MUSIC
-Upload your music to your online portal no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. Please be sure to have a back-up available for each routine at the event (iPad, iPod, or on your phone).

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-Each studio and soloist/duet/trio must provide their own music for the competition.

-All music should be age appropriate. No profanity or suggestive lyrics.

ROUTINE TIME LIMITS

Solo: 1:00 - 3:00 minutes

Duet/Trio: 1:00 - 3:00 minutes

Groups: 1:00 - 3:30 minutes

Productions: 4:00 - 15:00 minutes

​Please read carefully

SKILL LEVELS

Please remember that these are only guidelines. We have no way of knowing exactly what level your dancer(s) should be in. We rely on the honesty and integrity of all those registering. Including Directors, Teachers, Choreographers & Parents. If the judges feel a dance is in the wrong category, they have the discretion to move that dance to the appropriate level. Basic dance skills include: posture, alignment, balance, coordination, control, flexibility, mobility, and strength.  These skills are also divided up by LEVEL.  As Competition Directors we expect that each studio and each studio director/teacher will honestly and appropriately level their students.  The guidelines listed are simply that; guidelines.  Please be honest and fair and keep the art of DANCE as pure as the little hearts doing the movement on the stage. "Dumbing down" a routine to "win" is not competition.  Please be fair and help us teach the children of the future.  

**Judges will move dancers to the appropriate level if they feel they were entered incorrectly. 

*If you are alone in your category the judge's will rank you based on your scores (Gold, High Gold, Platinum)

*We may combine similar categories to ensure a competitive atmosphere.

 No Refunds for “Scratched,” "Cancelled by dancer/parent choice," or “No-Show” routines.

CATEGORIES

JAZZ: Routine must consist of primarily jazz technique. Only five gymnastics/acro tricks allowed.

LYRICAL: Routine should demonstrate extension, balance, isolations and control. Choreography should display interpretation of the lyrics or mood of the music. Only five gymnastics/acro tricks allowed.

CONTEMPORARY: Routine should utilize contemporary style to show extension, balance, can combine lyrical, modern and concert style techniques. Only five gymnastics/acro tricks allowed.

BALLET: ​​Routine must consist of classical or contemporary ballet technique, movements, and steps.  Must wear ballet slippers/pointe shoes.

HIP-HOP: Routine that utilizes hip hop, break dance and/or street style moves. 

TAP: Routine must contain tap technique and primarily tap work. Must wear tap shoes.

​CHEER: Routine using cheerleading style technique; each routine must incorporate a combination of jumps, vocal cheering, tumbling skills, and a display of precision.

CHARACTER: Routine utilizing a Broadway Musical/Movie Theme, while incorporating dance, characters and/or costumes.

ACRO:  Routine is based on acrobatic skills and maneuvers, incorporating tumbling, tricks and tumbling passes throughout routine.  Showcasing ambidexterity and extreme flexibility while still incorporating dance movement and style.

SHOW/PRODUCTION: Routine must include a minimum of 15 dancers and be 4-15 minutes long. May contain any style or combination of styles of dance with a story line or theme. The routine may include multiple ages, levels, dance forms, props, or special effects. Please inform us before the event which props you plan on bringing and we will designate a spot for them. Props must not leave any marks or dents on the stage/gym floor and must be carefully put away before and after the routine. 

NOVICE:
-Has NOT been awarded overall or high point in novice category previously.
-Novice dance skills. (single pirouette, grand jetes, grand battement)

-NO double pirouettes

- You should not register in Novice simply because it is your first time competing a solo. Please enter in the appropriate level based on your skills

BEGINNING:
-Has NOT been awarded Overall or top 5 High Point in beginning category previously.
-Beginning dance skills. (solid single pirouette/ working on double pirouette, grand jetes in leap combinations)

-NO triple pirouettes or 3+ turn combinations.

BEGINNING PLUS:

-Has NOT been awarded Overall or top 5 High Point in beginning+ category previously.

-Mostly beginning dance skills but working on and very close to executing intermediate level skills.

-Solid double pirouettes, 2 fouette or ala second combo, no advanced level leaps, or turn combinations.

-NO triple pirouettes or 4+ turn combinations.

INTERMEDIATE:
-Has NOT been awarded Overall or top 5 High Point in intermediate category previously.
-Intermediate dance skills. (solid double and triple pirouettes, 3+ fouette or ala seconde combo, leap combinations)

-NO quad pirouettes or 5+ turn combinations 

INTERMEDIATE PLUS:

-Has NOT been awarded Overall or top 5 High Point in intermediate+ category previously.

-Mostly intermediate dance skills but working on and very close to executing advanced level skills.

-Triple pirouettes, working on quads, 4+ fouette or ala seconde combo, leap combinations, turn combinations.

-NO 6+ turn combos 

 ADVANCED:
-Advanced technical dance skills. (solid triple and quad pirouettes, 5+ fouettes, advanced combo leaps, jumps and turns)

PROFESSIONAL:

-Advanced+ level dancer that has won Overall in the advanced level one or more times. 

-This is an all ages category to provide highly technical and skilled dancers an opportunity to move up a level, especially if they have competed at an advanced level for multiple years.

GENERAL RULES​

 -All routines must be appropriate for family viewing. Inappropriate routines will be stopped and/or disqualified. 

-Teachers and professional dancers are NOT ALLOWED to compete with studio dancers 18 and under.

-Routines MUST perform in order of FINAL lineup.  SDC reserves the right to adjust lineup "ON THE FLY" when absolutely necessary to accommodate quick costume changes, injuries or extreme extenuating circumstances. Dancers that perform OUT OF ORDER (due to dancers own issues) will be ineligible for Overall HP Winner Awards.  They will still be adjudicated within their category.

-Music errors or judging equipment errors found to be the fault of SDC may be allowed to be adjudicated again (SDC & Judges discretion). 

-Music errors or other routine errors found to NOT be the fault of SDC may potentially perform again (judges discretion) however, will NOT be adjudicated again. The routine may "perform" only. The original judging score from the 1st performance will stand as the final score for THAT routine. 

-No use of fire, glass or live animals on stage.

-General props can be moved on and off stage by performers only.
-No dangerous/oversized scenery or props. Where there is a safety concern, please speak to a SDC Director when submitting your forms.
-SDC reserves the right to disallow the use of any  props.

-Stage must be left clean by performers.  Any marks or dents caused by props will be responsibility of studio.

-No Singing. Lip-Synching and Vocals are OK.

-General lifts are OK. SDC is not responsible for any injuries or damages caused during competition.

-Aerial Style Equipment NOT allowed due to safety concerns. (Including silks, hoops, trapeze, etc.) 

-Please maintain a high level of respect for all participants, directors, families, and staff at ALL TIMES. Any misconduct may lead to disqualification.

-STAGE and GYM competition areas. Based on number of studios and competitors participating. 
-Individual Studio Trophies for each placement in a division. Soloist Trophies for each placement.
-Specialty awards for participating studios.
-Starstruck Dance Competitions is not responsible for music, costumes, shoes, make-up, personal belongings etc. that are lost, stolen,
or left behind.
-Starstruck Dance Competitions has the right to use all title winners’ names and Dance Studio information in upcoming brochures and
promotional advertisements.
-Age is determined by your current age as of the date of the Competition.
-Late entries: Late entries may be accepted if there is available space. Late fee for Team/Group routines is an additional $10.00 per dancer per routine and $25.00 late fee for Solo/Duet/Trio entries. 
-Soloists are free to enter as many categories as they wish so long as each routine is entered into a different category.

- Soloists with more than one solo routine: the adjudication system will take their highest scoring solo for the top high point awards.  For example, a soloist with 3 solos will have the opportunity for one (1) of those solos to be in the top High Point.  This is decided by the highest scoring of all the soloist routines entered and not by dancer selection.  
-Age of dancers means: (1) Solo – Age at time of competition (2) Duo/Trio – Average age of all dancers (round up)

(3) Team: Average age of all dancers in a specific routine (round up).
Size: Teams are divided by size (# of performers in a routine).  A team consists of 4 or more dancers. Solos, Duets, Trios compete on Friday (see solo entry form).
-Divisions: All divisions are kept small. Typically there will never be more than 4 to 5 routines in one division.
-Divisions may be expanded or combined at the discretion of judges and competition directors
-Ability: Teams are divided by ability levels in Novice, Beginning, Beginning Plus, Intermediate, Intermediate Plus & Advanced. Please be honest and fair in selecting the ability.  SDC Judges reserve the right to move a solo, duet/trio, or group routine if they find after judge evaluation that the dance elements are not appropriate or too advanced for the original entered category/level.  

Judges Decision Regarding Divisions and Ties
-Judges may  move a number into a different category, (example: from Lyrical to Contemporary, etc.) based on dance style, SDC rules, etc.

There are no penalties or deductions when this occurs.

-Judges have the discretion to move dancers/dances to their appropriate level if they feel they were entered in the incorrect level. 

- All ties are broken by tabulator as follows:  tie will be broken by execution first followed by showmanship. If no tie breaker can be made a tie may be broken by judges decision or left as a tie. The decision of the judges is final. 

-When only one number is competing in a category, the number will compete against the scoring system. Gold, High-Gold, and Platinum ranks will be awarded.

-SDC Reserves the right to combine categories as needed to provide a competitive atmosphere.​

Judging Scale

Routine:  30 points

Execution: 30 points

Showmanship: 30 points

Costume/Appearance: 10 points

Platinum: 98+ Points

High Gold: 95-97 Points

Gold 92-94 Points

High Silver 89-91 Points

​Silver 88 or lower points

​Refunds & Cancellations 

​-Every effort has been made to create a safe competition atmosphere making this competition available to everyone regardless of the situation. Your safety is our top priority. We will continue to abide by all state & health guidelines as we proceed.

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