Congratulations Semi-Finalists!

Eligibility & Participation Requirements

• Applicant must be en pointe and between the ages of 11–18 as of Saturday, April 9, 2026.
• Applicant must be located in the United States to apply.
• In-person attendance is required for Semi-Finals and Finals in Santa Ana, CA (April 11–12, 2026).
• Participation fee and tickets are required: $375 participation fee + 5 tickets to the live competition to maintain Semi-Finalist status.

Key Dates

• Participation Fee Payment Deadline: February 27, 2026 (by 11:59 PM PST)
• Semi-Finalists Announced: March 1, 2026 (on social media)
• Parking map & detailed schedule emailed: Wednesday, March 26, 2026
• In-Person Competition Weekend: April 11 & April 12, 2026 (Santa Ana, CA)

Competition Weekend Info

Choreography

On March 15, you will receive links to learn your choreography: one center floor combination and one across the floor combination. These will be filmed during Semi-Finals and reviewed by our judges.

Tentative Schedule

The event will be held at the Yost Theater and ThePointeShop in Downtown Santa Ana, CA. We’ll email the final schedule out soon!

• Friday, April 10 • 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
  Exclusive shopping day at ThePointeShop
• Saturday, April 11 • 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
  Competition Day 1 & Photoshoot (detailed schedule to follow)
• Sunday, April 12 • 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
  Competition Day 2 & Final Performance (detailed schedule to follow)

How do the Semi-Final and Final Rounds work?

ROUND 2: Semi-Finals

Saturday, April 11, 2026
11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Santa Ana, CA

• Master Class
• Tech / Staging
• Professional Photo Shoot
• Video filming for Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts
• Individual Evaluations: Center & Across the Floor Combinations (filmed and reviewed)

Semi-Finalists will be judged on Dance Technique, Stage Presence, Musicality, Creativity, and social media presence leading up to and throughout the weekend.

ROUND 3: Model Search Performance

Sunday, April 12, 2026
9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

• Warm Up Class
• Tech / Staging Rehearsal
• Performance & Winner Announced

Finalists will be announced during the performance. Finalists will move forward to the final round and will be ThePointeShop Ambassadors for the 2026 season.

The final round takes place during the performance — Finalists will perform 6–8 counts of improv for our judges and audience. No need to prepare a separate variation. 🙂

Our 2026 Models will be announced at the conclusion of the performance!

Parents/guardians are not allowed access to the theater on Saturday or Sunday without a ticket.

Where do I go?

The two are less than a block from one another - we can see the Yost Theater from our front door! We’ll send out a map and parking instructions with your detailed schedule on Wednesday, March 26.

Lunch & breaks

• Saturday: Dancers will wait in the theater lobby when they are not in class, rehearsal, or photo shoots and are encouraged to bring lunch.
• Sunday: Dancers will be dismissed to their parents before the show for lunch.

What do I wear?

• Rehearsals & master classes: Any leotard and tights you want. Please bring flat shoes and pointe shoes.
• Photo shoot: Any one outfit of your choosing. You’ll have space to change and do your hair. You’ll receive one dance shot and one head shot - it’s helpful to think about your pose ahead of time.
• Sunday performance: You’ll receive a leotard and skirt from Capezio. Please wear your hair in a bun, stage makeup, pink tights, and pointe shoes.

What else do I need to bring?

Please bring a yoga mat, water, snacks, and lunch. You’ll need your pointe shoes and ballet flats both days.

Ticketing

Semi-Finalists are required to sell 5 tickets to the live final round competition/show. We’ll send additional information and ticket purchase links beginning on March 15.

THERE WILL BE NO ENTRY FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS ON SATURDAY UNLESS THEY HAVE PAID AN OBSERVER'S TICKET. Sunday morning rehearsals will be closed to the public, even for parents with OBSERVER'S tickets.

You can purchase your tickets here

Travel Information

Airports

• Santa Ana (SNA): ~20 minutes to the venue
• Los Angeles (LAX): ~45 minutes (with no traffic) to the venue, with more flight options

Hotels (starter options)

• Hilton Garden Inn Irvine/Orange County Airport — 5.5 miles
• Irvine Marriott — 5.5 miles
• Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa — 7.5 miles

For those interested: Disneyland is also very close. ✨

Exclusive Shopping Day

Exclusive shopping day at ThePointeShop’s flagship location in Downtown Santa Ana! This event is not part of the competition and attendance is not required.

We will not be open for fittings on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. If you are in town and would like a fitting with one of our Senior Fitters, you can book an appointment here:
 Book a Santa Ana Showroom Fitting (Model Search)

Event Sponsors

A huge thank you to our sponsors for supporting these dancers and helping make this weekend possible. 💗

Interested in joining our sponsor list? Email melissa@thepointeshop.com

2026 Ambassador & Model Prizes

All Semi-Finalists Receive:

• Master Class
• Goody Bag (including matching leotard and skirt)
• Professional Photo Shoot (headshot & dance photos)
• Features on ThePointeShop social media

2026 ThePointeShop Ambassadors Will Receive:

• 10% discount at ThePointeShop for the year
• Featured on ThePointeShop website, emails, and socials throughout the year
• Exclusive merchandise from ThePointeShop

Model Search 2026 Winners Will Receive:

• 25% discount at ThePointeShop for the year as ThePointeShop Model
• $1,000 in prizes including pointe shoes and goodies from each sponsoring brand
• $1,800 Photoshoot with world renowned photographer Ballet Zaida
• Feature on ThePointeShop website, emails, and socials throughout the year
• Exclusive merchandise from ThePointeShop

2026 Ambassador & Model Day will be Sunday, May 24th in Santa Ana, California!