DanceSport Facts
For those of you new to ballroom dance competitions, the following information is intended to increase
your understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of Dance Pacifica.
Accreditation
Dance Pacifica is an amateur ballroom dance competition - professional ballroom dancers cannot compete.
It is sanctioned by DanceSport BC, itself a member of the
Canadian Amateur DanceSport Association (CADA)
which is a member of the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF).
DanceSport BC defines the rules
governing the Dance Pacifica competition: syllabus requirements, the exact definition of age levels,
dress code, etc. In order to compete, dancers must be registered with DanceSport BC (unless it is their
first time competing in a sanctioned competition).
The Dances
Competitors at Dance Pacifica are required to perform international style
dances. The International syllabus is split into two major categories.
There are five Standard dances: Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Slow Foxtrot
and Quickstep.
There are five Latin dances: Samba, Cha Cha, Rumba, Paso Doble, and Jive.
Levels of Difficulty
Each event at Dance Pacifica falls into one of six levels of difficulty: Newcomer,
Pre-Bronze, Bronze, Silver, Gold,
Pre-Championship and Championship. Competitors in Newcomer, Pre-Bronze, Bronze, Silver or Gold must limit themselves to
the steps defined in the international syllabus.
At progressively higher levels the number of steps increases
, and the difficulty of the steps increases, requiring greater technique, experience and athletic ability.
Pre-Championship and Championship couples are not restricted by the syllabus and are allowed more interpretive
leeway in their performances.
In addition, the number of dances performed by each couple varies by level. For example, competitors in
Newcomer usually compete in only one dance, which is selected in advance by the dance committee (in the past,
the Dance Pacifica committee has usually selected the Waltz for the Standard division and the Cha cha for the
Latin division). The number of dances which must be performed increases with the level. At the Gold level,
couples compete in three of the five dances. Championship dancers must perform all five dances.
The level at which a couple dances is determined by points that they earn at Dance Pacifica and similar
competitions. For instance, 3 points might be awarded for winning 1st place, 2 points for 2nd place, and 1
point for 3rd place. The number of points awarded varies with the number of competitors entered in the event.
Once some specified number of points (e.g. 9 points for Bronze) has been reached, the couple is required to
compete at the next higher level at subsequent competitions. A couple can enter Newcomer events only twice
before they must advance to Pre-Bronze.
Age Categories
Event categories are also divided by age range.
- Juvenile events are for dancers 11 years old and younger.
- Junior events span the ages of 12 to 15, with further subdivisions possible if there are a large number
of competitors in that age group.
- Youth events are for 16 to 18 year olds.
- Adult division is the main focus of any dance competition and is for competitors 19 years of age and over.
- Senior division start at age 35.
Because competitive dancing is a sporting event and can be very demanding physically,
it is not possible for older competitors to compete against much younger competitors. To accommodate these
competitors there is a Senior division starting at age 35, and where numbers warrant it, another level of seniors starting at age 55.
To date, Dance Pacifica has only scheduled one level of senior division competitions for age 35 and above.
Some may find this low age limit a bit surprising - but
it points to the athleticism, endurance and energy required to dance at the highest level
by the best BC amateur dancers.
The Judges
At Dance Pacifica there are seven judges - from BC, other parts of Canada or the US and occasionally from
elsewhere in the world. Judges are qualified and registered with the
Canadian DanceSport Federation
(CDF) or an equivalent body in other countries (judges, too, have a set of rules to follow).
Judging is based on observed technique (frame, footwork, movement, body shaping, alignments, degree of
turn, connection with partner), presentation (dress, appearance, styling, projection, energy level) and
musicality (individual interpretation of the music). Each judge adds his or her personal preferences and
areas of emphasis to their knowledge of dance requirements.
To make it possible to judge effectively the
number of couples on the floor at any time is limited. The scoring system is based on the system developed
by the International Olympic Committee for figure skating.
Finals and Semi-Finals
Multiple couples (at a given level and age category) dance at one time. If there are more than seven
couples registered for an event then semi-finals must be scheduled for that event - and additional rounds
and heats if the number of couples is even higher.
In the preliminary rounds a couple advances if they are "called back" by the judges. In the final round
each judge ranks the couples in order; the Scrutineer then tallies the results from all the judges to
determine the final ranking.
The Prizes
Medals and/or trophies are usually offered to the top three competitors in each category by the event's
organizing committee. Sometimes cash prizes are also offered, to help defer the costs of dance training and
competition.
Pro Am Events
In addition to the regular amateur events, Dance Pacifica may offer Pro Am events (first offered in 2004).
In these, a student (Am) dances a routine with his or her teacher (Pro). The panel of judges grades the
student's performance. These events fall under the jurisdiction of CDTA, and competitors and their teachers
must be registered with CDTA (or an equivalent body in the US).
For Further Information
If you like more information regarding the rules and regulations governing dancesport competitions, visit
the DanceSport BC web page at
www.dancesportbc.com.
For exact definitions of age levels, details of the points system, dress regulations, etc., click on
"About DSBC" at the top of their home page and then "Schedule B: Competition Rules".
