For Those Considering Entry
Q) How much does it cost to enter?
Entry fees vary depending on the division and number of entries. For a single division entry in any of 【P01】–【P03】 or 【C02】–【M12】, the fee is ￥27,500 (tax included; covers judge sheet, commemorative gift, and program). For entries in two divisions — either 【P01】–【P03】 or 【C02】–【C09】 combined with 【M10】–【M12】 — the fee is ￥48,400 (tax included; covers judge sheets for both divisions, one commemorative gift, and one program). For the Ensemble division 【E13】, the fee is ￥36,000 (tax included) per piece for 2 performers, plus ￥6,000 (tax included) for each additional performer; a judge sheet, commemorative gift, and program are provided to each performer individually.
Q) I’m not sure which division to enter.
Your division is determined by your age on the date of the competition. The Preparation division (P01–P03) is for dancers aged 5 and up and is designed to build experience; scores are not displayed on screen for this division. The Competition division is split into Classical Ballet (Women C02–C07, Men C08/C09), Modern Dance (M10–M12), and Ensemble (E13), with age ranges set in detail from age 7 with no upper limit. Note that following a 2024 revision, division C01 (age 5 through 1st grade of elementary school) was discontinued; dancers of that age should now enter the Preparation division.
Q) What are the performance time limits for each division?
Performance times are as follows. In the Preparation division, P01 is JBC Required Choreography only, P02 is within 2:00, and P03 is within 2:30. In the Competition division, Classical Ballet C02 is within 2:00 and C03–C09 are within 3:00; Modern Dance (M10–M12) is within 3:00; and Ensemble (E13) is within 6:00. Please feel free to contact us with any questions about performance time.
Q) Are there shoe requirements for each division?
Yes, each division has its own shoe requirements. P01 and C02 require ballet shoes only; C06 and C07 require pointe shoes only; C08 and C09 also require ballet shoes only. P02, P03, and C03–C05 allow either type of shoe; Modern Dance (M10–M12) allows any footwear, provided it will not damage the floor.
Q) What are the benefits of placing in the competition?
Placing 1st–10th, or receiving a Judges’ Special Award, in any of 【C02】–【C09】, 【M10】–【M12】, or 【E13】 qualifies you for entry into the JBC Grand Championships (for 【P01】–【P03】, only Judges’ Special Award recipients qualify). Judges’ Special Award winners may also receive a variety of additional prizes, including short- or long-term study opportunities at overseas ballet schools, entry into ballet projects in Japan and abroad, and prizes from sponsoring organizations. In 2025–2026, prizes have included study and entry opportunities at prestigious schools and competitions worldwide, such as the Dallas Conservatory and American Classical Ballet in the USA; the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s School of Dance (affiliated with Scottish Ballet) and the Rambert School in the UK; the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Perm Ballet School, and Novosibirsk Ballet School in Russia; Canada’s National Ballet School; a finals seed entry to the MBA Award, a youth international ballet competition in Italy; and a finals seed entry to the Seoul International Ballet Competition in Korea.
Q) What is JBC Required Choreography?
JBC has established a “Required Choreography” system so that younger or less experienced dancers can take on ballet without excessive strain, giving them the chance to compete in the Preparation division or the Classical Ballet division. Required Choreography must be performed in ballet shoes only. Required Choreography entries are only accepted in the Preparation division’s 【P01】, 【P02】, and 【P03】 (all 【P01】 entrants perform to the Required Music) and the Competition division’s 【C02】; no other division accepts Required Choreography entries. Note that at the Grand Championships, only the 【C01】 and 【C02】 divisions accept Required Choreography entries. Required Choreography should always be practiced under your teacher’s guidance. The content of the Required Choreography (choreography and music) is subject to change without notice; any changes will be announced on the JBC website, on social media, and in the entry guidelines.
Q) What is JBC Required Music?
To help dancers correctly understand the musical intent and tempo of each classical ballet variation — without straying far from the original score — and to express that understanding while respecting the work, JBC worked closely with musicians and judges over an extended period to create 173 “JBC Variation Required Music” pieces (performed by pianist Ayumi Hiruzaki). If you perform to the JBC Variation Required Music, you do not need to bring a CD on the day of the competition. A 4-CD set containing all 173 Required Music pieces plus the 6 JBC Required Choreography 【Ver.2】 pieces (179 tracks in total, ￥6,600) can be purchased from JBC-STORE.
Q) Can I use JBC Required Choreography or Required Music on another stage?
Yes, under the following conditions. No special application is required to use this music on a stage other than JBC (such as a recital or another competition), but to protect the performers’ copyright, the dancer who will actually perform on stage must purchase the CD set themselves. Teachers may not legally copy the CD and give it to students, under copyright law. If you would like to listen to the variation music for your own practice, you can preview it on the JBC website. If you wish to save it to a smartphone, iPod, or similar device, or to perform it on a stage other than JBC, you must purchase the CD set.
Q) Can I enter if I live overseas or hold foreign citizenship?
Yes, you’re welcome to enter. If you hold foreign citizenship but live in Japan, or if you live overseas but can make payment from a Japanese bank account and receive materials at a Japanese address, please apply through our Japanese-language site (jbcex.jp). If you live overseas and it is difficult to pay from a Japanese bank account or to receive mail in Japan, please apply through the JBC English site (jbcex.art), which offers English-language entry guidelines and an application form.
Q) Can family members and spectators come to watch?
Yes, anyone may attend with a purchased ticket. Advance tickets go on sale on the Ticket Pia website roughly two weeks before the event date; search “JBC” to find the relevant page. Ticket prices are ￥2,000 in advance and ￥2,500 at the door. Children aged 3 and under may attend free of charge if seated on a guardian’s lap; a paid ticket is required if a seat is needed. A ticket stub is required for re-entry, so please keep it with you. Anyone holding a Performer Pass Card or Teacher Pass Card does not need to purchase a spectator ticket.
About Applying
Q) What is the order of steps for applying?
Please read the entry guidelines carefully, transfer the entry fee, and then apply via the online form.
Q) I haven’t decided on my performance piece yet.
We cannot accept blank entries, so please fill in your performance piece, entrance method, music, and performance time as they stand at the time of application. Changes can be accepted up until one month before the competition; once you’ve decided on a change, please contact the office by email (toiawase@jbcex.jp) or via the Change Request Form.
Q) I’d like to change the details of my application.
To ensure changes are properly recorded, please contact us by email (toiawase@jbcex.jp) or via the Change Request Form rather than by phone.
Please include: 【Competition entered】【Name】【Affiliated studio】【Previous details】【New details】.
※If you are changing your performance piece, please tell us not only the new piece name but also any changes to 【entrance method】【music】【performance time】.
Q) Can materials be sent to me personally rather than to my studio?
JBC policy is to always send materials to the affiliated studio. We are unable to send materials directly to an individual, even with the teacher’s permission. Thank you for your understanding.
Q) I don’t have an affiliated studio. What should I do?
If you have no affiliated studio, please enter “Independent” in the studio name field, and enter the performer’s own address, phone number, and email.
Q) Can I apply before making the bank transfer?
Please complete your bank transfer before submitting your application.
If there is an error in the transfer date or the name on the transfer, confirmation of payment may be delayed, which can also delay your place in the processing order.
Q) I haven’t received confirmation of my entry.
If you applied using a mobile phone email address, please check that your settings allow you to receive email from PCs, and make sure you can receive mail from the “@jbcex.jp” domain. If you use a free email service such as Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, or Hotmail, please also check your spam or junk folder. If more than a week has passed since your transfer and application with no confirmation, please contact the JBC office at toiawase@jbcex.jp.
Q) When is the application deadline?
As a general rule, the application deadline is the same date one month before the competition. If capacity is reached early, entries may close ahead of schedule; in that case, we will announce it on the website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LINE, and Instagram.
If early closing occurs, we may accept a limited number of applications on a “waitlist” basis where space allows, but waitlisted applicants are not considered confirmed entrants until they receive confirmation of entry.
If you are ultimately unable to compete, refund instructions will be sent to your studio’s teacher about one week after your application.
Preparing for the Competition
Q) Does the performance time include entering and exiting the stage?
The performance time you record on your application form, for the Preparation and Classical Ballet divisions, is measured from the start to the end of the music. For the Modern Dance and Ensemble divisions, if the performance begins in silence, the performance is considered to start from whichever comes first: the moment movement begins on stage, or the start of the music.
Q) My performance runs slightly over the time limit.
Cutting part of the music to fit within the time limit is not permitted, even if you are over. Changing the playback speed (pitch) is allowed. If your piece still does not fit within the time limit after that, please consider changing your performance piece. If you have any questions, please contact the JBC office at 0120-4180-55.
Q) Does this piece have (musical or choreographic) copyright issues?
The competition organizers are not able to investigate whether copyright applies to a given choreography. Please confirm this yourself in advance before applying.
Q) Do I need to apply for music copyright permission myself?
The Classical Ballet division is exempt from copyright applications. For music used in the Modern Dance and Ensemble divisions, performers must obtain permission for copyrighted use in advance, or use music that is not copyrighted. If you are using copyrighted music, please complete the application process before the competition date.
Q) Is it okay to copy the music onto a CD using a computer?
When copying music using a computer, if the CD is recorded in a format other than audio CD (CD-DA), the sound frequently fails to play on the day of the competition. Simple copy-and-paste does not produce an audio CD format, so please always use CD-burning software and record only one track per disc in CD-DA format.
Please note that MP3, MP4, and other data formats, 8cm CDs, shaped CDs, and CD-RWs cannot be played. Please also check the CD surface for scratches or dirt beforehand.
Q) Do I really need two CDs?
Yes, please always bring two. The second CD serves as a backup in case the first fails to read. Many performances have gone smoothly on the day thanks to having a backup CD. If you have any concerns, please contact the JBC office at toiawase@jbcex.jp.
Q) When do I need to apply to use a prop?
For any item other than one you can carry on and off stage yourself with one or both hands, please contact the office in advance by phone or email. (This includes items with wheels that need to be rolled, or items requiring assembly in the wings, etc.)
Q) If there is only one performer, is a Teacher Pass Card issued?
Yes, one card is issued. The number of cards increases with the number of performers: one card for 1–2 performers, two cards for 3–4 performers. However, if there are 2 performers — one male and one female — an additional Teacher Pass Card can be issued at the teacher’s request. Please contact the JBC office at toiawase@jbcex.jp or via the Contact page.
On the Day of the Competition
Q) What happens if there is a rule violation?
If there is a rule violation regarding shoes or exceeding the time limit, the performance will still be judged as normal and a judge sheet will still be issued, but the performer will be excluded from placings and special awards. Other types of violations are discussed and decided case by case by the judges and organizing committee.
Q) Which is more advantageous, ballet shoes or pointe shoes?
Neither is inherently more advantageous. Judges assess the pointe-work criteria based on whether the body is properly lifted and the toes are used with control — whether in ballet shoes or pointe shoes — and on whether the dancer is ready to be in pointe shoes. If a dancer wears pointe shoes before their body is ready, resulting in bent knees, lack of lift, or improper pointe technique, that criteria’s score may be lower. Please follow your teacher’s guidance regarding your entry.
Q) Does check-in have to be done by the performer in person?
Yes, check-in must always be done by the performer themselves (for Ensemble, a representative may check in). Please bring your Pass Card and CD with you at check-in. Performers dancing to JBC Required Choreography or Required Music do not need to submit a CD at check-in.
Q) How should I perform my révérence?
If your performance ends on stage, perform your révérence at the position where you finish dancing. If your performance ends with you exiting the stage, return to the stage from the nearest wing and perform your révérence near the wings.
Q) From what time can I access the dressing room or rehearsal room?
You may enter after completing check-in, from the check-in start time listed on the schedule. You cannot enter the dressing room or rehearsal room before checking in.
Q) Can parents enter the dressing room?
Only those holding a “Pass Card” may enter the dressing room, wings, or backstage area. Even parents without a Pass Card are not permitted to enter the dressing room.
Q) Can a Teacher Pass Card be given to a third party?
Teacher Pass Cards issued to a studio should only be used by someone assisting a performer in the dressing room, wings, or backstage. If a person clearly too young to provide assistance is found holding a Teacher Pass Card, they may be refused entry, so please be mindful of this.
Q) I’d like to bring my child a boxed lunch, so I’d like to enter the dressing room.
If you do not hold a Teacher Pass Card, you cannot enter the dressing room, even as a parent.
We are also unable to accept and hand over belongings on your behalf. Please arrange to meet in the lobby to hand over the item directly, using whichever method of contact works for you.
Q) Where can I check the stage spacing/marks?
A guide notice is posted in the stage-right or stage-left wings, and staff are also on hand there. Since the layout of stage-right and stage-left varies by venue, please check on the day.
Q) Is there an awards ceremony?
Competitions other than the Grand Championships do not hold an awards ceremony. Even at competitions that do hold one, you may leave early if your schedule requires it. If leaving early, please let the front desk know. Missing the awards ceremony does not disqualify you from receiving an award.
Q) When do we receive our certificate?
Certificates are distributed in the lobby about 30 minutes after each judging block ends (this may be delayed depending on how the schedule is running). Distribution updates are announced at the foyer reception desk and on JBC’s official Instagram, so please check there as well.
Certificates must be collected at the reception desk. If you are unable to collect it at the venue on the day, it will be sent to your home by cash-on-delivery after the competition ends.
Q) When do we receive our judge sheets?
After the competition, judge sheets for all performers are mailed together to the teacher of the affiliated studio; please collect them from your teacher.