The Crystal Award is among the highest honors a dancer can receive at a Showstopper competition. Since 2011, the Crystal trophy, a sparkling glass pillar unlike any other competition award, has been a coveted part of Showstopper’s awards scale. Only the top competitive dancers in the country win the Crystal, and they have to work extremely hard for the achievement.
Showstopper’s original awards scale was inspired by the most prestigious competitive arena for athletics in the world, the Olympic Games. Dancers competed for Bronze, Silver, or Gold awards. Today, dancers can still achieve Silver or Gold at Showstopper, but they’re often striving for more.
There are five award levels: Silver, Gold, Platinum, Double Platinum, and Crystal. The Crystal Award is the most recent addition, and it is only available to dancers in the Competitive division. Founder Dave Roberts describes the awards levels as a way for every dancer to celebrate their moment on stage. “They were designed to give all dancers an opportunity to achieve and feel accomplished for their work and efforts based on the training they’ve received.”
But what about that shimmering Crystal? The Crystal Award was introduced 15 years ago to give special recognition to the most accomplished dancers in the country for their hard work. While every award is an achievement, the Crystal is an instantly recognizable marker of elite performance and technique. Achieving Crystal status isn’t easy, and it isn’t meant to be. Nationwide, only about 5-7% of dancers will receive the Crystal Award. (We’ve done the math.) So if you have a Showstopper Crystal trophy in your room or studio, you know you’re the best of the best.
The Crystal Award is represented by a glass star column trophy. The sleek, sparkling design is an immediate standout from any trophies, medals, or plaques that might decorate a dancer’s collection of awards. In its 15-year history, the Crystal trophy has seen six different versions, though many more have been prototyped and considered. The current, and most iconic version, hasn’t changed for the last eight seasons.
The Crystal Award has become the ultimate recognition of accomplishment for competitive dancers. It is truly a high goal to achieve. As a result, Showstopper used it as inspiration to elevate another incredible award. In 2023, the America Loves to Dance Champion and Runner-Up awards were given a new look. Each now features five glass star columns shooting from a sleek black base. Using the image of the Crystal Award, these new trophies are a special acknowledgment of the work, training, teamwork, and discipline it takes to reach the highest level of achievement in competitive dance.
The Crystal Award is a goal for dancers who strive to move up, improve their skills, and showcase them on a national stage. Showstopper is proud to honor the dancers who achieve Crystal status each season! They sparkle as brightly as the trophies they take home. The Crystal Award asks, “Do you love to dance?” and dancers respond with incredible talent and determination.
