CHEER AND DANCE EXTREME DANCE TEAM DIVISIONS & DEFINITIONS TYPES OF DANCE TEAMS All Star Dance Team An All Star Dance Team is a team that does not cheer/dance for any sport and is formed for the primary purpose of competing. The team works out in a private gym/studio and/or is coached by a paid professional. Dance Studio A team that is trained by paid, professional dance instructors in a dance studio and are not affiliated with a cheer and/or gymnastics team. Varsity A Varsity division team is a team made up of official school team members or official school competition team members. All members MUST attend that school and be in grades 9 th -12 th. Recreation/Youth League A recreation/youth league team is a community team that provides support for a sport or performs in recitals or parades. Coaches are nonpaid, non-professionals. CATEGORY DEFINITIONS Acrobatic/Gymnastic Dance A routine consisting of controlled acrobatic or rhythmic gymnastic movements involving balance and flexibility. Choreography should be used to blend gymnastics and dance together and include choreographed movement; bridging tricks and/or passes in a fluid style. Routines MUST be performed on the performance floor/area as designated by. Hip-Hop A routine where dancers replicate the style of street dance popularized in the 1980 s. Choreography should consist of the latest of street dance style as seen in current dance videos. Movement may include the elements of popping, locking, footwork and freezes performed to aggressive and hard driving rhythmic music. Break dancing and some replications choreography may be included in this category. Jazz A routine where all dancers execute free form movement and styling characteristic of American jazz dance, whether in jazz or character shoes of any kind, half-soles or bare feet. Choreography should include technique with such moves as kicks, leaps, splits, and isolations emphasizing extension, control, body placement, style, uniformity and precision. Kick Routines emphasize control, height uniformity, extension, toe points, timing and creativity of a variety of kick series. Fifty kicks must be performed in the routine. For a kick to be counted, at least half of the team must perform the kick. A kick is defined as one foot remaining on the floor while the other foot lifts with force at least one inch from the floor. Lyrical A routine where all dancers interpret the lyrics or mood (intent) of a song (with or without words) using a combination of ballet and/or jazz and/or modern technique. This form includes the use of legwork, balance, flexibility, facial and body emotion. Choreography should be fluid in movement and focus on emotion that compliments the musical selection. Dancers may wear character shoes, lyrical shoes, half-soles or be barefoot. Routine can incorporate any form of dance or gymnastics/acrobatics Pom Routine which must include such elements as marching, clean, strong and sharp arm movements with poms, arm placement, kicks, uniformity, jumps and splits. Choreography should include incorporating the above skills while utilizing visual effects through levels, formations and ground work. Any type of music is permissible and pom poms should be used for at least 80% of the music. Variety Any routine combining two dance styles, i.e. jazz and ballet or a routine utilizing but not limited to ballroom, swing and/or vintage or contemporary dance styles. Also, any routine, which does not fit in any category previously listed. Use of a prop or pantomime does not automatically place a routine in the Variety category. Open An open category will be offered/created when separate dance categories are not offered in an age division. A routine in this category may incorporate any one style or combination of styles outlined above. All styles will be judged against each other in this category. This division encourages teams to compete against teams/routines and not against a score.
ALL STAR DANCE DIVISIONS The age of the competitor as of August 31, 2013 will be the age used for competition purposes for the 2013-2014 season. Time Limits for USASF Dance Divisions are a minimum of One (1) minute and forty five (45) seconds and a maximum of Two (2) Minutes and thirty (30) seconds. TINY DANCE Tiny Open (Any Style) 6 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members MINI DANCE Mini Jazz 9 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members Mini Pom 9 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members Mini Hip Hop 9 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members Mini Variety 9 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members YOUTH DANCE Youth Jazz 12 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members Youth Pom 12 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members Youth Hip Hop 12 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members Youth Lyrical 12 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members Youth Variety 12 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members JUNIOR DANCE Junior Jazz 15 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members Junior Pom 15 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members Junior Hip Hop 15 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members Junior Lyrical 15 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members Junior Variety 15 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members SENIOR DANCE Senior Jazz 18 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members Senior Pom 18 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members Senior Hip Hop 18 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members Senior Lyrical 18 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members Senior Variety Open 18 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members OPEN INTERNATIONAL DANCE Open Jazz 14 years & older Female/Male 4+ members Open Pom 14 years & older Female/Male 4+ members Open Hip Hop 14 years & older Female/Male 4+ members Open Variety 14 years & older Female/Male 4+ members CDE can/may combine styles (i.e. Pom/Hip Hop) in the same age division if there are not at least (2) teams registered in each style. CDE will adhere to USASF Guidelines regarding combining and splitting divisions.
RECREATION DANCE DIVISIONS The age of the competitor as of August 31, 2013 will be the age used for competition purposes for the 2013-2014 season. Time Limits for Recreation Dance Divisions are a maximum of Two (2) Minutes and thirty (30) seconds. TINY RECREATION DANCE Tiny Open (Any Style) 6 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members MINI RECREATION DANCE Mini Open (Any Style) 9 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members YOUTH RECREATION DANCE Youth Open (Any Style) 12 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members JUNIOR RECREATION DANCE Junior Open (Any Style) 15 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members SENIOR RECREATION DANCE Senior Open (Any Style) 18 years & younger Female/Male 4+ members CDE can/may combine styles (i.e. Pom/Hip Hop) in the same age division if there are not at least (2) teams registered in each style. SCHOOL DANCE DIVISIONS The grade/age of the competitor on August 31, 2013 will be the age used for competition purposes for the 2013-2014 season. Time Limits for School Dance Divisions are a maximum of Two (2) Minutes and thirty (30) seconds. Collegiate Dance Teams compete in All Star Dance Divisions. JUNIOR HIGH Junior High Pom 9 th grade and under Female/Male 4+ members Junior High Hip Hop 9 th grade and under Female/Male 4+ members Junior High Jazz 9 th grade and under Female/Male 4+ members VARSITY Varsity Pom 9 th 12 th grade Female/Male 4+ members Varsity Hip Hop 9 th 12 th grade Female/Male 4+ members Varsity Jazz 9 th 12 th grade Female/Male 4+ members Varsity Open (Any Style) 9 th 12 th grade Female/Male 4+ members CDE can/may combine styles (i.e. Pom/Hip Hop) in the same age division if there are not at least (2) teams registered in each style. School Teams have the option to compete in the Junior or Senior All Star/Studio divisions if there is not competition within their overall division. SPECIALTY TEAM DANCE DIVISIONS The grade/age of the competitor on August 31, 2013 will be the age used for competition purposes for the 2013-2014 season. Time Limits for Specialty Dance Team Divisions are a maximum of Two (2) Minutes and thirty (30) seconds. PARENT Parent Performer Parent/Guardian of Participant Female/Male 4+ members SPECIAL NEEDS Special Needs Dance Any Age Female/Male 4+ members
DANCE RULES/DIVISIONS CLARIFICATIONS CROSSOVERS 1. Dancer(s) may compete in more than one division and/or category as long as they abide by the age restrictions in all divisions in which they compete. 2. Dancers may not compete in more than one routine in the same category and division. (Example: A dancer may not compete in 2 Senior Jazz routines.) a. Exception: the Prep Category (Example: A dancer may compete in a Senior Prep and a Senior Jazz * see prep category guidelines) DIVISION CATEGORIES 1. CDE may offer an Open category (any style) instead of separate categories, i.e. Jazz, Pom, Hip Hop, at any age division. (Example: An event producer may offer Tiny Open instead of Tiny Jazz, Tiny Pom and Tiny Hip Hop.) This encourages dance teams to have competition and helps grow the dance programs. Therefore, CDE will open Tiny Open (Any Style) and Open (Any Style) in order to encourage growth in these two overall divisions. 2. CDE must only split or divide by categories listed above. CDE cannot further split or add categories and/or divisions by style, level, skill, age or ability. (Examples: Event producers cannot offer a Stylized Jazz category and a Character Jazz category) COMBINING AND SPLITTING 1. CDE will split a division into Small and Large if there are 10 or more teams in the division before the split occurs. There must be at least 3 teams in each division once the split occurs. Small Jazz, Pom and Hip Hop 4-14 performers Large Jazz, Pom and Hip Hop 15 and up performers 2. For All Star Dance, based on USASF Guidelines, CDE must combine Senior and Senior Coed and/or Open and Open Coed, if there is only one team entered in either division/category. Event producers may not combine the Senior Division with the Open Division. USASF CONTACTS FOR DANCE Please contact USASF Dance Chair Catherine Morris (cmorris@usasf.net) or Director of Dance: Tegan Reeves ( treeves@usasf.net) for f urther explanation with regards to any of these topics. CDE COMBINED DIVISIONS POLICY reserves the right to add/omit/change/combine, any division, at anytime to allow for a competition. CDE tries to eliminate teams going against a score. All teams have the option of exhibition as opposed to competing. Recreation teams with routines that do not fall into the Recreation only area may elect to compete in the Variety/Open for Recreation Teams. At any time, Recreation & Varsity can elect to compete in the All Star/Studio divisions.
USASF/IASF WORLDS INFORMATION will be offering six bids to the 2014 Dance Worlds. The bids will be offered as follows: (3) Partial Paid Bid; (3) At-Large bids and (3) Open At-Large bid. The Partial paid bid will be for $3500 for the team to be used for the Worlds Travel packages. At-Large bids must pay their own Worlds Travel Packages and travel expenses. Bids may be awarded in the following All Star divisions and categories: Senior Jazz Senior Pom Senior Hip Hop Senior Coed Hip Hop Open Jazz Open Pom Open Hip Hop Open Coed Hip Hop CDE reserves the right to distribute these bids within the designated Senior and Open divisions. The division and category in which a team is awarded a bid at the 2013 National Dance Team Championship, is the division and category in which the team must compete representing CDE at the Dance Worlds. Winning a division does not guarantee a Partial paid or At-Large bid. Teams can receive a bid in more than one category. Bid winners do not have to win their division/category. Those teams who are awarded bids, have until Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at 5:00 pm to accept or decline the bid. Because of these quick deadlines, it is recommended that all teams in the Senior and Open divisions discuss Worlds bids and decide prior to attending if they would accept or decline a bid. The 2013 Dance Worlds will be held April 26-28, 2013 in Orlando, Florida.