Guidelines and Rules | Dream Dance Challenge

GUIDELINES

*Please review our guidelines prior to registration, as we consistently review and revise our rules and regulations, which are subject to change each season.

REGISTRATION:

2019 Early Registration Discount: Receive 15% off all entry fees with a $500 deposit and "Pre-registration" in our system by 10/31/18.

All entries are submitted via our convenient online registration system by clicking on the “Register” tab above. Studio owners may add/change/delete student information at any time. All routines may be submitted and modified online up to 6 weeks prior to an event. Any late additions or changes may be requested by calling our office, and are approved on a case by case basis.

Payment in full must be received 6 weeks prior to your event to ensure participation. You can pay online with a credit card payment (3% fee) or send us a check in the mail. Registration will not be considered complete until payment is received. If a studio registers 3 or less routines, a $50 surcharge is added to each routine.

Refunds will only be issued in the case of a documented injury, and must be requested prior to the event date. A doctor’s note is required for all refunds. Refunds are not granted in the case of a “scratch” on the day of the event.

*Please be sure to update your email address in the registration system. All communication, including schedules, will be sent to the email address we have on file in the system.

INDEPENDENT ENTRIES

We accept independent entries on a case by case basis. Interested participants must call our office at 757-468-8657 to begin the registration process. If an independent dancer or a studio registers less than 3 routines, a $50 surcharge is added to each routine.

SCHEDULES:

Event schedules are emailed to studio owners approximately 7-10 days prior to an event.

ENTRY DIVISIONS:

Solo: 1 dancer
Duo/Trio: 2-3 dancers
Small Group: 4-9 dancers
Large Group: 10-19 dancers
Line: 20+ dancers
Production: 20+ dancers (Generally portrays a theme or storyline throughout, and/or includes large props. Productions are all one level. Top 10 placement will be awarded in the 12 and under age group and 13 and over age group. All Productions may be combined if less than 2 routines in an age group. Productions are 4-8 minutes in length.)

LEVELS:

We have provided guidelines that will assist studio directors and instructors with division placement of each performer. Individual performers must perform all solo routines in the same division. In the event that a group routine has performers from different divisions, the routine will be classified according to the division of the majority of the performers.

Recreational Division (Entry Level): This division is for artists who are enrolled in weekly instruction totaling less than 2 hours and have little or no competitive dance experience. Artists in this division will not be eligible for cash prizes.

Intermediate Division: This division is for artists who are enrolled in weekly instruction of 3-5 hours and have limited competitive dance experience. Artists in this division will not be eligible for cash prizes.

Advanced Division: This division is for artists who are enrolled in weekly instruction totaling more than 5 hours with significant in-studio training and competitive dance experience.

In the event that a routine is clearly mis-classified, the routine may be re-assigned to the appropriate division at the sole discretion of the judges. Scores will not be affected due to change.

AGE GROUPS:

Mini Age 6 & Under
Petite Age 7-9
Junior Age 10-12
Teen Age 13-15
Senior Age 16-19
Adult Age 20+

Names, ages and birthdates of all artists must appear on the official registration form. Proof of birthdates may be required.

Age classifications are determined by age on January 1st of the competition season.

To calculate age for duo/trios, groups and productions: total the ages of all artists in the routine and divide by the number of artists, then drop the decimal point. Example: if the average is 11.8, you would drop the decimal and the routine will have an average age of 11. The age division of the routine must not be more than one level below the age of the oldest artist in the routine, regardless of the average age. Example: a routine contains artists ranging in age from 10 – 18; the routine would fall into the 13-15 age category (one division younger than the oldest artist of 18 years.

PERFORMANCE CATEGORIES:

Acrobatic - A blend of dance and gymnastics. A routine with 3 or more gymnastics tricks must be in the acrobatic category.
Ballet - Ballet technique, including classical steps and movements. Ballet/soft shoe only.
Character - Any form of dance that portrays a recognizable character.
Clogging - Clogging technique using clogging shoes.
Contemporary - A blend of lyrical, jazz and modern technique.
Hip Hop - Any street dance style.
Jazz - Jazz technique utilizing up-tempo music.
Lyrical - Blend of jazz and ballet technique, emphasizing on strength, control, and interpretation.
Modern - Interpretive dance using balance and control.
Musical Theater - Broadway or movie musical theater dance styles.
Open - A combination of styles that does not fall into our performance categories.
Pointe - Ballet technique with pointe shoes, including classical steps and movements.
Pom Pom - High energy dance or gymnastic, incorporating pom poms in at least 75% of the routine.
Song and Dance - Contains both singing and dancing. 50% of routine must consist of dance movement.
Specialty - Incorporates ethnic styles of dance such as Polkas, Hawaiian, Ballroom, Bollywood, Russian, African, etc.
Student - Choreographed by students only. Routines may also be entered in our regular performance categories.
Tap - Tap technique with tap shoes only. Tap sounds not allowed pre-recorded.
Vocal - Any type of vocal performance. No pre-recorded vocal melodies allowed. Only back up vocals are permitted.

TIME LIMITS:

Solo 2:45 minutes
Duo/Trio 3:00 minutes
Small Group 3:00 minutes
Large Group 4:00 minutes
Line 4:00 minutes
Production 4:00 - 8:00 minutes

The length of entries may be extended with prior approval of a Dream Dance Competition director. Extended time fee is $2.00 per minute/per dancer. Maximum extra time allowed is 1 minute.

There will be a one point (-1) deduction from the total score for routines that exceed the time limit and are not registered as "Extended Time". Time limitations will be strictly enforced.

IMPROV ROUTINES:

Registered dancers may be invited to perform in our Improv Challenge. This routine will be a 30 second improv dance using music randomly selected by our DJ. Dancers will not know the music choice ahead of time. One winner from each age group will be chosen.

TITLE ROUTINES:

Any dancer in the ADVANCED level who is doing a solo may opt to add the "regional title" component. In addition to the solo routine, the dancer will perform a "title presentation" that consists of a short interview followed by a 20-second dance. The dance is to be prepared ahead of time, and danced to no music. The 20-second title presentation dance must be in a different style than the solo it is combined with. There is a nominal charge for the title routine. For scoring purposes, the "title presentation" is scored separately, and the two scores (standard solo and title presentation) are combined for a separate awards category. The standard routine is still scored on its own.

MUSIC:

We prefer that all music is uploaded using our convenient online registration system. Music that is uploaded must be submitted no later than 7 days prior to the event date. Please be sure to assign your uploaded music files to your entries, following the easy instructions in the registration system.

If you are bringing CDs, all music must be submitted at least one hour prior to event start time at the registration area. ALL MEDIA MUST BE CLEARLY LABELED ROUTINE NUMBER / ROUTINE TITLE / STUDIO NAME. Music that is labeled incorrectly will NOT be accepted.

Dream Dance Challenge is NOT responsible for any music left behind. Music that is left behind will be discarded.

MAKE SURE YOU BRING A BACK UP FOR ALL MUSIC! Your backup audio files can be in the following forms:

CD - One (1) CD per entry labeled “Routine # / Routine Title / Studio Name” per song
Flash Drive (USB) - One Folder for all entries. Each song labeled “Routine # / Routine Title

Dream Dance Challenge trusts participating studios have the necessary music licensing.

CD RULE: No paper labels on the CDs, in order to prevent unexpected skipping. Please check CDs for scratches prior to submission.

Any questions or concerns regarding music please email info@dreamdancecompetition.com.

SCORING AND AWARDS:

All Routines will be scored based on an adjudicated system. Our scoring system is based on 100 points per judge for a total of 300 points. The judges will evaluate each performance in the following areas:

TECHNICAL EXECUTION
PERFORMANCE / SHOWMANSHIP
CHOREOGRAPHY / DIFFICULTY
COSTUME / APPEARANCE
OVERALL IMPRESSION

All dancers will receive an adjudication medal for each routine. The following adjudication awards will be given based on the judges' scores:

ULTIMATE 294 - 300
DIAMOND 285 - 293.9
PLATINUM 276 - 284.9
GOLD 275.9 and below

Overall awards will be given to the top 10 routines in each age group, level, and entry division.

Vocals: Solos, duos, and trios will be combined for Overall awards unless there are 3 or more vocal routines in each division.

Productions: Top 10 placements awarded to 12 and under and 13 and over. All levels combined. All Productions may be combined if there are less than 2 routines in an age group.

Special Awards: Several special awards are given at each event, including Judge's Choice, Choreography, Backstage/Sportsmanship, and Top Studio (Highest scoring groups).

STAGE & SAFETY:

General props are permitted and must be labeled with studio name. It is the sole responsibility of each studio to ensure that its props are taken on and off stage.

Props must be assembled/disassembled within 2 minutes or a 5 point (-5) deduction will be assessed. Please do not build props backstage as this can be hazardous to the performers.

For safety, if artists are more than 6’ off the ground please incorporate safety rails in the prop.

Dangerous props (i.e. swords, fire, etc.), use of live animals, special effects (including haze and fog machines) and liquids are prohibited on the stage.

Studios are liable for any damage to the stage and equipment.

Guidelines and Rules: Welcome