Dance America strives to provide all competitors and directors with a positive experience at our events. We hire ONLY the very best judges with diverse backgrounds in all styles of dance/cheer/performing arts. We offer all skill levels and age levels. We keep our categories small as to allow all groups the opportunity to do well, and to not have to compete against another group from within their same studio/school. We offer many awards and EVERY studio/school goes home with a team trophy as well as individual awards for each participant. No one leaves empty handed. Everyone is important to us. Our competitions run ON-TIME. We promise to make this a fun and memorable event for everyone.
Competition RULES and Important Information….
1- Routine length – All Team routines need to be within 2-4 minutes in length. Show routines must NOT exceed 20 minutes. Please make sure Dance America is aware of ANY show routine which exceeds 15 minutes. All Solo, Duet, Trio routines need to be within 1:30-3:00 minutes in length.
2- Skill levels – Please refer to the Skill Level breakdown sheet to know and understand the rules about Skill Levels for Solos, Duets, Trios, and Team routines.
3- Age Category – when signing up for a “team/group” routine, you must enter the age category based on the “average age” of all your performers in that particular routine. Same for Duets and Trios.
4- Costuming – Please keep costuming appropriate for the age of the competitor. Also, make sure that costuming embellishments (fringe, feathers, rhinestones, belts, etc…) do not leave the performance floor covered with debris following your performance. YOU are responsible to clean up the performance floor quickly as to NOT disrupt the flow of the competition.
5- PROPS – ALL props MUST be covered with rubber, duct tape, carpet, and any other protective means to prevent any damage to the performance floor. FINES will be assessed to the studio/school/individual for any damage done to the performance floor. USING PROPS in your routines – when entering a JAZZ or LYRICAL category, the emphasis is NOT to be on a prop being used in the routine. If you choose to use a prop in a jazz or lyrical routine, then the prop should NOT be a focal point of the routine and should NOT add a great deal of emphasis to the routine.
***NOTE – If your Prop is LARGE, involves a lot of prop use and choreography, or is a focal point to the routine, then you should enter the OPEN category. Dance America reserves the right to move routines e into an OPEN category if the judges feel that it has been entered into a Jazz or Lyrical category, but has too much emphasis on a prop(s).
6- Dressing Spaces – Every Studio/School is required to send in a $75 deposit check made out to the Host School. This deposit check will be held as collateral for use of a dressing space. Dressing spaces must be left CLEAN and free of DAMAGE. All deposit checks will be held for two weeks following each competition while the host school assesses any damages that may have been done to the dressing spaces. Once the host school has cleared the dressing space used by your studio/school then your deposit check will be shredded. If there is a problem with your dressing space, you will be notified before the check is cashed by the host school. If you choose NOT to use a dressing room or if you do NOT mail in a deposit check prior to the competition, then you will NOT have an area to change costumes. **ABSOLUTELY NO CHANGING COSTUMES IS ALLOWED IN THE PUBLIC BATHROOMS unless designated as a “dressing space” by the host school/facility**.
7- Music – all competition routines MUST be on CD with your studio name and title of song on it. Please be sure to have back-up copies of ALL your CD’s and routine readily available.
8- Style of Dance – please refer to the competition entry form to see the different dance categories offered. Dance America reserves the right to combine and/or split some categories based on the number of competitors entered. We will notify you if there are any changes or combining of categories.