RULES & REGULATIONS

Read Prior to Submitting your registration!

Location and Time

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

2410 Ownby Ln

Richmond, VA 23220

7:30pm – 8:30 pm

​

Registration

• Registration fee is $45 per person ($90 per couple) includes admission to the 8:30pm dance. This fee is not refundable.

• Competitors are asked to promote NSARVA and their participation in the competition. Ten points will be deducted from the overall score for promoting.

​

Refunds

• A minimum of 10 contestants will be required to conduct the competition. Because the registration fee is not refundable, if the competition is cancelled you will receive a $10 credit to our next event.

• If NDSRVA is cancelled you will receive a full refund.

​

Awards

• 1st Prize – A medal & $300 per couple

• 2nd - A medal & $200 per couple

• 3rd - A medal & $100 per couple

• DJ El Duro Award (People’s Choice)

It is general etiquette on the part of the dancers to be present at all the events associated with the competition like an award ceremony. The award ceremony will be announced during the 8:30pm dance.

​

Categories

There will be only one category, Couples Salsa (2 dancers), it includes all styles of Salsa (Cuban, on 1, on 2, Cumbia, Caleño, etc)

​

Levels

There will be only one level, Amateur. Only amateurs are allowed to compete. Amateur is defined as:

• Never having been a dance instructor or assistant instructor formally or informally

• Has never been part of a dance team.

Note: Competitors will be vetted to ensure they are amateurs.

 

Age

18 and above

​

Time Limits

• 3min 50sec Max. NOTE: Ten points will be deducted from the overall score for every 5 Seconds over the time limit.

• Timing will begin when music starts (if no music, once dancers take the first step) and will stop when the last performer stops dancing or the music ends whichever comes later.

 

Music

• The music will be in MP3 format and emailed to SalsaGuy@SalsaRichmond.com after completing the registration or no later than 3/20/22.

• Please contact us at SalsaGuy@SalsaRichmond.com or 804-601-6261 if you have any issues sending the MP3 file.

• Bring a USB Flash Drive as a backup to your music in case there is an issue with the uploaded music.

• CDs will NOT be accepted as backup music.

 

Entering the Stage

• Contestants must take center-stage and introduce themselves to our judge’s panel. Their introduction can include saying their name, age, hometown, and performance piece as well as any other information they would like to share.

• Please practice and time your introductions. The introduction should be no shorter than 15 seconds and no longer than 30 seconds.

 

NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT MENTION YOUR STUDIO NAME, ten points will be deducted from the overall score for mentioning your studio.

​

Videography and Photography

Choreography is an art that can be stolen very easily. A slight modification to the previous step can generate a new step. That is the reason most production houses prohibit the use of video cameras for shooting the dance performance. Some hire professional video shooters to shoot and sell the copies to the internal teams of the production house only.

Photography is not an infringement type as that of videography but still audiences are not allowed to take pictures inside the hall as this will allow other professional photographers to capture and sell the pictures outside.

 

Judging & Scoring

Professional dancers or studio dancers will judge the dance competition. They observe all the dancers keenly and sit in front of all the audience. Each judge writes down the score sheet for each routine by awarding points for various categories.

A judge can give marks out of 100. If a performer gets 100, it is called the perfect score. Each judge gives their score and the total score is nothing, but the addition of all the individual scores of judges. The categories and scores are:

1. CHOREOGRAPHY 1 - 10

2. MUSICALITY 1 - 10

3. DIFFICULTY 1 - 10

4. TECHNIQUE 1 - 10

5. EXECUTION/SYNCHRONIZATION 1 - 10

6. FORMATIONS/STAGING/CUSTOME 1 - 10

7. TRANSITIONS 1 - 10

8. SHOWMANSHIP 1 - 10

9. PROMOTING 1 - 10 pts

10. OVERALL VISUAL EFFECT 1 - 10

 

All judges’ decisions are be final.

Scoring sheets are property of NDS RVA and is not public information.

People Choice Award will be determined by the public attending by paper vote

 

Ties

There will be no ties, the Judges are instructed to rescore and reach consensus.

 

Deductions or Disqualifications

• CHOREOGRAPHY MUST BE APPROPRIATE FOR FAMILY VIEWING: Any routine that a judge feels is not appropriate is subject to a deduction or even disqualification

• No props allowed. Any routine that uses prop will have a 10 POINT deduction or may be disqualified

• Points will be deducted if a routine contains more than 2 dancers

• Points will be deducted if a contestant mentions your studio name

• Points will be deducted for being late to the stage after being called twice

• Points will be deducted if a contestant promotes another event

• Violation of any rule can lead to penalties and in extreme cases; performers may be banned from the competition. Each entry will be judged by a highly qualified panel of judges.

• Contacting or speaking to judges is strictly prohibited at all times in order to give a fair chance to all participants. Is subject to a deduction or even disqualification

• Ten points will be deducted for every 5 Seconds over the time limit. See the Time Limits Section of these rules.

 

NDSRVA Competition Scoring

​

CHOREOGRAPHY — 10 pts

• 9-10 pts: Excelling—Exceptional flow, exciting build in choreography, clear design, exceptional use of unique material, exceptional highlights of

talent, exceptional incorporation of multiple qualities of movement, flow and continuity

• 8-9 pts: Applying—Good flow, good build in choreography, good unique movement, good incorporation of multiple qualities of movement, flow

and continuity

• 7-8 pts: Developing—Moderate flow, some build in choreography, some unique movement, and minimal incorporation different qualities of movement, minimal flow and continuity

• 6-7 pts: Lacking—Fragmented choreography, standard/basic material, lacking creativity and unique movement, lacking variations in movement,

lacking flow and continuity

 

MUSICALITY — 10 pts

• 9-10 pts: Excelling—Exceptional use of music to enhance choreography through tempo variations, vocal interpretations, musical interpretations,

exceptional use of music to movement ownership

• 8-9 pts: Applying—Good use of music to enhance choreography, good use of tempo variation, vocal cues, musical interpretation

• 7-8 pts: Developing—Minimal connection of choreography to the music, some use of tempo variations, vocal cues

• 6-7 pts: Lacking—Music is not utilized to enhance choreography

 

DIFFICULTY — 10 pts

• 9-10 pts: Excelling—Exceptional range of movements, creative preps and linking skills, ambidexterity, use of body levels, directions and planes,

team to athlete ratio, exceptional use isolations, balances, extensions, tricks, creative partnering skills

• 8-9 pts: Applying—Good range of movement, good creativity, good use of levels, directions and planes, team to athlete ratio, good use of isolations, balances, extensions, tricks and partnering

• 7-8 pts: Developing—Some range of movement, some creativity, some levels, directions and planes, some isolations, balances, tricks, partnering

• 6-7 pts: Lacking—Movement beyond the skill of the athlete, lack of linking skills, flexibility, partnering, lack or team skills

​

TECHNIQUE — 10 pts

• 9-10 pts: Excelling—Excellent body awareness/placement, strength, control and clear articulation of movements, full extension from the body,

strong lines, proper posture and carriage, superior strength in movement

• 8-9 pts: Applying—Good body awareness/placement, good control and extension, good spatial awareness, good lines, good strength in movement

• 7-8 pts: Developing—Average body awareness/placement, average control and extension, average spatial awareness, average lines, average

strength in movement

• 6-7 pts: Lacking—Sloppy/improper body awareness/placement, substandard control and extension, lacking spatial awareness, below average lines

 

EXECUTION/SYNCHRONIZATION — 10 pts

• 9-10 pts: Excelling—Excellent precision and sharpness, excellent consistent style throughout the team, precise synchronization throughout

• 8-9 pts: Applying—Good precision and sharpness, good consistent style throughout the team, good synchronization

• 7-8 pts: Developing—Average precision and sharpness, average consistent style throughout the team, average synchronization

• 6-7 pts: Lacking—Poor precision and sharpness, inconsistent style throughout the team, poor synchronization

 

FORMATIONS/STAGING/COSTUME — 10 pts

• 9-10 pts: Excelling—Exceptional use of patterns, levels, and directions, creative formations, patterns, exceptional variety, utilization of area, ability

to highlight dancer in an effective way

• 8-9 pts: Applying—Good variety and creativity in formations, good variety, logical staging for showcasing choreography

• 7-8 pts: Developing—Standard formations, some variety, visual effect occasionally obscured by staging

• 6-7 pts: Lacking—Basic formations, little variety, lacking creativity, patterns do not enhance visual effect

 

TRANSITIONS — 10 pts

• 9-10 pts: Excelling—Unique transitional skills, firm/clean transitions, seamless continuous build from section to section, clear pathways

• 8-9 pts: Applying—Clear, easy to follow transitions, good use of linking skills/transitions

• 7-8 pts: Developing—Some clear transitions, some linkage of skills/transitions from section to section, somewhat segmented routine

• 6-7 pts: Lacking—Scattered transitions, bumping into other athletes during transitions, slow transitions, very segmented routine

 

SHOWMANSHIP — 10 pts

• Natural spirit, overall connection to the piece, enjoyment of the athletes, confidence, projection, authenticity

 

OVERALL VISUAL EFFECT — 10 pts

• Appropriateness of movements, overall visual appeal, pace and intricacy of the movements, creativity

 

PROMOTING — 10 pts

• Promoting the event on social media

 

Deductions or Disqualifications

• CHOREOGRAPHY MUST BE APPROPRIATE FOR FAMILY VIEWING: Any routine that a judge feels is not appropriate is subject to a deduction or even disqualification

• No props allowed. Any routine that uses prop will have a 10 POINT deduction or may be disqualified

• Points will be deducted if a routine contains more than 2 dancers

• Points will be deducted if a contestant mentions your studio name

• Points will be deducted for being late to the stage after being called twice

• Points will be deducted if a contestant promotes another event

• Violation of any rule can lead to penalties and in extreme cases; performers may be banned from the competition. Each entry will be judged by a highly qualified panel of judges.

• Contacting or speaking to judges is strictly prohibited at all times in order to give a fair chance to all participants. Is subject to a deduction or even disqualification

• Ten points will be deducted for every 5 Seconds over the time limit. See the Time Limits Section of these rules.

​