a part such as handpaws or a tail, we encourage you to reach out to ask a friend or fellow member of the community. If you are still unable to find something, email [email protected] with your specific issue and we may be able to help find a solution.

4. Who do I contact for questions or more information about the event?

   • E-mail [email protected] for all questions regarding the fursuit dance competition.