ENTRY INFORMATION
PERFORMANCE CLASSIFICATIONS
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
AGE DIVISIONS TIME LIMITS GROUP SIZES
TITLE ENTRIES
​
​
​
​
​
​​CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​Solo: 1 dancer
Duo/Trio: 2-3 dancers
Small Group: 4-9 dancers
Large Group: 10-15 dancers
Line: 15-50+ dancers
Production: 15+ dancers
Apprentice (novice): For dancers who have 2 years or less of performance experience, and/or students who have 1 year or less of competition experience. Dancers who qualify for this classification must compromise 2/3 of the trio, group, or production routines.
​
Corps (competitive): For dancers who have more than 2 years of performance experience, and/or more than 1 year of competition experience.
​
Elite (advanced competitive): This is the highest level of competition. It is designed for top-level dancers with significant competition experience.
​
Principal (pro-am): For teachers and/or professional dancers to perform with or without students. (Eligible for adjudicated awards only).
​
Diva Division: This division is designed for dancers with physical, cognitive, or intellectual disabilities to share their love of dance. Studios will be reimbursed for these dancers. Dancers in this division may dance to be adjudicated or for performance only. Directors may elect to opt-in or out of live feedback from the judges. Please indicate preferences in the note section of the online registration, or contact Diva so we can be sure to make the experience for the dancers as wonderful as possible. Note: this division does not include Top Overall High Scores or Divisional Champion awards. Dancers in this division are eligible for Special Awards, Judges’ Awards, the CdLS Spirit Award, and the Key to Success Award.
Divisions are based on the dancer’s age as of the date of the first Regional competition they attend. Age divisions for duo/trios, groups, and classes will be determined by averaging the ages of the participants in each dance. For averages ending in decimal points, the decimal will be dropped.
​Mini 6 & under
Petite 7-9
Junior 10-12
Teen 13-15
Senior 16-19
Adult 20 & over
All solos, duos, and trios must not exceed 3 minutes.
All groups and lines are not to exceed 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
​
Productions are not to exceed 8 minutes. ​​​​
​
​All solos entered in the Apprentice, Corps, Elite, and Diva Division Performance Classifications are automatically entered for a Title within their own classification and age division. The top 10 solos, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st runner-up will be announced and the highest-scoring solo will be named the Title winner. In the event a dancer places with more than one solo, only their highest scoring solo will be announced.
Ballet: Choreography consisting of classical ballet technique, steps, and movement while wearing ballet slippers. Ballet routines should primarily incorporate traditional ballet vocabulary and technique.
​
Pointe: Choreography consisting of classical ballet technique, steps, and movement while wearing pointe shoes. Routines should demonstrate proper pointe technique, strength, balance, and classical artistry.
​
Jazz: Choreography consisting of traditional jazz technique, steps, and movement.
​
Tap: Choreography consisting of traditional tap technique, steps, and rhythms while wearing tap shoes. Routines should demonstrate timing, clarity of sound, rhythm, musicality, and technical precision.
​
Acro: Choreography consisting of gymnastic and acrobatic tricks and passes combined with dance technique.
​
Lyrical: Choreography consisting of a fusion of traditional ballet and jazz technique that utilizes the lyrics and feeling of the music.
​
Modern: Choreography consisting of traditional modern technique, steps, and movements. Focusing on rounded movement, contraction and release, fall and recovery, weight, breath, and expressive story telling through movement.
​
Contemporary: Choreography consisting of a fusion of several categories. Choreography often explores abstract concepts while incorporating both technical precision and freedom of movement.
​
Song & Dance: Routine containing live singing and any style of dance. No lip syncing and no pre-recorded lead vocals.
​
Musical Theater: Choreography consisting of dance and characterization in the style of a Broadway or movie musical. Lip syncing is allowed.
​
Hip Hop: Routine must consist primarily of hip-hop technique. May include street dance, free-style, funk, pop-n-lock & breakdancing.
​
Ethnic/Folk: A routine representing the traditional dance styles, music, movement, or cultural heritage of a specific country, region, or ethnic group. Authenticity and respectful representation are encouraged.
​
Open: Anything that does not apply to the above-listed categories. Open choreography encourages creativity, originality, and innovative movement while maintaining technical quality.
​
Student Choreography: A routine choreographed primarily by the participating student. While teachers may provide guidance, the choreography should reflect the student's own creative vision and artistic development. Student choreography must be selected as the category in the drop down menu when registering a routine.
​​
Production: A large scale theatrical presentation featuring multiple dancers, elaborate staging, props, scenery, or special effects. It can include entrances, exits, costume changes, characters, and other production qualities, and may include performers from different age divisions and levels.
​
​