Rules for the DanceFeet Canadian Salsa Championships &  DanceFeet/CSC Salsa, Bachata & Hustle Competition

DanceFeet Canadian Salsa Championships 2011 – Rules, Definitions & Judging Criteria

1. OVERVIEW OF COMPETITION:

This competition will be a “one – shot” deal meaning that in the Professional, Amateur and Pro-Am Salsa Showcase Divisions, each couple will present a 2 minute choreographed routine using their choice of music. The international panel of judges will judge each couple.  Top 3 in each division will receive prizes.

1B. OVERVIEW OF PRIZES:

The 1st place, 2nd place and 3rd place winners of the professional Salsa division will receive prizes (see prize page for details, prizes being added all the time!). 

The 1st place, 2nd place and 3rd place winners in the Professional Bachata showcase division and in the Amateur Bachata showcase division will receive prizes.  1st place winners in the professional Bachata showcase division and 1st place winners in the Amateur Bachata showcase division will automatically qualify to the Semi-Final round of the Toronto Bachata Competition in November.

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in the Amateur Salsa division and in the Open Hustle division will receive various prizes, trophies and medals. 

The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in the Pro-Am Showcase Divisions will receive various prizes and medals. 

All contestants in the Pro-Am Heated Divisions will receive a medal and coupons.

2. DIVISIONS:

Professional Salsa Division – one or both dancers have been paid to teach or to perform

Couple (defined as one male, one female).
Rhythm must be maintained consistently throughout the performance.
A maximum of 3 dips or drops allowed. For these skills, at least 1 foot must remain on the floor at all times. No lifts allowed (see definitions below).
Shines are permitted although not more than 30% of the performance may consist of shines or side by sides.
Routine must consist of at least 90% recognizable salsa dancing.

Amateur Salsa Division – neither dancer has ever been paid to teach or to perform

Couple (defined as one male, one female)
Rhythm must be maintained consistently throughout the performance.
Dips, drops and lifts are allowed.
Shines are permitted although not more than 30% of the performance may consist of shines or side by sides.
Routine must consist of at least 90% recognizable salsa dancing.

Professional Bachata Division – one or both dancers have been paid to teach or to perform

Couple (defined as one male, one female).
Rhythm must be maintained consistently throughout the performance.
Dips, drops & lifts allowed (but remember that Bachata is not about dips and lifts!)
Shines are permitted although not more than 30% of the performance may consist of shines or side by sides.
Routine must consist of at least 95% recognizable Bachata dancing.

Amateur Bachata Division – neither dancer has ever been paid to teach or to perform

Couple (defined as one male, one female)
Rhythm must be maintained consistently throughout the performance.
Dips, drops and lifts are allowed (but remember Bachata is not about dips and lifts!)
Shines are permitted although not more than 30% of the performance may consist of shines or side by sides.
Routine must consist of at least 95% recognizable Bachata dancing.

Open Hustle Division – open to all pros, amateurs & pro-am couples

Couple (defined as one male, one female)
Rhythm must be maintained consistently throughout the performance.
Dips, drops and lifts are allowed.
Shines are permitted although not more than 30% of the performance may consist of shines or side by sides.
Routine must consist of at least 95% recognizable Hustle dancing.

Pro-Am Salsa Showcase Division - one dancer has been paid to teach or to perform, the other dancer is an amateur or student.

Couple (defined as one male, one female)
Rhythm must be maintained consistently throughout the performance.
Dips, drops and lifts are allowed.
Shines are permitted although not more than 30% of the performance may consist of shines or side by sides.
Routine must consist of at least 80% recognizable salsa dancing.

Pro-Am Salsa Heated Division - one dancer has been paid to teach or to perform, the other dancer is an amateur or student.

Couple (defined as one male, one female)
Rhythm must be maintained consistently throughout the performance.
Dips & drops are allowed, lifts are not allowed.
Shines are permitted although not more than 30% of the performance may consist of shines or side by sides.
Must be recognizable salsa dancing.

Pro-Am Hustle Heated Division - one dancer has been paid to teach or to perform, the other dancer is an amateur or student.

Couple (defined as one male, one female)
Rhythm must be maintained consistently throughout the performance.
Dips & drops are allowed, lifts are not allowed.
Shines are permitted although not more than 30% of the performance may consist of shines or side by sides.
Must be recognizable hustle dancing.

Pro-Am Bachata Heated Division - one dancer has been paid to teach or to perform, the other dancer is an amateur or student.

Couple (defined as one male, one female)
Rhythm must be maintained consistently throughout the performance.
Dips & drops are allowed, lifts are not allowed.
Shines are permitted although not more than 30% of the performance may consist of shines or side by sides.
Must be recognizable Bachata dancing.

3. REGISTRATION:

Couples must register in advance. There will be no last minute registration allowed on the day of the event. See General Info page or Request to Compete Page for how to register.

4. FEES:

All professional and amateur couples competing will be required to pay an entry fee of $50 per couple. All pro-am couples will be required to pay an entry fee of $40 for each Showcase division and $25 for each heated division.  These fees are non-refundable and non-transferable and must be mailed in advance or paid by credit card over the phone. See General Info or Request to Compete page for details.  Competitors may also be entitled to a discounted performer pass depending on the number of divisions they are entering.  Please call Jennifer at 416-656-7837 or email her at info@canadasalsacongress.com for more details.

5. GUEST LIST:

Competitors competing on Thursday night will be on the guest list on Thurs. Oct. 6th and will therefore not have to pay the $20 admission fee for the Opening Night Gala.  Competitors competing on Sunday afternoon will be on the guestlist for the Emerging Artists Showcase & Pro-Am Competition from 3pm-5pm.

6. LIFTS (Professional Division & Pro-Am Heated Divisions):

A lift is defined as any movement during which one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time with the assistance or support of their partner. Whether the feet are 2 inches off the floor or 10 feet off the floor, this type of assisted movement will still be considered a lift or trick.
In the Professional Salsa Divison, no move in which both feet leave the ground at the same time with the assistance or support of their partner will be permitted. If both feet of either dancer leave the ground, points will be deducted. If any part of the body of either dancer goes above the partners’ shoulders, the couple will be disqualified with no refund.

7. WARM-UP:

All of the couples in the Amateur division will dance together to a warm-up song chosen by the DJ (not to exceed 1:30 minutes). Each couple in the Amateur division will then present their choreographed routine using their choice of music. Routine must be 2 minutes or less, including entrance and exit.
All of the couples in the Professional division will dance together to a warm-up song chosen by the DJ (not to exceed 1:30 minutes). Each couple in the Professional division will then present their choreographed routine using their choice of music. Routine must be 2 minutes or less, including entrance and exit.  There will be no warm-up round in the Pro-Am Heated divisions.

8. MUSIC:

Music must be at least 90% salsa, 95% Bachata or 95% Hustle in each respective division.  A maximum of 3 songs can be mixed into your routine.
All competitors of all divisions must bring 2 CDs with their pre-recorded music (ie. in case one CD does not work). One track on each CD only. Song must be edited to end at no more than 2 minutes (it is not the DJ’s responsibility to fade out or cut music at 2 minute mark).
The DJ will not slow down or speed up your CD.
Please protect your CDs by using covers for each one.
Each CD must be identified with your name and the division that you are competing in.

In the Pro-Am Heated Divisions, the dancers will compete to music selected by the DJ.  Two different songs will be played in each heat for 1:30 minutes each with a pause between each song.  First song will be slower tempo, then second song will be faster tempo.

9. COSTUMES:

Contestants are encouraged to wear costumes or matching outfits. We strongly suggest that jeans not be used as costumes. One person from each couple will be asked to wear a fabric number sign pinned to their back.

10. PROPS:

No props are allowed in any division. A prop is defined as any item that is not part of their regular costume worn by the dancers, and that is not attached to the dancer or their costume for the full duration of their routine.

11. ORDER OF COMPETITION:

Order of competitors in each division will be determined the night of the competition by lotto.

All competitors competing on Thursday night must be at the Competition/Opening Night Gala venue no later than 6:45pm. The competitors will meet with the stage manager at 7:00pm to choose by lotto the order in which they will be competing. ALL dancers need to be present to draw a number. If you are not present, you will be disqualified; the entry fee will not be refunded.
At the 7:00pm meeting, competitors will also sign the release form and give their CDs to the stage manager.
The venue will be open at 6pm if competitors would like to arrive early and quickly test the floor.
All dancers must be backstage in costume, ready to go 30 minutes before the competition begins. No exceptions. Competition will begin at 9:00pm therefore competitors must be backstage at 8:30pm

All Pro-Am competitors competing on Sunday afternoon must be at the Grand Ballroom no later than 2:00pm. The competitors will meet with the stage manager at 2:00pm to choose by lotto the order in which they will be competing. ALL dancers need to be present to draw a number. If you are not present, you will be disqualified; the entry fee will not be refunded.
At the 2:00pm meeting, competitors will also sign the release form and give their CDs(if required) to the stage manager.
The venue will be open from 9am to 10am on Sunday if competitors would like to arrive early and quickly test the stage floor.  Please note there will be no sound system or staff at that time.
All dancers must be backstage in costume, ready to go 30 minutes before the competition begins. No exceptions. Competition will begin at 3:00pm therefore competitors must be backstage at 2:30pm

12. CANCELLATIONS:

If there are fewer than 3 entries in any division, the CSC reserves the right to cancel or combine that division.

13. RELEASE:

All contestants will sign a release form consenting that the CSC can record and use their image for videos, films, photos, television programs or any other image-related recordings, with licit and legal purposes and not opposed to any moral standard.

14. QUALIFYING:

Once you have entered the qualifying round, no changing of partners can occur.

15. DISPUTES:

The head judge will have final say on all discrepancies. All questions and/or disputes should be brought to the attention of the head judge that evening.

JUDGING CRITERIA:

Choreographed routines will be judged by the following criteria:

Timing ~ 40%

Was correct rhythm maintained throughout the routine? Were syncopations deliberate and within the acceptable deviations of timing for the dance?
For Salsa divisions, Points will NOT be deducted if you are dancing “on 1” and return by breaking on “5”. The same if you are dancing “on 2” and return by breaking on “6”. If you were to return on any other beat than that mentioned you will be deducted points. Please note that this is in keeping with the official rules for the World Latin Dance Cup.

Technique ~ 20%

Reflected through balance, placement and line. Partners must reflect adequate Latin Motion” and “Isolations” as designated by the dance style. Movement should appear to be effortless. These are all reflections of good dance technique.

Difficulty ~ 10%

What was the level of the turns used in the routine? Were there single footed and multiple turns incorporated? Were spins performed by both dancers or only one? How intricate were the shines? Were there any movements in the choreography requiring exceptional balance, flexibility or strength? Were all movements attempted successfully executed? See below for levels of difficulty.

Connection / Partnering Skills ~ 10%

How well did the couple work together as a team? Was there an actual Lead/Follow relationship established? How synchronized was the team during side-by-side movement, shines or turn patterns?

Choreography/Originality ~10%

How well put together was the performance? Did the routine flow easily from one movement to the next? Was there something clever or new that was part of the routine? How musical was it? Did the routine reflect the music chosen?

Appearance and Showmanship ~ 10%

How professional and polished did the couple or team appear to be? Did they project to the audience and capture their attention?

Difficulty can be ranked as follows:

A Level: Basic movement, no single footed turns, no multiple turns, no single leg balance elements, no splits, dips etc…. 0-5.9
B Level: Intermediate level patterns, double turns, single pirouettes or variations of such, basic syncopations or shine movements, Basic Dips 6.0 – 7.9
C Level: Multiple Touch and Go Spot Turns, Intricate Multi-Level Hand Changes in Patterns, Single Leg Independent Balance Elements, Intricate Syncopations and Movement for Shine Patterns and Choreography, Intricate Dips or Flairs that do not leave the floor 8.0 -10.0.

Infractions:

5 points will be deducted from technique for a major fall.
5 points will be deducted from connection/partnering if there is a major misconnect .
In the professional Salsa division, no move in which both feet leave the ground at the same time with the assistance or support of their partner will be permitted. If both feet of either dancer leave the ground, points will be deducted. If any part of the body of either dancer goes above the partners’ shoulders, the couple will be disqualified with no refund.
All decisions are final and are to be determined by the Scrutineer and the Head Judge.

Pro-Am Heated Divisions:  Judges will give each couple a "raw" score meaning a number between 1 and 10.