Applications Open: October 1st, 2026
Applications Close: March 1st, 2027

Eligibility Requirements:

• This is a FURSUIT dance competition. All dancers must wear at least a partial fursuit (head, hands, feet, and tail). Full fursuits preferred. Don’t own a fursuit, or missing some of the required fursuit parts? Reach out to friends and the community to see if you can borrow parts with consent. You do not have to own the fursuit to participate in it. All required fursuit parts must be worn during your performance at both the preliminaries and the dance competition.

• You must be at least 16 years of age, by the time of competition, to enter. All minors must be accompanied by a guardian for both the preliminaries and the dance competition.

RULES:
This is a dance competition where dancers are required to construct an original choreographed dance. Free style dancing is not allowed. Your dance performance must match during both the preliminaries and the final dance competition. Previously showcased dances will not be allowed. We ask that all dancers bring brand new choreographed dances to the competition. Do not plagiarize any choreography from other dancers or pop culture. If a dance routine is found to be stolen, the dancer will be immediately disqualified.

Dancers must be able to attend the preliminaries on Friday of the convention, in addition to the main dance competition on Saturday. You will be required to perform your dance on stage twice (once at prelims in front of judges only, and once during the competition in front of attendees). If you do not show up for the preliminaries, you may be disqualified from the competition. If you know you will be unable to make prelims due to a conflict or emergency, please contact the Dance Comp Lead ASAP by either Telegram or e-mail: @fancyfossafursuits, fancyfossa@pawsandprairies.com.

Performance Length & Audio
Each dance must be between 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes maximum. All audio and choreography must be family friendly. No explicit content, lyrics, props, or gestures will be allowed. Your audio must already be edited/remixed and ready to play when submitted at the time of your application. The Paws and Prairies AV team will not be responsible for editing or remixing your audio. Audio files must be in MP3 format and be at least 256kbps. Your audio file must be labeled with your stage name and P&P2027. Example: TrashtheRaccoonP&P2027.mp3

Conduct & Sportsmanship
Absolutely no aggressive, negative, or bullying behavior amongst dancers will be tolerated! This competition is for fun and to learn and grow. We cultivate a supportive dance environment at Paws and Prairies. All dancers deserve respect, no matter what level of skill they possess. If you witness any of these behaviors from any fellow dancers, please contact either the Dance Comp Lead, Con Security, or any other Con Staff member on hand. Bad behavior towards convention staff is also unacceptable. Any dancer found to be guilty of any of these behaviors will be disqualified immediately.

Most importantly, have fun!!! Though it is a competition, the ultimate goal is to have a great time, gain experience, break out of our shells, and show the world our dance moves! We’re all here cheering you on, and we hope to see you on the dance floor!

Judging Criteria
Overall Preparedness - How practiced does the choreography feel. How much time and passion went into working on the entirety of the dance. How well movements flow into one another, and how clean and precise each move is.

Diversity and Readability - How much variety does the dance have overall. Repeating moves versus all moves being different throughout the entirety of the song. How readable and intentional are each movement in the dance. Do the movements translate through the fursuit?

Tempo and Beat - How each movement lands in sync with the beat of the song, and if the dancer's movements stay at the same tempo, or if they change it up during certain parts, making the dance more dynamic.

Use of Space - How well the dancer uses their available space. Are all dance moves executed on the same plane, or does the dancer make use of lower and higher movements (jumping, crouching, etc.). Does the dancer stay in one place during the entirety of the song, or do they make use of the entire stage and maneuver left and right during the performance.

Technique - Dance movement complexity and finesse. Does the dancer challenge themselves with more complex moves, and how well do they execute those movements during the performance?

Stage Presence - How well the dancer captivates and interacts with the crowd. Does the dancer make the audience feel they are part of the performance? Is the audience engaged and enthralled by what the dancer brings to the stage?