Dance Rules & Regulations
Please comply with these rules as well as the General Rules applying to the Festival and specific rules and directives that accompany each section and class in the Syllabus.
MANAGEMENT
1) Competitions are under the management of the Kiwanis Festival of the Performing Arts Stratford Executive Committee, hereinafter called the "Committee."
2) Decisions of the Committee in any matters not specified within the rules shall be final and binding.
NON-PROFESSIONAL STATUS
3) All Competitions are for non-professionals only. Non-professionals are persons whose principal means of livelihood is not obtained from performance in the particular discipline in which he or she is competing. A person may be a professional in one discipline but still participate as a non-professional in another discipline. For example, a professional actor may perform in a music class.
4) Participants who only receive occasional remuneration for musical, theatrical or dance services performed are considered non-professional.
REGISTRATION
5) All entries must include an active email address for communication purposes.
6) Registration forms without accurate performance times will be considered incomplete.
7) Dance registrations are due no later than February 3, 2025. An Early Bird Discount applies for entries completed by January 13, 2025.
8) All entries must be accompanied by the specified fee(s).
9) In duets, trios, and group classes only one entry is required for the group. The name, age, email address and city of residence of a supervisor/chaperone must be provided.
DANCE RULES
10) Once entries have been processed, entry fees will not be refunded.
ELIGIBILITY
11) In classes where an age limit is specified, participants must be of the stated age as of December 31, 2024. Please enter the age in the space provided on the entry.
12) Duets, trios, ensembles and groups are asked to average their ages, then round up or down to the nearest age class.
13) Students studying with an adjudicator during the current Festival year (Oct 1, 2024 to Sept30, 2025) will not be eligible to compete in solo classes adjudicated by their teacher.
PROGRAM PROCEDURE
14) The Festival reserves the right to shift a student from a class in which he or she is the sole participant to an appropriate class with more participants.
15) Notifications, schedules, and correspondence will primarily be done via email to teachers. If the participant does not have a teacher, then the individual will be notified.
16) A scheduling notification is sent to every participant who has entered the Festival.
17) We make every effort to accommodate scheduling requests noted on entries. Priority is given to students in a variety of disciplines, or those performing in other festivals.
18) Participants who elect to perform not with their class may be deemed non-competitive and receive adjudication only with no mark or placement.
COMPETITION ETIQUETTE
We appreciate our dancers, teachers, parents and audience members showing respect for all others. Please follow these basic rules of etiquette.
19) While in the auditorium, please remain seated during all stage performances.
20) During competition sessions, dance teachers may address questions to workers at the scoring tables during scheduled breaks.
21) Cell phones and pagers must be turned off when in the competition area.
22) Please do not consume food and drinks in hallways, dressing rooms or the auditorium.
23) Dance studios are asked to keep clean the areas assigned as dressing rooms. Please recycle cans & plastic in the blue bins.
24) Dancers should wear a cover-up when not onstage.
25) Flash photography is not allowed during performances.
26) Above all, dancers, teachers and parents are asked to conduct themselves with decorum, and to demonstrate good sportsmanship throughout the dance competition. Please ensure that your music and dances are appropriate for family enjoyment.
STAGE REGULATIONS
27) Routines must be appropriate for families. Mature themes, evocative costumes and coarse language are not acceptable.
28) Props are allowed if they are essential to the routine. No weapons, fire, fireworks or live animals are permitted. Please remove props and clean debris from the stage immediately after your performance.
29) Only dancers and teachers may go backstage.
30) Performers in bare feet must keep their shoes on until waiting in the wings.
31) Dancing is a risk sport. Dancers will not hold the Kiwanis Club, its staff, volunteers, or venues responsible for injuries.
32) Please comply with these time limits: ∙ Solos, duets, trios 3 minutes ∙ Groups 4 minutes ∙ Production numbers 7 minutes
ELIGIBILITY
33) To determine average age for duets, trios and groups, add the ages and divide by the number of dancers. If the average is less than a whole number, round up or down to most appropriate age.
34) Proof of age is not required with the entry; however, identification should be available at the competition.
35) Novice dancers have not competed in solo, duet or trio classes before (although they may have competed in groups). Novice groups must consist exclusively of novice dancers.
36) Recreational dancers are those who have three hours or less per week of dance instruction or practice in any genre. They have competed at the novice level, but never at the competitive level. Recreational groups must consist exclusively of recreational 18) dancers.
37) Competitive classes are intended for experienced dancers who have more than three hours per week of dance instruction or practice in any genre. (Most have already competed at novice and recreational levels.)
38) Professional dancers are not allowed to compete at this Festival. However, they are welcome to perform for adjudication only.
MUSIC
39) Each entrant must provide music in digital format (ie. USB stick) with clear instructions as to studio name, class, music title and name of soloist or dance title. Cassette tapes, CDs and DVDs are no longer acceptable for this competition. There is also a field in registration that can accept .MP3 files
40) Teachers are responsible for supplying the music to the audio technician, as well as retrieving it after the dance or session.
AWARDS AND PLACEMENTS
41) Dancers, teachers and parents must not discuss scoring or results with adjudicators or tabulators during or after the competition.
42) In all genres of dance, students who wish to perform, but not compete for marks or placements, are asked to inform the adjudicators' assistants prior to the session.
43) Adjudications will take place on stage during breaks. Medals, ribbons, certificates and prizes will be awarded during these breaks or at the end of each day's competition.
44) In order, to preserve a high standard in all classes, an award winner must achieve the following minimum marks: a. first prize 80% b. second and third prize 75%. Unless these marks are obtained, awards may be withheld regardless of the number of participants Performers with marks of 90% and higher will receive "First Class Honours with Distinction".
45) Adjudicators' reports are given to performers at the end of each session.
46) Decisions of the adjudicators are final.
FINAL CONCERT
47) Performers may be called upon to perform at Stars of the Festival.
MISCELLANEOUS
48) Recording adjudicators by any method is prohibited.
49) The Kiwanis Club of Stratford and the Kiwanis Festival of the Performing Arts is not responsible for loss of or damage to articles or persons in any of the venues used for the Festival.
RECOMMENDATIONS, COMMENTS, OR COMPLAINTS
50) Please make suggestions or express concerns in writing to the Executive Director during the Festival.