Dance recognition has its own rules. The recipient is often a child, the parent is the one holding the camera, and the trophy needs to feel like a keepsake from a meaningful night rather than a generic sports award. Studios, competitions, and recitals each have different needs, and the right provider depends on how much customization you want, how many pieces you need, and how much hand holding the order requires. Below are providers worth considering for dance awards, starting with our own shop and then a short list of established national suppliers.
Viking Awards has produced trophies, plaques, and medals out of Westchester, Illinois since 1973. We work with dance studios across Chicagoland on recital awards, competition pieces, and end of year studio recognition, and we ship to studios and competitions nationally. The providers below are listed in approximate order of relevance to dance programs, with the understanding that every studio has different priorities and any of these will do solid work.
Top Providers for Dance Trophies and Awards
1. Viking Awards
Viking Awards has spent more than 50 years engraving recognition pieces, and dance has been a consistent part of our business through the studio boom of the last two decades. Our in house laser and rotary engraving handles everything from a single instructor recognition plaque to a recital order with 250 participation trophies for a studio’s spring show. For competitions, we work with directors who need coordinated placement trophies across divisions in jazz, ballet, hip hop, tap, and contemporary, all matched in style with crystal cup or sculpted figure designs from our trophy catalog.
On the medal side, our medal collection includes star designs, victory medals, and high relief sculpted pieces that translate well to dance presentations. For higher tier studio awards and instructor recognition, our crystal awards line offers pieces with the weight and clarity that dance teachers and choreographers genuinely appreciate. For recital participation, we typically build coordinated trophy programs at lower price points so every dancer takes home something proportionate to their place in the recital.
Pricing scales for recital and competition volume, and we handle rush orders when production schedules slip. Most custom orders ship in one to two weeks. Studios with annual recitals can keep templates on file with us so the next year’s order is a phone call rather than a rebuild. Walk in clients at our Westchester showroom can hold samples before committing. Located at 10405 W Cermak Rd, Westchester, IL 60154. Call (630) 833-1733 or visit viking-awards.com.
10405 W Cermak Rd, Westchester, IL 60154
☎️ (630) 833-1733
viking-awards.com
2. Crown Awards
Crown Awards is the largest awards manufacturer in the United States, headquartered in Hawthorne, New York at a 250,000 square foot facility. They carry an extensive dance catalog with trophies, medals, and plaques across all dance genres, plus free engraving up to 40 characters on standard orders. Their inventory depth makes them a go to for large studio recital orders and multi day dance competitions where volume and consistency across hundreds of pieces matter. Custom logos for studios are supported with vector art.
Located at 9 Skyline Drive, Hawthorne, NY 10532.
Phone (800) 227-1557.
Website crownawards.com.
3. Dinn Trophy
Dinn Trophy, also known as Dinn Bros, operates from a 72,000 square foot facility in West Springfield, Massachusetts with showrooms there and in New Haven, Connecticut. Their dance catalog covers trophies, medals, and plaques across ballet, jazz, tap, and contemporary, sold through their website, direct mail catalogs, and showrooms. Dinn is a strong pick for studios and competitions that want a traditional awards supplier with deep stock and a reputation built over decades of work in the school and sports market.
Located in West Springfield, MA.
Phone 1-800-828-3466.
Website dinntrophy.com.
4. Edco Awards
Edco Awards is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and ships dance trophies, medals, and awards across the United States. Their dance lineup covers ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary styles with options for studio branding and competition placement. Edco’s strength is the combination of broad selection and consistent customer service, which works well for studios placing repeat orders across multiple events per year.
Located at 3702 Davie Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312.
Phone (954) 587-0137 or toll free (800) 377-8646.
Website edco.com.
5. TrophyCentral
TrophyCentral has been operating since 1999 from Marquette, Michigan with an additional New York presence. Their dance offering includes trophies, medals, and awards for recitals, competitions, and studios, with free engraving on trophies and free ribbons on medals as part of their standard pricing. They lean toward online ordering with proofs, which works well for studio directors comfortable handling most of an order through their website.
Located at 5085 US Highway 41 S., Suite B, Marquette, MI 49855.
Phone toll free 1-888-809-8800.
Website trophycentral.com.
The companies listed above reflect editorial opinion only and are not ranked in any particular order of preference or quality beyond the first position. This list is independent and should not be taken as an official endorsement or paid ranking.
Types of Dance Awards
Competition placement trophies are the workhorse format. Most dance competitions run divisions by age, skill level, and dance genre, awarding 1st through 5th place or platinum, high gold, gold tier rankings depending on the format. The trophies need to be visually distinct enough that placements read clearly in photos and on stage. Crystal cups, sculpted dance figures, and modern composite designs all work, and most competitions pick a style and stick with it across all divisions for visual consistency.
Recital participation trophies are different in spirit. These go to every dancer in a year end show as a keepsake of the performance, not as a reward for placement. The format is typically smaller, with a price point that lets the studio buy enough for the whole roster without breaking budgets. A 6 to 8 inch trophy with a dance figure, the studio name, the show title, and the year strikes the right balance between meaningful and affordable.
Instructor recognition awards deserve more weight. The instructor pouring years into a studio program is usually the unsung work of any successful dance school. End of year recognition for instructors, longevity awards for staff members, and farewell pieces for departing teachers all benefit from upgrading to a quality plaque or crystal piece rather than a stock trophy. The investment shows.
End of year studio awards are the high tier moment. Most studios single out a handful of dancers each year for top student, most improved, most dedicated, and similar recognition. These deserve crystal or premium plaque formats that the recipient and family will keep prominently displayed. We have engraved many of these that ended up on a teenager’s bedroom shelf for years.
Styles for Different Genres
Ballet awards lean traditional and refined. Classical figures of ballerinas in arabesque or attitude poses, soft pastel ribbon colors on medals, and elegant marble or composite bases all read as appropriate for the genre. Crystal pieces work particularly well for higher tier ballet recognition because the material itself signals classical seriousness.
Jazz dance trophies tend toward more dynamic figures. Action poses, leaps, and turns translate well to sculpted toppers. Color choices can be bolder than ballet without feeling off, with bright base colors and gold or silver figures working in combination.
Hip hop awards have shifted toward modern designs over the last decade. Composite bases in dark colors, geometric trophy shapes, and stylized urban dance figures all match the visual language of hip hop programs. Generic dance figures feel off for hip hop awards, so it pays to look at the supplier’s specific hip hop styles rather than defaulting to a mixed dance catalog.
Tap dance trophies often feature classic tap shoe motifs or figures in tap poses. The genre is small enough in most studios that you can usually find a single style that covers the entire tap program without needing to mix formats.
Contemporary and lyrical awards work well with flowing figures, modern composite materials, and crystal or glass elements. The genre photographs well with light catching, so trophies that play with light tend to win in award presentations and recital programs.
Customization for Studio Branding
Studio logos belong on the awards. A coordinated trophy program with the studio crest engraved on every piece across the recital ties the show together visually and creates lasting brand association for families. We accept vector logo files via email and produce a proof before cutting any engraving. Studios without a clean vector file can usually have us rebuild from a high resolution raster, though vector is always preferable.
Beyond the logo, studios often want consistent typography across awards. The studio name, the show title, the year, and the dancer’s name in a coherent layout reads as designed rather than thrown together. We work from a layout proof so the studio director can sign off before production starts.
Some studios run themed shows each year, with show titles that change. Building the engraving template to swap show title and year while keeping studio identity and dancer name placement consistent lets the studio order annually with minimal new design work.
Bulk Pricing for Recitals
Recital orders are volume sensitive. A studio with 150 dancers needs 150 plus trophies, and the per piece cost matters at that scale. Pricing typically drops in tiers at 25, 50, 100, and 200 pieces, with medals showing the steepest per piece discounts at high volume. For studios running multiple shows or grade level performances, ordering all the trophies together in one bulk run usually beats splitting into separate smaller orders.
For most recital programs, budgeting somewhere between 8 and 20 dollars per participation trophy hits a reasonable balance between meaningful keepsake and program viability. Higher tier instructor and end of year awards run separately and benefit from upgraded materials.
Trophy Size Guidance by Age Group
The size of the trophy should feel proportionate to the dancer receiving it. A 24-inch trophy handed to a 5-year-old dancer in a leotard can look awkward in photos and become difficult for the child to carry off stage.
For preschool and early childhood dance programs, trophies in the 6-to-8-inch range usually look balanced and manageable. Elementary-age dancers are typically best suited for 8-to-10-inch awards. Teen and adult dancers generally pair well with 10-to-14-inch trophies, since the larger size better reflects the maturity of the performer and the significance of the competition or recital.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A one size fits all approach across age groups is the most common mistake we see in recital orders. Studios sometimes order identical trophies for every dancer across every age group, which means the trophy looks oversized for the youngest and underwhelming for the oldest. Splitting the order into two or three size tiers by age group costs marginally more but produces dramatically better photos and recipient experience.
Ignoring takeaway value for young dancers is another quiet mistake. Children remember the recital trophy. The piece sits in a bedroom for years. Cutting corners on the participation trophy to save a few dollars per dancer translates into an underwhelming keepsake that the family does not display. Spending slightly more on quality materials and a thoughtful design pays dividends in family loyalty to the studio.
Skipping the studio logo to save engraving time is short sighted. The brand association is exactly the kind of long term value that compounds over years. Every dancer who keeps a trophy with the studio name engraved on it is a small permanent advertisement.
Underordering creates a real problem on recital day. Missing one dancer in the count means an emotional family moment turns into a logistical scramble. Always order at least 5 to 10 percent above the registration count to cover late additions and replacement needs.
How to Choose the Right Provider
Match the provider to the type of order you need. National suppliers often perform well for high-volume stock awards with standard styles and fast fulfillment. For custom logo engraving, mixed size tiers, or consistent branding across multiple award categories, a regional shop with strong in-house engraving capabilities is usually the better fit.
Before placing an order, ask about turnaround times, vector file requirements, and the proof approval process before production begins. It also helps to confirm rush-order availability and whether engraving is completed in house or subcontracted to another vendor.
Conclusion
Dance awards land differently than awards for almost any other discipline because the recipient is often a child and the moment is often a family event recorded in photos and video that get watched for years. The trophy or medal is the artifact of the night. Viking Awards has been producing dance recognition out of our Westchester, Illinois shop for more than 50 years. Call us at (630) 833-1733, browse our full awards catalog, or visit viking-awards.com to start a quote for your next recital or competition. We are at 10405 W Cermak Rd, Westchester, IL 60154, and walk in visits are welcome.