We are pleased to announce the return of Tap Fest, incorporating the Marjorie Davies Star Tap Awards. 
 
ISTD members and students are invited to join us for a full day of dance featuring our Marjorie Davies Star Tap Awards showcasing Tap solo performances, followed by workshops for students and teachers led by industry experts and faculty members.

The awards are divided into two age group sections: 

• Juniors: 11yrs to 14yrs on 1 September 2026 
• Seniors: 15yrs to 18yrs on 1 September 2026 

Competitors will be required to perform a Tap solo of their choice. This submission can either be your full 2 minute Tap solo (being performed at the finals) or a shorter "work in progress" version. 

All solos must have been choreographed by their current ISTD teacher. 
 

Entry Criteria and Eligibility 

• All competitors for the Marjorie Davies Star Tap Awards must be entered by a teacher holding a valid ISTD membership and have been trained at the ISTD School entering them for a minimum of 6 months, unless written permission is given by the previous principal. 
• Teachers can enter as many students as they wish, however each student can be entered once only.
• In the instance of an international competitor reaching the finals, they will have the option to attend the live final in person, or record their solo in full up to 2 minutes in duration. This recorded version will then be played on a screen during their section of the competition and adjudicated.

Instructions for online heat submissions

• Teachers will purchase their competitors’ tickets for the appropriate category once entries open on Monday 14 September
• Teachers must indicate whether their dancer is a UK or international based competitor, as this will determine the dancers pathway within the competition.
• Teachers will record their competitors in landscape format performing a Tap solo of their choice of up to 60 seconds.
• Once the recording is completed, this is uploaded to the Tap Dropbox link given. 
    
  Videos of competitors work must be submitted to Dropbox by Thursday 22 October. This will then be adjudicated by a panel of adjudicators and teachers notified of the results by Friday 13 November. 

Video Submission Guidance 

• Upon submission of the entry fee, a Dropbox link will be located at the bottom of the Eventbrite confirmation email, where competitors' videos can be uploaded securely.  
• Video submissions must be clearly named as Entry Category - Dancer Name - School name - Teacher Name
•  Competitors must show an A4 piece of paper with their name and pin number on and introduce themselves to the camera before performing.
• Whether you use a Video Camera, DSLR Camera or Mobile Phone to record the video, please ensure the lens of the camera/phone is cleaned to avoid finger marks or dust.  
• Please check the camera settings are set to the highest resolution when filming. 
•  Please be aware of what is behind the dancer and in the video frame. If possible, have a clear, tidy studio/performance space, with no external noises when filming. 
• Please allow at least 3 seconds at the beginning of the video before the music and competitor commence, and do not stop recording until at least 3 seconds after the competitor has finished. 
• Competitor/s body and feet must be clearly visible on the recording throughout. 
•  It is of paramount importance that the video is of good visual quality and that the music can be heard. Videos of poor quality may affect the result of entries. 
•  A plain light-coloured background is ideal, if possible.  
• All videos should be recorded in one take from start to finish, using one camera only.  
• All videos should be submitted in MP4 format. 
• All videos should be recorded in LANDSCAPE orientation. 
• Videos must be submitted by ISTD teachers ONLY.  
   
   

Rules and regulations for online submissions  

• Teachers are to ensure that students have a suitable space in which to dance, move freely, that is clear of any obstacles.
• Teachers are responsible for their own pupils’ safety during this event 
• The ISTD accepts no responsibility for any loss, injury or damage to you, persons around, your property or your identity.
•  Anyone competing at this event does so at their own risk. The ISTD will not accept any responsibility for any injury or situation. 
• Teachers are responsible for Under 18s and will ensure that parent/guardian consent has been obtained for them to appear on the recorded footage, these competitors must be always supervised by an adult 
• Competitors must take part from a hall or studio ONLY, supervised by an ISTD teacher that is DBS checked and all personal items should be removed from view. 

All finalists are invited to attend the live final at Mountview, on Sunday 31 January, to perform for our industry adjudicators. 
 
The awards are divided into two age group sections: 

• Juniors: 11yrs to 14yrs on 1 September 2026
• Seniors: 15yrs to 18yrs on 1 September 2026 

Competitor dances must not exceed 2 minutes in duration and must have been choreographed by their current ISTD teacher. 

In the instance of an international competitor reaching the finals, they will have the option to attend the live final in person, or record their solo in full up to 2 minutes in duration. This recorded version will then be played on a screen during their section of the competition and adjudicated.
 
Smart class attire is permissible for participants when performing their solos. A small prop is permissible such as a hat or a cane. 

 Instructions for Finalists 

Teachers will need to prepare pupils solos and all music must be uploaded to the ISTD secure Dropbox by Friday 8 January 2027. A backup copy on a named USB flash drive should be brought to the event (by the teacher or the participant). 
 
Teachers should upload music to the ISTD secure Dropbox via the link provided in the ticket confirmation email and the file should be named in the following ways: 

• Junior-CandidateName-TeacherMembershipNumber 
• Senior-CandidateName-TeacherMembershipNumber 
   
  A JotForm link to a media consent form will also be included on the booking confirmation email. Written consent must be obtained for all participants/competitors from parents/carers/guardians, or the participant themselves if they are over 18, before taking part in the event. 

1 free, teacher audience ticket available per school, per category. Further information on how to claim this ticket will be available to teachers after the purchase of an entry.

Teachers: There will be one group of teachers taking part in 2 practical workshops. 
 
Students: There will be three groups of students taking part in 2 practical workshops. These will be allocated depending on current working level (which must be stipulated on the booking form). Student groups will be determined once ticket sales have closed and teachers will be notified in advance. All workshop participants must be studying at Grade 3 level or above. * 
 
All workshop participants must be registered by an ISTD teacher. 
 
Winners will be announced after the workshops have concluded on the day of the event. 
 
*At point of purchase, teachers will be asked to provide the Grade level that the dancer is working at. Please enter the Grade level that the dancer is predicted to be working at, at the point of the event, on 31 January 2027. For example, if a dancer is currently working at Grade 4 and is due to take their exam in November 2026, and progress to Grade 5, they will be working at Grade 5 level at the point of the event.  

Download the assets below, to share with parents and guardians of attendees:

I'm taking part in Tap Fest 2027 (Square)

We're taking part in Tap Fest 2027 (Square)

I'm taking part in Tap Fest 2027 (Rectangle) 

We're taking part in Tap Fest 2027 (Rectangle)

• All competitors for the Marjorie Davies Star Tap Awards must be entered by a teacher holding a valid ISTD membership and have been trained at the ISTD School entering them for a minimum of 6 months, unless written permission is given by the previous principal.
• Principals must ensure all teachers involved in preparing pupils for the Marjorie Davies Star Tap Awards are fully aware and understand the competition rules.
• The Adjudicators’ decision is final, individual feedback will not be provided.
• There is no maximum participant limit per teacher.
• A media consent form must be completed by parents/carers/guardians confirming consent for any images/video footage taken during this event to be used for marketing and publicity purposes by the ISTD. Images and video footage may be kept and used by the Society for any promotional purposes in perpetuity.
• The ISTD accepts no responsibility for any loss, injury or damage to you, persons around, your property or your identity.
• The ISTD reserves the right to cancel or amend any session within this event and these terms and conditions without notice. Any changes to the event will be notified to participants as soon as possible by the organiser.
• The integrity of the teacher is relied upon to ensure that the rules are followed by all participants to enable the smooth running of the event.
• No refunds are payable once a ticket has been purchased and payment received.
• Upon submission of your application on the participant’s behalf you are agreeing to the criteria set above and to adhere to health and safety regulations and the competitor rules.
• This event relies on a certain number of entries being received. If insufficient entries are received the event may not be viable and in this case entry fees will be returned.
• Participants must be made aware of this by their teacher in advance. If the event cannot take place teachers will be advised by email.
• Funds raised at ISTD events support ISTD’s charitable aims of educating the public in the art of dancing and dance education.