Competition Guidelines

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Competition Guidelines

Each year we listen to YOUR feedback and make the changes that allow us to fulfill our vision to UNITE and EMPOWER youth while meeting the evolving needs of dancers, families, and studios.

Please review our competition guidelines thoroughly each year as guidelines and policies are always evolving.

  • HEALTH AND SAFETY
    We will work with each venue to ensure health and safety plans for each event that meet government and health authority standards. If required, we will offer online options.
  • WAIVERS
    Waivers will be required for each dancer and studio.  Our new & improved system allows parents to sign digitally quickly and easily from anywhere, and let studios keep track.
  • ACRO TRICKS
    Routines that exceed 3 tricks must be entered in ACRO or OPEN. A  3 point deduction will be applied to entries that exceed the limit.
  • LEVELS
    There is a MAXIMUM number of routines permitted for a dancer to compete at each level:
    • RISING STAR – For dancers ages 9 & under. MAXIMUM of 2 routines.
    • NOVICE – MAXIMUM of 5 routines.
    • COMPETITIVE – MAXIMUM of 10 routines.
    • ELITE – For dancers ages 13+.  NO MAXIMUM.
  • We’re using Dance.Sync to make registration a breeze for you.  Create your Dance.Sync account today
  • We accept ONLINE PAYMENT through STRIPE via our secure payment portal at no extra cost to you.  You can even split the payments!  We no longer accept cheques. Other payment options may be available in extenuating circumstances, contact our office to discuss.
  • All routines must be appropriate for a family audience. We promote a safe and healthy culture of self-expression for children and want every member of the audience to feel comfortable at SHINE. Deductions will be made for music, choreography, costumes, or concepts that are not family-friendly.
  • Entries will be accepted on a first come first serve basis.
  • Entries will not be processed until full payment and a signed release are received.
  • Once entries are submitted the registration fee of $10/ dancers is non-refundable.
  • Entries entered into the wrong category or who are unable to dance within their scheduled session will dance for adjudication only.
  • Late entries will be accepted after the deadline if space/ scheduling permits and will be subject to late fees.
  • Re-dances will be permitted at the adjudicators’ discretion. Shine staff reserve the right to refuse a re-dance if time does not permit.
  • Dancers MUST perform in at least one group routine to enter a solo routine.
  • Dancers may NOT compete against themselves in a solo or duo/ trio category. An open category is available for this purpose.
  • Routines that run overtime at the event will result in a penalty. Extra time is available for a fee of $50/ 30 seconds.
  • The per dancer registration fee is non-refundable and is not eligible for credit.
  • Entry fees are non-refundable.
  • Withdrawals due to injury or illness are eligible for a studio credit under our Wellness First Injury/ Illness Policy:

Wellness First Injury/ Illness Policy

We want ill and injured dancers to focus on healing and recovery without the pressure of financial loss.  We will provide a studio credit on entry fees for routines a dancer is withdrawn from due to illness or injury with supporting documentation from a licensed professional (the $10 registration fee is non-refundable).  Dancers will not be permitted to perform in some routines and not others unless outlined in the note. Documentation MUST:

  1. Outline the type of movement or activity being limited or restricted.
  2. Dates these restrictions are in effect.

We send schedules to studios as follows:

  • Draft Schedule – Approximately 6 weeks before the event
  • Final Schedule – 10-14 Days before the event.

Please check with your studio to get your performance times.

★ Changes are not guaranteed and do incur fees once we have begun the scheduling process.

  • Dancers are each assigned a level that applies to all of their routines.
  • An average level will be auto-calculated for duos, trios, and groups.
  • Dancers must perform in at least one group routine to be entered in a solo, duo, or trio routine.
  • Dancers in the Rising Star level may have a maximum of 2 routines, dancers in the Novice level may have a maximum of 5 routines, and dancers in the Competitive level may have a maximum of 10 routines.

We value your time and we are proud to consistently run on time. When timing your routines PLEASE INCLUDE entrance, exit, and time for props. Extra time is always available for a fee, just be sure to add it when registering the routine online or submit a change request.

★ A fine will be applied for entries that go over the time limits at the event.

# OF DANCERSCATEGORYTIME LIMIT
1Solo3 minutes
2 – 3Duo / Trio3 minutes
4 – 9Small Group4 minutes
10 – 19Large Group5 minutes
20+XLarge Group5 minutes
20+Production5 – 15 minutes + 5 minutes for set up and strike
EXTRA TIMECOST
30 second increments$50/ each

Dancers are grouped by skill level. Each dancer is assigned ONE level that applies to all disciplines and our system calculates averages for duo/ trios and groups. There is no limit to the number of routines a dancer can enter, however, a dancer’s level may be affected by the total number of routines they are entered in. We rely on honesty and integrity when entering dancer levels to promote a fair and encouraging competition experience for everyone.

RISING STARDesigned to give young dancers a positive introduction to the competition experience, this level is for dancers age 9 and under in their first year of competition. Rising Star routines will be scheduled in one special category with their very own special awards presentation. No Cash Awards. MAXIMUM 2 entries/ dancer.
NOVICEFor dancers who train less than 6 hours/ week and are in their 1st or 2nd year of competition. No Cash Awards. MAXIMUM 5 entries/ dancer.
COMPETITIVEFor dancers who have 2+ years of performance and/ or competition experience.  MAXIMUM 10 entries/ dancer.
ELITEFor dancers age 13+ who meet any of the following criteria:

  • Dancers with 11+ routines
  • Train/ In-Studio 10+ hrs/ week
  • Are part of a select elite-level competitive team
  • Are enrolled in a half-day dance training program
  • Train with a professional company
  • Are paid for instruction, choreography, or performance
JUST FOR FUNFor adult performers and teachers age 19+. Semi-Pro and Professional performers may inquire about guest performance opportunities.

OPEN – For routines of any dance style or combination of styles OR dancers who have more than one routine in a specific category or more than 3 acrobatic tricks in a routine.

ACRO – A routine comprised of at least 50% acrobatics.

CLASSICAL BALLET – A routine based strictly on classical ballet steps and technique.

CHARACTER BALLET – A demi-character or character routine comprised of ballet steps and technique that portrays a theme, character, or storyline.

VARIATION – A variation on traditional choreographic work.

POINTE – Any routine danced wholly or partially on pointe MUST be entered in: Pointe – Classical, Pointe – Character, Pointe – Variation, Pointe – Contemporary, Pointe – Open

FOLKLORIC – A routine that is an expression of a historical or contemporary people/ culture.

CONTEMPORARY – A routine that fuses genres, techniques and explores new movement.

MODERN – A routine based on modern techniques developed in the early 20th century such as Graham, Horton, or Limon.

LYRICAL – A routine based in jazz and ballettechnique that interprets song lyrics and displays a sense of control, balance, and fluid movement.

JAZZ – A routine consisting of at least 85% jazz technique.

TAP – The routine must consist of 85% tap technique. No pre-recorded tap sounds permitted.

VARIETY – This routine involves a theme, character, or storyline. Lip-synching is permitted.

TRIPLE THREAT – A theatrical routine that includes singing, dancing, and acting. Prerecorded singing of melody and lip-synching are not permitted.

STREET – A routine that is a reflection of current Hip Hop trends including Street Jazz, Hip Hop, Break dancing, House, and other related genres.

EMERGING CHOREOGRAPHER – For COMPETITIVE and ELITE students 13+ who wish to develop their choreography skills. Choreography must be entirely original. It may be a solo, duo/ trio or group. Commentary & scoring will be geared toward developing choreography skills. Emerging Choreographer entries will be grouped together into one category regardless of age, discipline, or size. Limit of 1 entry per dancer.

PRODUCTION – A production has 20 or more dancers, is 5 to 15 minutes in length, and may include a variety of disciplines. Please provide details on props, loading requirements, quick changes for scheduling purposes.

Routines with 3 or more tricks MUST be entered in the ACRO or OPEN category. A trick includes any movement where the hips are over the head and feet are off the floor. Rolls on the floor are not considered tricks. A tumbling pass is considered one trick.  Multiple dancers doing one trick at the same time is considered one trick.

★ A 3 point deduction will be applied for entries that exceed the limit.

  • Props are allowed in any category.
  • Props and sets must be free-standing, safe, and set up and tested to industry standards by a qualified studio representative.
  • A dancer may not be more than 6 feet above the ground on a prop or set.
  • Prop set up and strike MUST take place within the allotted time limit OR extra time must be registered and paid for. Entries that run overtime due to props will incur a $50 overtime penalty.
  • A $50 charge will be incurred for any substance that alters the condition of the stage or imposes a risk to people or equipment unless approved by the competition organizers in advance. This includes sprays, liquids, glitter, feathers, petals, hay, and helium balloons. Please include this information when registering your routines.
  • We use the age of each dancer on January 1st of the competition year.
  • Ages may be combined or separated to ensure reasonably sized categories.
  • Entries with teachers under 19 must be entered in Elite. Entries with a teacher over 19 must be entered in Just For Fun.

LIVE EVENTS

★ Music not uploaded by the deadline must be provided on a USB or digital device on site on arrival for download.

  • Onsite Music Downloads will be subject to a $25/ download fee. Multiple tracks provided at one time on one device are considered one download.

★ Shine adjudicators are dance industry professionals who have experience working with children, a versatile training background, and care about the healthy development of young dancers. Every panel is made up of 3 educators with different areas of expertise to ensure a balanced perspective and valuable feedback in every discipline.  Events that run less than 3 full days will have a 2 adjudicator panel.

We believe in the value of earning medal standings and awards. At Shine, non-inflated scoring brings honesty and meaning back to the competitive experience to raise motivated and resilient dancers. Adjudicators are instructed to use the full spectrum of medals from bronze to platinum and are advised to award platinum with discretion. Any dancer who earns 2 or more platinum solo awards at one event must be bumped up a level in the next competition year.

★ Each adjudicator provides a mark out of 100 for each routine based on the breakdown below:

SKILL / 40 Strength, Technique, Timing, Precision/ UnisonARTISTRY / 10 Style, Musicality, Storytelling.
PRESENTATION / 40 Energy, Commitment, Connection, ImpactDIFFICULTY / 10 Level of difficulty for age, level and discipline.
Platinum: 90 & above Gold: 85 to 89.5 Silver: 80 to 84.9 Bronze: 70 to 70.9Ties will be broken 1st by technical score, 2nd by Performance Score, 3rd by Judges Poll.

AWARDS INCLUDE

★ A medal for every dancer in each routine based on score.

★ Star Choreography Awards, Special Achievement awards, SHINE Spirit Awards and Performance of The Day presented throughout the event.

★ TOP 5 Overall Trophies in COMPETITIVE & ELITE levels

★ Cash Prizes for High Scores in Competitive and Elite levels

★ Scholarships to your favourite conventions & training centres

★ DANCER OF THE YEAR – $500 and a Harbour Dance Centre Scholarship

★ MENTOR AWARDS at each event

★ The Shine TOP 10 Intensive – A full day of masterclasses, workshops and community building with industry pros for the TOP 10 Dancers at each event.

Covid-19 Policy Update

  • Refunds will be available for dancers or routines withdrawn for COVID-related reasons. Supporting documentation may be required.
  • If an event is canceled due to venue or government restrictions up to 8 weeks in advance, we will offer a full refund of fees. If an event is canceled due to venue or government restrictions within 8 weeks of an event, we will credit fees towards a postponed event or carry them forward to the next season.

Cancelation

  • All That Jazz Enterprises Inc. reserves the right to change or cancel event dates and venues.
  • Should an event be canceled due to insufficient registration studios will be notified as soon as possible and given the option to transfer entries to another location or receive a complete refund (including the $10/ dancer registration fee).
  • All That Jazz Enterprises Inc. does not offer refunds for postponed or canceled events due to acts of God or circumstances outside of our control and is not liable for any resulting loss to participants. In such an event, Shine Dance Festival will make all reasonable efforts to reschedule the event and when not possible, studio credit will be issued. Partial refunds will be offered when possible but are not guaranteed.
  • All That Jazz Enterprises Inc. is not responsible for travel or accommodation costs incurred by groups or individuals traveling to a Shine event.

Refunds

  • Entry fees are non-refundable after the registration deadline with the exception of an event cancelation due to low registration.
  • The $10/ dancer registration fee is a non-refundable administration fee and will only be refunded in the event of an event cancelation due to low registration.
  • Studio Credit may be issued in extraordinary circumstances, including injury or illness as per our Wellness 1st Policy below.
  • We accept payment from, and issue refunds and credits to, studios only and not to individual dancers or families.

Withdrawals

  • Withdrawals made up to the registration deadline are eligible for refunds. Once the registration deadline has passed withdrawals will not be eligible for refunds or credits unless due to injury or illness. Withdrawals due to injury or illness are eligible for a studio credit under our Wellness First Injury/ Illness Policy:

Wellness First Injury/ Illness Policy

We want ill and injured dancers to focus on healing and recovery without the pressure of financial loss. We will provide a studio credit on all entries a dancer is withdrawn from due to illness or injury with supporting documentation from a doctor. Dancers will not be permitted to perform in some routines and not others unless outlined in the doctor’s note. Documentation MUST:

1. Outline the type of movement or activity being limited or restricted.

2. Define the start and end dates of the restriction.

* If a different dancer is substituted in duo/ trio/ group routines, a credit will not be issued for those routines.

Changes

  • Change requests may be submitted until we begin the scheduling process for no fee. Once scheduling has begun a $10/ change fee will be applied. Changes are not guaranteed and will only be billed if applied.
  • In extraordinary cases only and at the discretion of the Shine Director, entries unable to perform at their scheduled time may be allowed to dance for adjudication only if time permits. These routines will not be eligible for medals, session awards, scholarships, or overall awards.

General Policies

  • All That Jazz Enterprises Inc. reserves the right to accept or deny participation of any individual, studio, or entry.
  • All That Jazz Enterprises Inc., its staff, and directors will not be held responsible for any injuries, damages, or lost or stolen articles.
  • All That Jazz Enterprises Inc. reserves the right to use photographs or video taken at the event for promotional purposes.
  • All That Jazz Enterprises Inc. reserves the right to disqualify any participant infringing on the rules, conducting themselves in an inappropriate or harmful manner, or attempting to influence scores and results.
  • Questions or concerns should be directed to the Shine Dance Festival director. Complaints must be received in writing.
  • Prompting or cueing is prohibited and may lead to disqualification except in the Rising Star category.
  • The use of cameras and video equipment in the theatre auditorium is strictly prohibited and may result in disquali!cation.
  • Any routine deemed to be in poor taste at the discretion of Shine adjudicators will receive a point deduction.
  • Routines that run overtime without request upon registration will result in a $50 surcharge.
  • Re-dances will be permitted at the adjudicators’ discretion. Shine staff reserve the right to refuse a re-dance if time does not permit.
  • Any matter not addressed in the rules shall be referred to the directors of All That Jazz Enterprises Inc. whose sole decision in all cases shall be final. All That Jazz Enterprises Inc. reserves the right to accept or deny participation of any entry.

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