Competitive dance is a major category or classification of dance forms or styles, where competition is the primary focus of the dancing. This compares to other major dance categories based on purpose (e.g. ceremonial dance, erotic dance, participation dance, performance dance, social dance). Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) generally refers to movement used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting. ... Ceremonial dance is a major category or classification of dance forms or dance styles, where the purpose is ceremonial or ritualistic. ... Erotic dance is a major category or classification of dance forms or dance styles, where the purpose is the stimulation or arousal of erotic or sexual thoughts or actions. ... Participation dance, also known as group-participation dance or audience participation dance, is a major category or classification of dance forms or dance styles based on purpose. ... Performance dance is a major category or classification of dance forms or dance styles, where performance is the primary focus of the dancing. ... Social dance is a major category or classification of danceforms or dance styles, where sociability and socializing are the primary focuses of the dancing. ...

While many people view this style of dance as a recreational activity, it is becoming more often viewed as a sport. Like other athletes, dancers must be in good physical condition. Dancing requires strength, stamina, and flexibility. Competition requires these physical attributes to an even higher extent. For the 1914 Charlie Chaplin film, see Recreation (film). ...

Routines

Dance schools often participate in dance competitions, by sponsoring teams that go to regional and national competitions. Competitive dancing requires dedication as there may be many months spent practicing dance and developing routines. During the competition, dancers perform in front of judges who evaluate their efforts and score each routine. The ranks awarded by different judges are combined into a final scoring, and medals or trophies are awarded accordingly. A dance studio is a studio which is established to teach dance. ...

Each routine is required to comply with certain rules. It must enter a category which is consistent with the music, style, content, and dancers of the routine. Common limitations are: number of dancers (e.g. different categories for solos, duos & trios, small groups (4-9), large groups (10-19), and production groups (20 or more), average age of dancers, recreational (three hours or less of dancing a week) vs competitive — hours a week on average the dancers dance, allotted time limit, appropriate music, and style of dance. Routines which fail to comply with the requirements the competition has laid out will be disqualified.

Judging

The judges at a dance competition are typically former dancers. They sit in the pit at the front of the auditorium in front of the stage and watch all of the dances. Each has a scoresheet for each routine. Points are awarded for different categories. Examples of aspects that may be judged are: execution of movements, transitions, difficulty of routine, costumes, choreography, precision, or musicality. // Definition The cognitive process of reaching a decision. ...

When judging at competitions, there may also be requirements for how one can do certain moves. For example, in certain moves that require jumping in the air and landing in a split, many competitions require that one's feet hit the ground before completion of the move. Not only are teams at risk of disqualification if this happens, but a team may also receive a penalty amount taken from their score.

Awards

The points issued by each judge are added up, and all of the judges' scores are added together for a final score. Based on this score, a routine may get an honorable mention, a bronze, a high bronze, a silver, a high silver, a gold, or a high gold medal also in some competitions there are highly commended awards for dancers. Note that all competitions are different, and that honorable mentions, bronzes, and high bronzes are not given at all of them. It should also be noted that many competitions offer gold awards for scores of 80 instead of a score of 90. Ultimate gold may be substituted for high gold, and a platinum medal may be given additionally. The scores are not ranked based on other routines; they are strictly point based. However, some dance competitions do award by ranking.and ho's Assorted ancient Bronze castings found as part of a cache, probably intended for recycling. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Standard atomic weight 107. ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Standard atomic weight 196. ...

Judges also put together the scores of all the routines and give additional awards to routines that placed in the top five of their category. The top dances may go on to another set of competitions, called nationals. However, not all competitions do this.

Some competitions also give special awards. These are given by a separate judge and awarded for things like Best Costume, Most Original, etc. These judges can be referred to as adjudicators and mark dancers on their technique, costumes and execution of the moves.

Competitions

Regional competitions are often held at high school auditoriums which are rented for the weekend. This allows the competition to tour and enables dancers to attend competitions in their area. Due to the nature of dance, competitions span several days, allowing time for dancers to perform, judging to take place, and scores to be added up. A dancer is only required to be at the location during his or her routine and for the awards ceremony that routine is included in. However, dancers are often required by their dance studios to be present longer, to get ready, warm up, and to watch other dances. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

National competitions, which is an accumulation of the different dance studios that have attended different regional competitions, are around a week long. They usually take place in a hotel, or in a convention center nearby. "Overall", "Superior", and "High Score" awards are given out at national competitions. Sometimes, different national competitions end the week with a "banquet" or "dance-off", which consists of the highest scoring numbers of the week.

Spirit of competition

Competitive dance is not so much about the competing as it is about learning from other dancers and appreciating dance. The critiques provided by judges are invaluable and dancers are provided the original scoresheets, as well as a recording of a judges comments made during the routine in some competitions, that they may improve both the routine and their own technique.

Dancers are expected to be courteous to each other. They are reminded that they are not competing against each other, but against themselves. In the official rules of American Dance Awards (ADA), "All dancers will say “thank-you” when presented with an award." is the second rule.[1]At Headliners, it states, "all dancers must act appropriately towards each other." (http://www.headlinerscompeition.com)

Directors of dance studios may instruct their dancers to spend their free time (in between performing, as most dancers perform in more than one routine) watching other routines. Competitions are viewed as both a way to get advice on one's own dancing, and to be exposed to learn from others' dancing.

Community

Many dance studios will attend the same competitions and so dancers may see each other many times at different competitions during the year. This lends itself to a sense of community and also to possible connections should a dancer decide to go professional. However, it also can produce cliques, which new entrants to the competition scene are often unprepared for.

Other categories

In other categories of dance competition, pre-established routines are not allowed. Instead, contestants dance to random selections of music and must improvise, and they are judged by how well they lead, follow, and improvise to the music. One variation of this is the "Jack and Jill" where dance partners are randomly paired at the competition, putting an even greater focus on lead and follow abilities. Improvisation is the practice of acting and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of ones immediate environment. ... Jack and Jill (J&J) or Dance with a Stranger (DWAS) is a format of competition in partner dancing, where the competing couples are the result of random matching of leaders and followers. ...

Organizations

A number of dance organizations promote various forms of dance as competitive activity and as a sport. // Main article: Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) is formally incorporated in the United Kingdom. ...

• Junior Olympic Games of the United States Amateur Athletic Union include dance competitions.
• International DanceSport Federation
• United Country Western Dance Council
• World Swing Dance Council
• World Rock'n'Roll Confederation

- The Amateur Athletic Union, widely known as the AAU, was formed in United States. ... International DanceSport Federation (IDSF) (formerly ICAD) was founded in 1957. ... The United Country Western Dance Council (UCWDC) is an organization that promotes Country/western dance worldwide both as art form and as a competitive dance sport. ... The World Swing Dance Council (WSDC), established in 1993, is an organization based in Phoenix, Arizona, USA with the purpose of enabling communication, informational services, and recordkeeping for the community of all styles of swing dance. ... World RocknRoll Confederation (WRRC) was registered in 1984, although its history traces to 1974. ...

DanceSport

To focus on the sports aspect of competitive dance, a new term, DanceSport, was coined and the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF) was established. IDSF promotes dancesport, sets standard rules, and sanctions competitions. In addition, the International Dance Organization (IDO) provides worldwide competition for dancers (www.ido-dance.com)Dancers from the United States can earn placement on Team USA through Headliners competition (www.headlinerscompetition.com) An amateur dancesport competition at MIT. DanceSport denotes dance as a sport activity. ... International DanceSport Federation (IDSF) (formerly ICAD) was founded in 1957. ...

See also

• Scottish highland dance
• Ballroom dance
• List of basic dance topics
• List of dance style categories
• List of dances

A young highland dancer demonstrates her form in the Scottish sword at the 2005 Bellingham (Washington) Highland Games The term Highland dancing is used today to refer to a style of athletic solo dancing which evolved into its current form during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the context of... Gaskell Ball Ballroom dance, refers collectively to a set of partner dances, which originated in the Western world and are now enjoyed both socially and competitively around the globe. ... Basic topics in dance include: // Main article: Dance The categories below are not mutually exclusive. ... This is a list of dance style categories. ... This is the main list of dances. ...

External Links

• Dancesport Info Comprehensive list of dance competition results and photos