Duke Ellington choreography competition
The choreography competition is back again this year, with the theme of Duke Ellington’s repertoire. The aim of the competition is threefold:
- encourage authentic jazz dancers (Lindy hop, Solo jazz) to work with choreography
- explore Duke Ellington’s repertoire and select a piece with choreographic intent
- present its work to the judges and the Montpellier public
Scheduled for the evening of Friday July 17, 2026, the conditions of participation are organized in 2 main stages: the qualifications on Friday late afternoon and the finals on Friday evening.
Participation :
=> Register as a solo, duo or team (online registration; link below)
- Solo: €20
- Duo: €30
- Group: €50
=> You will receive confirmation of your registration by e-mail (please note that the number of registrations is limited).
Competition schedule
Qualifications
Solo, Duo & Group
Friday, July 17 (Courtroom 3 – Louis)
- 6:00 p.m.: Check-in and announcement of the running order (please be there before 6:00 p.m.)
- 6:15 p.m.: Qualifying begins
Finals
Solo, Duo & Group
Friday, July 17 (center court)
- 10 p.m.
The finals will be held in front of the festival audience on the main stage! The top two competitors in each category will perform for first place.
What’s in it for us?
- Prize money for the winners (€200 per category)
Competition rules
- 3 categories: Solo, Duo, Groups (from 3 people)
- Choreography between 1’40 and 2 minutes
- All styles are welcome: Solo Jazz, Lindy Hop, Contemporary, Hip Hop, etc. The only requirement: it must be set to an original song by Duke Ellington!
- Acrobatics, lifts and accessories allowed
Please prepare a presentation pitch explaining why you have chosen this piece.