General

Synergy Dance Competition reserves the right to communicate with you using the email provided on your participation agreement. If your email is updated it is critical that you contact our office. Please ensure that your mailing address is accurate in your online account. 

No performer may enter this competition as an independent entry, all routines must be registered with a studio. 

Backstage passes are used as identification of studio representatives 

Competing dancers must perform in their scheduled order unless permission is given for costume changes.

Time Limits

Solo (1 Performer): 3 minutes limit 

Duo/Trio (2-3 Performers): 3 minutes limit

Small group (4-10 Performers): 4 minutes limit

Large group (11-19 Performers): 5 minutes limit

Line (20+ Performers): 5 minutes limit

Studio Production (20+ Performers): 20 minutes limit including set up/strike

Ettiquette

Etiquette and behaviour is expected from all performers, teachers, and parents at all times. Failure to comply may result in a disqualification of performers, routines, or a studio from the event. This may also include attempts to recruit dancers to join your studios. 

Please remain seated at all times during each performance and only exit the theatre between performance numbers. Remain respectful of the performers and adjudicators as they work hard to both entertain and evaluate. 

Re-Dances

Re-Dances for technical complications: music skipping, volume/speaker malfunctions are permitted in all divisions and will be judges as if they are being seen for the first time. Re-Dances for performance issues: costume, prop, shoe malfunction, injury, run around obstructions or forgetting choreography may be permitted but for adjudication only. They will not be eligible for category scoring, high score, or cash prizes. 

Levels

Level Suggested Guidelines 
 

Novice

(Festival Formatting)

 The Novice division is suited for dancers in their year of competition, or first time solo/duo with minimal group experience. Novice categories are not ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd, but will be awarded a medal of achievement, the focus of the novice division is on FUN. Novice performers do not advance to the Showdown Finals and are scheduled on Sunday (venue dates permitting) to ensure they don't miss school. Additonal fun activities like our free caricature artist etc take place during the festival formatting divisions. 
 

Apprentice (for Recreational dancers)

(Festival Formatting)

 The recreational/apprentice division is suited for dancers who dance at the recreational level. Recreational categories are not ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd, but will be awarded a medal of achievement, the focus of the recreational division is on FUN. Recreational performers do not advance to the Showdown Finals and are scheduled on Sunday (venue dates permitting) to ensure they don't miss school. Additonal fun activities like our free caricature artist etc take place during the festival formatting divisions.

Pre-Competitive 

The pre-competitive division is for dancers looking for a performance category above recreational and festival formatting but below the standard competitive division. In this category performances will be ranked 1st 2nd 3rd and will receive a score medal (ie, high gold). Dancers in this category typically dance as a hobby sport but may also do other activities such as soccer. These dancers often have a few years of experience, they are above the recreational level but do not dance as seriously as the full company competitive dancers or perhaps they started dancing a little later. There will be overall trophies and medallions for top scoring routines in the pre-competitive division but this division does not advance to the Showdown Finals. The highest scoring pre-competitive routine of each event is invited to the provincial finals.The pre-competitive division is an alternative division for  those who do not wish to compete in the regular competitive division. 

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*All dancers are permitted to 'dance up' into the competitive division as desired.

Competitive  

This is the standard competitive division as defined by age. This category will compete against other dancers of the same age category. Performances in this category will be ranked 1st 2nd 3rd and will also receive a score medal (ie, high gold).  Dancers in this division are competitive dancers training multiple hours. Large categories in the competitive division will be divided into smaller groupings. This division qualifies for the Showdown Finals and advances to the Provincial Finals. 

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Adult
(Festival Formatting)

 The adult division (20yrs +) is based on age. The adult division takes place at the end of the regular event with the novice and recreational as part of the festival formatting division. 

Age Calculation

Group: Each dancer must perform in at least 50% of the routine, the average of all the dancers age as of January 1st of the competition year is the registered age of group. 

Soloists: Age is to be calculated as of January 1st of the competitive season. 

Duo/Trio: The average age as of January 1st of the competition year. If the age averages have a separation of more than two age categories, they will automatically bump one age up. 

Props

The placement and removal of props is the responsibility of each individual studio. They must be freestanding, and sturdy. The use of substances that alter the stage condition (feathers, water, glass props) are not permitted in any categories. 

Examples of prohibited items include:

-Fire

-Smoke

-Fog

-Swords

-Knives 

-Guns

-Any form or liquid, glitter, gel or power that can coat the stage. This is to ensure the safety of all dancers.

Disciplines

Competing dancers may enter as many categories as they wish, but they must not compete against themselves if a dancer has a second solo in the same category they may register that dance in the “open” category. Group routines entered in the same category must have a 50% change in participants in order to compete and Duo/Trio dancers must have a complete change of partners to compete twice in the same category. A dance routine may move UP an age division in order to avoid competing against itself within a category…but never lower.

*Safety Policy*

If a routine displays a high risk of injury may be disqualified and/or prevented from performing again in the finals. 
 

Acrobatics Division

AcroDance: Routine contains 50% dance and 50% gymnastics, tumbling, or limbers etc. Contortion: Routine focuses on the display of flexibility and balance through act of contortion and body bending. 

Ballet Division
Classical Ballet: Routine includes classical, precise and highly formalized sets of steps, gestures, and movements with ballet technique. 

Character Ballet: Ballet routine in which the performer portrays a recognizable character throughout the entirety of the performance.

Contemporary Ballet: Division utilizing overall contemporary/modern/ballet training. 

Variation Ballet: A solo from a ballet production performed alone. The choreography does not differ significantly from what was set by the original choreographer of the ballet.

Pointe Ballet: 30% or more of the dancers must be on pointe with a majority of the routine performed on pointe. The same style of show must be on both feet. The division is to be calculated utilizing overarching ballet training, not pointe training. 

Jazz: Routine to include jazz techniques such as leaps, splits, floor rolls, kicks, etc.

Lyrical: Routine to include emotional interpretations using combination of ballet and jazz technique. Balance, control and extension are main focuses of the dance whilst portraying a story and connection to the lyrics. 

Musical Theatre & Stage: Musical Theatre routine to include lip-synching and dramatization. Stage routines do not include lip-synching but have theatrical Broadway elements. Both styles include theatrics and facial expressions. 

Modern: Interpretive dance using balance and control. Demonstrated free, creative, and expressive movement styles that closely relate to actual human life. 

Tap: Routine to include tap technique. Must be wearing tap shoes. NO RECORDED TAP SOUNDS are permitted in the music.

Song & Dance: A dance routine that also includes singing. NO RECORDED AUDIO is permitted, vocals only. Music volumne will be adjusted to aid projection, theatres may or may not have stage microphones. 
 

Contemporary: A contemporary exploration of fundamental ballet, jazz, modern and lyrical training. 
 

Street Division
Hip Hop: Routine consisting primarily of hip-hop and street dance technique.
Break Dance: Routine consisting of break dance and tricking elements within a street styled routine. 
 

National/Traditional: A routine of national origin: Highland, Irish, Polynesian, Chinese, and traditional routines such as: Cha Cha, Salsa, Tango, and Latin/Ballroom origins. There is no ranking and only medal standings. 
 

Open: This category is for those routines that do not fit into any of the above categories. There may be a variety of interdisciplinary routines within this category with no restrictions. This category may be merged with another category for overall scoring and ranking purposes. 

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Student Choreography: This category is reserved for routines that are self choreographed, available for solo, duo/trio or group. Dancer does NOT need to be the choreographer. 

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Adjudication Only: For those performers looking for Adjudication only.