APEX Solo Competition

In addition to our APEX team competition, we are excited to have the return of our APEX Solo Competition! APEX Solo Comp is an individual solo competition for students 12-18 who are registered for EXPO 2026.

This year, students can submit solo competition material through Voice, Dance, and Acting.

Any CYT student can enter the APEX Solo Competition!

*Students do not need to be on an APEX team to compete in the Solo Competition, so get your song, dance, and monologue ready and join the fun! 
Registration Opens February 1st

APEX Solo Comp Rules of Engagement

  1. The APEX Solo Competition (APEX Solo Comp) is an individual competition. Individuals must be age 12-18 to compete.
  2. APEX Solo Comp contestants do not need to be a part of any APEX Team; however, they must:
    1. Registered to attend EXPO.
    2. Register for the APEX Solo Comp ($25) at cyt.org/expo. If you would like to compete in more than one category, you must register each time for the APEX Solo Comp. 
  3. Once registered, you will receive an email from CYT National with your Online Submission form with instructions on your next steps.
  4. Individuals may enter one (1) submission for the APEX Solo Comp. The categories available are: 
    1. Voice
    2. Dance
    3. Acting
  5. The APEX Solo Comp will consist of two rounds of performance:
    1. Online Submission - Each contestant will participate in this round. Each contestant will submit a recorded video of their vocal performance, dance performance, or monologue. Individuals should state their Name, Branch, and song title (Dance and Voice) or show title/character name (Act) at the start of their video submission.
    2. Top 3 performers in each category will be awarded at the National Showcase on the final night
      of EXPO.
  6. The Online Submission & Public Performance should not exceed 4 minutes.
  7. Scoring - The 2026 APEX Solo Comp Assessment Form will be used for scoring all portions of the competition. All scores will be averaged to determine the overall score for the individual. A PDF of the rubric for each category can be found below.

APEX Solo Voice

Voice Submission Requirements: 
  1. Minimum of 32 measures of singing.
  2. All individuals must use an Instrumental Track. Accompanists or individual instrumentalists are not allowed.
  3. Music selections must be from a Broadway musical or musical theater composer. Musical selections must be CYT appropriate. Musical selections that are not CYT appropriate will not move past the Online Submission round. If individuals are unsure if their materials are CYT appropriate, inquiries can be sent to expo@cyt.org.
  4. Students are to be dressed in an appropriate way. “Costumes” aren’t required, but pieces that are conducive to their singing/movement and support the theme and music are expected. Inquiries can be sent to expo@cyt.org. 
Solo Voice Rubric

APEX Solo Dance

Dance Submission Requirements: 
  1. Minimum of dancing for 2 minutes.
  2. Choreography should be original. You, your friend, or a teacher can choreograph a piece for you. Do not copy choreography from Broadway, television shows, YouTube videos, etc., that you do not have ownership of. 
  3. Music selections and movement must be CYT appropriate. Musical selections that are not CYT appropriate will not move past the Online Submission round. If individuals are unsure if their materials are CYT appropriate, inquiries can be sent to expo@cyt.org.
  4. Costumes are not required; however, attire must be conducive to full movements and meet CYT guidelines. Pieces that support the theme and music are expected. Inquiries can be sent to expo@cyt.org. 
Solo Dance Rubric

APEX Solo Acting

Acting Submission Requirements:
  1. Minimum of performing a 1-minute monologue. 
  2. Monologue must be from a published play or musical. 
  3. Monologue selections must be CYT appropriate. Monologue selections that are not CYT appropriate will not move past the Online Submission round. If individuals are unsure if their materials are CYT appropriate, inquiries can be sent to expo@cyt.org.
  4. Students are to be dressed in an appropriate way. “Costumes” aren’t required, but pieces that are conducive to their movement and support the theme are expected. Inquiries can be sent to expo@cyt.org. 
Solo Acting Rubric

Tips for Filming Your Submission

For the best video submissions, individuals should follow these recommendations:
  1. Singing with a track can be tricky! Individuals should practice many times with the chosen track so that the timing feels natural. Tracks should be high quality and free of distractions.
  2. When choosing a location to film for Dance, select a space with similar dimensions to the EXPO Main Stage (dimensions will be 32’ wide by 24’ deep). If you are using a tripod, make sure that the camera is stabilized while filming your movement. 
  3. If filming on a phone, film with the phone laid on its side for a widescreen shot of 1080p.
  4. Find a quiet filming room to capture the video submission, and make sure you can be seen from at least the waist up (not just your face) for all categories.  
  5. Ensure that the filming room has adequate lighting. Natural lighting is best; however, additional lighting can be added with a ring light or similar. 
  6. Ensure that the backdrop of the video submission is clear and not distracting. Consider how the shot looks before pressing record.
  7. For Voice and Dance, find the proper place to put the speaker that is playing your track. This needs to be somewhere you can hear it for Voice submissions specifically while you are singing, but also close enough to your recording device that it is audible on your recording. One way to do this is to play the recording through TV speakers, computer speakers, or by using a portable Bluetooth speaker. Make sure you do a few test runs to check the balance. 
  8. Have fun!