INFO AND SCHEDULE WILL ONLY BE EMAILED TO STUDIO, UNLESS STUDIO IS NOT ATTENDING. By entering the 2015 Nationals Competition, you are verifying that you have read, understand, and agree to Dance America s guidelines, categories, and ability levels. TOTAL: Entry deadline March 13th, 2015. Entries are accepted on a first-come, first-paid basis. Forms can be faxed to (801) 256-9639, or mailed to the address below.
Dance America Is proud to present our 2015 Nationals Dance & Cheer Competition. Our two-day event is a jam-packed, fun-filled competition full of amazing awards, and top-of-the-line adjudication. Solos, duos, and trios compete on Friday April 24th, and teams compete Saturday April 25th. Dance America prides itself on providing a fair, competitive, and fun environment for all participating. Please go over the following information very carefully. All public attending Spring Fling are required to pay an entrance fee before entering the competition. Competitors do not have to pay entrance fees, but must show costume(s) at door for entry. Please be sure everyone is aware of these costs before they arrive. Teachers who do not have teams competing on Saturday will have to pay admission Friday night in order to watch the solo, duo, trio competition. Cash is preferred. We do accept credit cards, but there is a $1.00 fee per transaction. Please no personal checks. Adults $7.00 Youth $5.00 (ages 5-18) Senior Citizen $4.00 (60 + yrs.) Children age 4 and under are free The deadline for entering Nationals is March 13, 2015, six weeks before the competition date. Make sure to get entries in early as we have filled up BEFORE our deadline in years past. Any entries submitted after the deadline will be subject to fees. The competition schedule will be posted at www.danceamericausa.com approx. 2 weeks before the competition date and will be emailed to studio directors ONLY. Any changes to the schedule between ability levels or categories once it is posted will be subject to a $10.00 fee per change. There will be absolutely no refunds of any kind after the competition deadline. Participants unable to compete due to injury will receive a full credit toward any Dance America event or music from Fusion Sound, in the next calendar year.
Here are the categories we offer at Nationals. Read through these completely and select the appropriate category when entering your routines. If you re not clear which category your routine should be placed in, please feel free to contact us and we ll help you as best we can. Please make sure you check your entries before submission for any errors or missing information. Any changes after the schedule is completed will be subject to fees. JAZZ Routines must be jazz in nature. Props are NOT permitted unless part of the costume, and only used momentarily in the routine. Thematic routines with or without props or costumes should be in the show or character category. TIME: 1:30-3:00 mins. LYRICAL Routines with movements that have more fluid and graceful technique, and are lyrical in nature. Tumbling is NOT recommended unless it stays with the flow of the routine and remains connected to the routine choreography. TIME: 1:30-3:00 mins. HIP HOP Routines must be Hip Hop in nature and have CLEAN music lyrics and dance moves. Hip Hop should be performed using more depth in the knees/plie and have an over-all hip hop feel. Any inappropriate words or moves could result in penalties given. TIME: 1:30-3:00 mins. CONTEMPORARY Lyrical or Jazz like routines that use less traditional forms, moves, or technique, and have contemporary or modern-like choreography. Props are NOT permitted unless part of the costume, and only used momentarily in the routine. TIME: 1:30-3:00 mins. POINTE Ballet routines performed with the use of Pointe shoes. Tumbling is NOT permitted. Rosin on shoes or floor is NOT permitted. TIME: 1:30-3:00 mins. BALLET Ballet routines performed without the use of pointe shoes. Ballet shoes are encouraged but not required. Tumbling is NOT permitted. Rosin on the shoe or floor is NOT permitted. TIME: 1:30-3:00 mins. CHARACTER/BROADWAY Any routine that portrays a character, theme, or Broadway style of movement. The use of small props or hand held props is allowed, but not mandatory or needed to compete in this category. TIME: 1:30-3:00 mins. TAP (Stage Only) Any routine that is tap in nature and/or requires the use of soft-shoe or tap shoes. Small hand held props may or may not be used if related to the choreography and the focus remains on the tap sounds/footwork. TIME: 1:30-3:00 mins. OPEN Any routine that does not fit into any of the other categories. This category is the anything goes category within the skill level requirements for the skill level entered. SHOW Routines must be thematic in nature with the use of props and/or backdrops. Set-up and take-down should NOT exceed 5 minutes TOTAL, and is NOT included in the routine time limit. TIME: 5:00-20:00 mins. CHEER (Gym Only) Routines must be performed in cheer uniforms, and may or may not have the use of pom-poms. Tumbling and stunting is permitted within the safety guidelines. Please see NSCCE guidelines (for all-stars) or AACCA guidelines (for school & rec.) Cheer mats may NOT be available when entering this category. TIME: 1:30-3:00 mins. POM Routines performed with the use of pom-poms, and used for the majority of the routine. Stunting is NOT permitted. TIME: 1:30-3:00 mins.
PLEASE NOTE: THESE ARE NEW ABILITY LEVEL DEFINITIONS AS OF 2015!! NEW THIS YEAR ALL DANCE AMERICA COMPETITIONS WILL NOW HAVE A PENALTY JUDGE. The Penalty Judge is for ABILITY LEVEL infractions only. These ability level guidelines were carefully constructed with a lot of thought, expertise, and experience. While some may or may not agree with every aspect of these guidelines, we feel that creating a basic structure and implementing penalties will reduce the number of dancers entering in incorrect categories. Thus, creating a more fair, consistent, and competitive environment. There will be an automatic 5 point deduction/penalty given by the penalty judge for every guideline that is not followed according to the rules listed below for each Skill Level. * SPOTLIGHT RULE as you read through the following Skill Level Rules & Regulations keep in mind that your team/group routine may Spotlight 1 to 3 dancers UP one Skill Level!!! For instance: If you have entered the Int. Level 1 skill level, you may Spotlight 1-3 dancers doing Int. level 2 skills. HOWEVER, you may NOT Spotlight dancers more than 3 times within one routine. You may spotlight different dancers at different times throughout your routine, but you still may not have more than 3 spotlight moments regardless of who it is that you spotlight in the routine. NOVICE Novice Category is for dancers/teams that are FIRST TIME competitors at the BEGINNING skill level. This category MUST follow the same guidelines for BEGINNING level. The following skills may be performed at this level: BEGINNING Leaps: Front leaps -- Side leaps -- Stag leaps -- Pas de Chats. Not allowed: Back Leaps, Switch Leaps, Grand Pas de Chats, Barrel-Roll leaps. Jumps/Hops: Tuck Hops -- Straight Jumps --Axle Hops -- C Jumps. Not allowed: Firebird Jumps. Turns: Chaines -- Piques -- Pirouettes -- Pencil turns -- Attitude turns -- Coupe turns. *SINGLES of any type of turn are acceptable, EXCEPT Fouette turns or A le Seconde turns are NOT allowed!!! Not Allowed: Fouette turns -- A Le Seconde turns (leg extended out to the side) -- Changing-Spot turns of any kind are not allowed in this Skill Level (changing focus to spot at different directions while turning). Kicks: Kicks of all kinds are acceptable including tilt kicks. Locomotor Skills: Pas de Bourrees -- Skip/Gallops -- Walks/Runs -- Chasses/Side Slides Footwork.
The following skills may be performed at this level: INTERMEDIATE LEVEL I Leaps: Same leaps allowed as Beginning Skill Level, plus -- Back Leaps and Grand Pas de Chats. Not Allowed. Switch Leaps, Barrel-Roll Leaps. Jumps/Hops: Same jumps/hops allowed as Beginning Skill Level, plus -- Firebirds -- Tilt Hops Renverses. Not Allowed: Switch Tilts. Turns: Chaines Piques Including Box Piques -- Pirouettes -- Pencil turns -- Attitude turns Coupe turns -- A Le Seconde turns (Turns with leg extended in seconde position) are allowed, HOWEVER you may NOT EXCEED MORE THAN 3 ROTATIONS in Seconde with a Double Pirouette Rotation out of it. You can do NO MORE THAN 5 consecutive rotations of any combination of turns and No More than a Double rotation in any particular turn. *DOUBLE rotations in all types of turns are acceptable, EXCEPT for Leg Hold turns (must only do a single leg hold turn). Not Allowed: Double Leg Hold turns, Fouette turns, NO More than 5 consecutive rotations in any combination of turns, No Changing-Spot turns (changing focus to spot at different directions while turning), and No more than DOUBLES. Kicks: Kicks of all kinds are acceptable including tilt kicks. Locomotor Skills: All Footwork and Locomotor skills (traveling skills) are acceptable. The following skills may be performed at this level: INTERMEDIATE LEVEL II Leaps: Same leaps allowed as Intermediate Skill Level 1, plus Barrel-Roll Leaps and Switch Leaps. Jumps/Hops: Same jumps/hops as Intermediate Skill Level 1, plus Switch Tilts. Turns: Any variety of Turns are acceptable TRIPLE rotations are allowed, plus Double Leg Hold turns -- A Le Seconde turns and Fouette turns are allowed, HOWEVER NO MORE THAN 5 Consecutive Fouette turn rotations. You can do a Triple turn out of the 5 fouette turns without receiving a penalty. Dancers Must NOT do MORE THAN 8 consecutive rotations of any turn combination. Not Allowed. No Changing-Spot turns, No More than 8 Consecutive turn rotations of any turn combination, No More than 5 consecutive Fouette Rotations.
The following skills may be performed at this level: ADVANCED Anything goes!!! Changing-Spot turns Quad rotations (or more) in any turn Any combination of turns, leaps, kicks, jumps/hops, and locomotor skills is acceptable. RULES ABOUT GYMNASTICS & ACRO Moves Gymnastics and Acro Movements are not part of the Skill level Regulations or Penalties, HOWEVER. NO More than 3 acro skills and/or gymnastic skills may be performed as a team/ group, unless entered into the OPEN category!!! No Limit on gymnastic or acro skills in the Open Category. Technique will be judged according to the same expectations as all the dance skills. There will be a 5 point deduction if any routine has excessive gymnastics or acro skills in it and is not entered in the Open Category. ACRO & GYMNASTIC SKILLS INCLUDE: Back Bends or Bridges Back Walk-Overs Front Walk-Overs Forward or Backward rolls Cartwheels Aerials Side or Front Chin Stands Elbow Stands Shoulder Stands Valdez Handstands & Handstand Splits Pancake Handsprings Front or Back Flips, Tucks, Layouts, Layout Twists Front or Back Donut Rolls Headstands *** SOLOS/DUOS/TRIOS No More than 4 Gymnastic moves or Acro Skills allowed unless entered in the Open Category.
INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPATION AWARDS Every dance competitor receives a personal award to take home with them from every Dance America competition!!! SOLO, DUET, TRIO AWARDS Each Solo, Duet, and Trio competitor will receive a trophy based on 1 st -5 th place scores. Any placement after 5 th, will receive a Superior trophy. If a competitor is in a category that does not have another competitor to compete against, then that competitor will compete against the scoring sheet and will receive a trophy based on the score from the following table: Silver 80-84 points High Silver 85-89 points Gold 90-93 points High Gold 94-96 points Platinum 97-100 points OVERALL TROPHIES High Point Awards in each Category Jazz, Hip Hop, Lyrical/Ballet, Contemporary/Modern, Show/Character, Lyrical/Ballet, Tap/Clogging/Open/Misc Over-All Skill Level Awards Beginning, Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced Skill levels. *Depending on the number of entries in each skill level Over-all awards may be combined. For Example Beg./Novice Over-all Award and Int./Adv. Over-all Award. SPECIALTY AWARDS (THESE ARE CASH PRIZES!!) These awards will be chosen throughout the day and given at the final awards ceremony. Best Costume Awards (2-4) Incredible Showmanship/Emotion Award (2-4) Exceptional Technique Award (2) Outstanding Choreography Award (2) Judges Choice Award (2-4)