SOswing Competition Rules and Guidelines

SOswing is a World Swing Dance Council Registry Event and all competitions designated as such will follow the World Swing Dance Council Rules.

A. Contest Categories
World Swing Dance Council Jack and Jills
● Newcomer
● Novice
● Intermediate
● Advanced
● All Star
● Masters

Additional Non World Swing Dance Council Jack and Jill
● Sophisticated
● Invitational

West Coast Swing Strictly Contests
● Newcomer
● Novice
● Intermediate/Advanced
● All Star/Champion
● 3-Way Swing

B. General Contest Rules
1. All Contestants must:
● Have a full weekend pass
● Register for contest
● Pay all required entry fees
● Attend all mandatory competitor meetings

Note: If you are under 18, your parent or guardian must approve your entry.

2. Contestants may:
● Enter any competitions for which the specific entry requirements are met. (See section C)
● May enter each competition only once as either a leader or follower
3. Bibs:
● All contestants will be assigned a bib number that MUST be worn during competitions
● A $10 Fee will be charged for lost bibs
4. Cancellations: Contests may be combined or cancelled if less than 5 couples are registered in that division. In this case, entry fees will be refunded
5. Contestants must be in the ballroom with their bib number on when their names are called or they WILL NOT be able to dance
5. World Swing Dance Council Points Registry guidelines will be used to determine eligibility for each WCS division. (See http://www.worldsdc.com/ for details.) In most cases, dancers should enter the highest division for which they qualify.

C. Jack and Jill
Jack and Jill competitions are designed to highlight skills in spontaneous swing dancing. Competitors dance to music selected in advance by event DJ’s. There is no gender restriction on leads or follows.
1. Newcomer
This is a division for beginner or new competitors who have earned no WSDC points
2. Novice Jack & Jill
This division is intended for competitors with limited or no prior experience at the national level. To enter this division, you should know at least the following basic WCS patterns: starter’s step, basic throwout, tuck and turn throwout, underarm turn, left side pass, right side pass, push break, whip, lock whip, whip to closed, and whip with inside turn, outside turn. Dancers will compete in this division if any of the following apply:
● The competitor is relatively new to competition, and no WSDC points have been earned; or
● The competitor has fewer than 15 Novice points and doesn’t qualify for a higher level)
3. Intermediate Jack & Jill
This division is intended for competitors with some previous experience and success at the national level. Dancers will compete in this division if any of the following apply:
● The competitor already competes at the Intermediate level (and doesn’t qualify for a higher level), and has earned Intermediate points
● The competitor has earned 15 or more Novice points
4. Advanced Jack & Jill
This division is intended for competitors with significant experience and success at the national level. Dancers will compete in this division if any of the following apply:
● The competitor already competes at the Advanced level (and doesn’t qualify for a higher level), and has earned Advanced points; or
● The competitor has earned 30 or more Intermediate points and is ready to move up to the Advanced level
5. All Stars Jack & Jill
This division is intended for competitors with significant experience and success at the national level. Dancers will compete in this division if any of the following apply:
● The competitor already competes at the All Star level or Champion level; or
● The competitor has earned 45 or more Advanced points within 3 years prior to this event, and is ready to move up to the All Star level
6. Invitational (NOT a WSDC competition. No points will be reported.)
This division is intended for competitors invited to competed by the directors of SOswing
7. Masters Jack & Jill
This division is intended for competitors more than 50 years of age
8. Sophisticated (NOT a WSDC competition. No points will be reported.)
This division is intended for competitors more than 35 years of age

D. Format
1. Music selection will be made by event DJ’s
2. For preliminary and semifinal heats, contestants will be judged individually, on a callback basis. Finals contestants will be judged as a couple, and relative placement will be used
3. Should there be an imbalance of numbers, some contestants may dance twice
4. Scores will be posted after awards

E. Guidelines
1. Swing content guidelines. A minimum of 90% swing content is required in all our competitions. It is at the judges’ discretion to determine whether or not the swing content requirement has been met
2. Jack and Jills are intended to highlight social dance skills. All dancing should consist of lead/follow moves
3. You must maintain physical contact with your partner throughout the dance, except for spins, turns, short breakaways, and recoveries
4. Partners must maintain their own physical contact with the floor throughout
5. Appropriate behavior and attire is expected
6. While dancers are encouraged to have fun, they must still present solid dance fundamentals

Keep in mind that all ages (including young dancers, teens and children) will be present at our event

F. Strictly Swing competitions
Strictly Swing competitions are designed to highlight skills in spontaneous swing dancing Competitors enter as couples and dance to music selected in advance by event DJ’s.
There is no restriction on gender lead or follows, however each contestant may only enter one leveled strictly.
Newcomer Strictly Swing
1. This is a division for beginner or new competitors who have earned no WSDC points
Novice Strictly
2. This division is intended for competitors with limited or some experience at the national level. Dancers must enter this division if either partner qualifies for the Novice WSDC Jack & Jill divisions
3. Intermediate/Advanced Strictly Swing
This division is intended for competitors with some previous experience and success at the national level. Dancers must enter this division if either partner qualifies for the Intermediate or Advanced WSDC Jack & Jill divisions
4. All Star/Champion Strictly Swing
This division is intended for competitors with some previous experience and success at the national level. Dancers must enter this division if either partner qualifies for the All Star or Champion WSDC Jack & Jill divisions
5. 3-Way Strictly Swing
This division is intended to provide an opportunity for dancers to stretch their swing dancing. Guidelines outlined above apply to this division as well. Each three-way-partnership can include only ONE All-Star or higher partner.
G. Contestant Meeting
SOswing will not be holding a mandatory contestant meeting; however, we will be offering one for Newcomer Competitors at 7 pm on Friday evening.

H. Judging Criteria
1. Timing. Swing is danced beginning on the downbeat. Good timing includes not only dancing on the correct beat, but finer distinctions such as dancing to the syncopated “swing” of the music will be considered. Syncopations and footwork also need to be on time
2. Teamwork. Swing is a connected partner dance. Demonstrating this connection through lead/follow with a partner is an expected part of any swing dance competition. Ignoring, disrespecting, or jeopardizing the safety of a partner indicates poor teamwork. Compensating and adjusting for a partner is an expected component of good teamwork
3. Technique. How well dance movements are executed constitutes technique. Good technique includes elements such as control of balance and weight, foot placement, bodylines, and spins and turns
4. Choreography. Choreography is the selection and order of movements and transitions during dance. Good choreography demonstrates an intimate connection with the music and the ability to match patterns and syncopations to the phrasing of the music. It also includes identifiable swing patterns in order to provide variety and contrast
5. Music interpretation. Good musical interpretation consists of adjusting the flow of dance to fit the style, tempo, mood, and rhythm variations in the music. You should strive to demonstrate the ability to hear and interpret nuances in the music throughout the dance
6. Presentation. Creating an atmosphere of excitement by inviting interest in the performance is the desired effect of good presentation. Good presentation begins with the selection of appropriate attire. While providing a good show is one aspect of presentation, it cannot substitute for good dancing. Dancers should aim primarily for demonstrating positive chemistry as a couple. Gratuitous mugging to the audience or the judges may result in a lower score. Good sporting conduct before, during, and after the dance is also an expected element of good presentation

I. Awards
1. Prize money and complimentary tickets will be awarded for all competitions through 3rd place
2. All monetary prizes will be awarded in the form of checks
3. If a competition is cancelled due to competitor registration, the event reserves the right to redistribute or retain unused awards and prizes
4. Contestants are responsible for picking up all prize money. The event will not mail awards after the event

Every effort will be made to conduct all competitions in accordance with these rules. However, the event reserves the right to make any changes that are deemed necessary for any competition. If any changes to our competitions or to these rules are needed, we will notify competitors as promptly as possible.