rules
Levels Eligibility
- The YCN points system will be enforced at this competition. If either competitor has 7 or more points in a given dance, the couple is ineligible to compete in that event.
- See https://ballroom.mit.edu/index.php/ycn-proficiency-points/ for an explanation of the YCN point system.
- See https://ballroom-calc.streamlit.app/ for a helpful calculator to determine your points!
- There will be no sparkle or costume restrictions based on level. Please use your best judgment and be courteous to others!
Newcomer Eligibility
- A newcomer is someone who has been dancing for 12 months or less. Not competing, just dancing.
- Your eligibility to dance newcomer is not improved by dancing with a particularly inexperienced partner, or even by being a particularly inexperienced partner.
- Your eligibility to dance newcomer is not improved by never having been recalled by the judges.
- Your 12-month timer does not pause if you take some time off from dancing.
- Your newcomer timer does not reset after a long absence. There's no going back.
- If you are not eligible as a newcomer in even 1 dance, then you may not dance in any of the 4 styles at the newcomer level, no matter how inexperienced. Other teams have asked us to enforce this policy.
- Otherwise, we encourage you to compete Bronze or higher. We have seen couples make it to the Bronze Final using only Newcomer figures. Just dance well.
Two Consecutive Levels
The 4 styles are American Smooth, American Rhythm, International Standard, and International Latin.
- Any individual may only appear in up to 2 consecutive levels in each of the 4 styles.
- The level(s) you choose in one style do not limit your choices in a different style.
- To compete at the newcomer level, you must qualify as a newcomer, as described above.
- An individual may appear in a 3rd consecutive level in an opposite role (i.e. a follow dancing silver and gold is eligible to lead bronze).
Closed (Syllabus only) Levels
- Newcomer (only Pre-Bronze & Bronze steps allowed)
- Bronze (only Pre-Bronze & Bronze steps allowed)
- Silver (Pre-Bronze, Bronze and Silver Steps allowed)
- Gold (any Syllabus steps allowed)
NOTE: we will be following the approved Syllabus Guidebook from USA dance for accepted syllabus figures: AppendixB-SyllabusGuidebook2023B.pdf
Open Levels
Novice does not refer to an inexperienced person like it might in the dictionary. Usually, a person has danced at least silver before attempting to compete Novice and above.
- Novice - choreographed routines. Any Syllabus or otherwise (no lifts or stunts)
- Pre-Champ - choreographed routines. Any Syllabus or otherwise (no lifts or stunts)
- Champ - choreographed routines. Any Syllabus or otherwise (no lifts or stunts)
NOTE: Some dances are danced together as one event, these are indicated with two letters in parenthesis, such as Bronze Standard (WQ), which combines Waltz and Quickstep as one event. If two dances are the same event, we will dance all heats of one dance before moving on to the second dance of the same event.
