POP-OFF! LIVE DEBUT

New performers dance onstage in the LIVE Debut exposition!

2025 Event Coordinator: Whimsy

Event Day: Saturday PM

Applications Due By: SUNDAY APRIL 13th

Do you know the dance moves to Aquors? IDOLiSH7? Zombieland Saga? Are you an original idol group looking to show off the performances you’ve created?

Welcome to the Pop-Off! LIVE Debut, where you get to perform on stage LIVE for a room full of cheering fans and shining light sticks! Professional judges and prior winners from the Pop-Off! Live Dance Competition will give you feedback on your performance so you can grow and improve your dancing in a non-competitive environment!

POP-OFF! LIVE DEBUT RULES & GUIDELINES

The LIVE Debut event is an exposition, not a competition. There will be no judging or ranking. Applications are accepted on a first-come first-serve basis as long as the application meets the criteria for participating in this event. If you're attending as an audience member, make sure to bring your loudest cheers to support all our new performers as they take the big stage!

• Applicants may apply as a group or solo performer.
• Performance groups or soloists must have participated in 3 or fewer stage performances and have not won any awards.
• Performers competing in the Pop-Off! Live Dance Competition main event are not allowed to dance in the debut. You may apply for both but if you are accepted to Pop Off you will not be accepted to Debut.
• Contestants must be at least 13 years old and must be registered convention attendees to perform
• No professional dancers* may enter the Pop-Off events. If an individual is found to be a professional, their entire group will not be allowed to perform. *A “professional dancer” is an individual who performs dance for monetary compensation as the majority of their income.
• Performances are limited to 5 minutes maximum at length.
• All dancers will perform one dance and a panel of professional judges will give you feedback at the end of the event.
• If accepted, you must arrive at the scheduled setup time for event-specific rules and instructions. Please follow all instructions given by event staff. Non-compliance may result in disqualification from the competition and future events.

CHECK-IN & AUDIO REQUIREMENTS

We recommend submitting a Google Drive or Dropbox folder in your application to collect all your photos, videos, and audio in one place.

• Once participants arrive at the convention, all applicants must check in at Cosplay HQ to be able to perform. Anyone who is unable to check in before the event must contact the Event Coordinator as soon as possible.
• All performers will be asked to provide a professional photo of their dance group upon check in if they have not already provided one through email.
• All performers must email audio files ahead of time to Cosplay@connecticon.org. Please use the .mp3 file format only and bring a backup copy of your file to the convention on a flash drive or CD. Audio will NOT be accepted at the event start, it must be submitted through Cosplay HQ upon check in.
• There will be no live microphones onstage. All audio must be pre-recorded.
• A block of rehearsal time will be available on the same day as the event for performers to walk the stage and run through their performance. If you are unable to attend the allocated practice time, you will not be able to rehearse before your performance.