Amateur Event Rules
Eligibility
Adult/Senior competitors: Must be Adult Ballroom members in good standing of USA Dance.
Pre-Teen/Junior/Youth competitors: Must be Minor Ballroom Athlete or Adult Ballroom Athlete members in good standing of USA Dance.
Collegiate competitors: Must be Student Ballroom Athlete or Adult Ballroom Athlete members of USA Dance in good standing. Must be currently enrolled in a collegiate program leading to a degree or have graduated from a collegiate degree program within the past 6 months.
Solo Proficiency competitors: Must be a Minor Ballroom Athlete or Adult Ballroom Athlete member in good standing of USA Dance. Solo Proficiency events offered will include Pre-Teen through Youth Syllabus events Bronze through Gold.
Teacher/Student competitors: Teacher/student competitors must be Adult Ballroom Athlete, Minor Ballroom Athlete, Professional Ballroom Athlete, or DanceSport Ballroom Official members in good standing of USA Dance.The unjudged partner must be 18 years of age or older and may be either an Amateur or a Professional. The Teacher/Student couple may not compete together as an amateur couple at this competition. Teacher/Student events will include all Amateur events offered except Nine Dance, Ten Dance, and Showdance.
Mixed Proficiency competitors: Mixed Proficiency competitors must be Adult Ballroom Athlete or Minor Ballroom Athlete members in good standing of USA Dance. The unjudged partner must be less than 18 years of age. Both partners must be Amateurs. The Mixed Proficiency couple may not compete together as an amateur couple at this competition. Mixed Proficiency events will include all Amateur events offered except Nine Dance, Ten Dance, and Showdance.
Competitors shall not compete in any classification below the minimum proficiency level for which they are eligible.
All events at this competition are gender neutral. This means that regardless of a dancer’s gender, they are welcome to compete in the role that best suits them and all amateur couples of any configuration will compete on the floor together.
For USA Dance membership registration, visit www.usadance.org/membership.
Qualifying for Nationals
In order to dance in Amateur events at the 2023 National Championships, a couple must
- Compete in any USA Dance competition between April 2022 and March 2023 including: Hot Ballroom DanceSport Challenge NQE, Florida Sunshine Dance, Kansas City Dance Classic NQE, American DanceSport Festival, Chicago DanceSport Challenge NQE, Gumbo DanceSport Championships NQE, The MAC Regional Championship, Atlanta DanceSport Cup, and Southeastern DanceSport Regional Championship
- Pre-teen, Junior, and Youth competitors from the Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington do not need to qualify
- Senior 5 competitors do not need to qualify
- Teacher/Student, Mixed Proficiency, Solo Proficiency, Pro-Am, and Professional Athletes do not need to qualify.
- Collegiate competitors do not need to qualify for Collegiate events or for the same style and proficiency level Adult events that they dance at the Collegiate level.
- A Collegiate Athlete dancing with an Adult Athlete must qualify for the Adult events they wish to dance.
Amateur Dance Events
American
Smooth
Closed Syllabus
- Bronze (WF)
- Bronze (T)
- Bronze (V)
- Silver (WTF)
- Silver (V)
- Gold (WTFV)
Open
- Novice (WTF)
(NA for Pre-Teen and Solo Proficiency) - Pre-Championship (WTFV)
- (NA for Pre-Teen & Solo Proficiency)
- Championship (WTFV)
(NA for Pre-Teen & Solo Proficiency) - Adult, Senior I, Senior II, Senior III, Senior IV, and Senior V Nine Dance (WTFV/CRSwBM)
(NA for Solo Proficiency, Teacher/Student, & Mixed Proficiency) - Adult Showdance**
(NA for Solo Proficiency, Teacher/Student, & Mixed Proficiency)
American
Rhythm
Closed Syllabus
- Bronze (CR)
- Bronze (Sw)
- Bronze (B)
- Silver (CRSw)
- Silver (B)
- Gold (CRSwB)
Open
- Novice (CRSw)
(NA for Pre-Teen, Collegiate & Solo Proficiency) - Pre-Championship (CRSwB)
- (NA for Pre-Teen & Solo Proficiency)
- Championship (CRSwBM)
- (NA for Pre-Teen & Solo Proficiency)
- Adult Showdance**
(NA for Solo Proficiency & Teacher/Student)
International Standard
Closed Syllabus
- Bronze (WQ)
- Bronze (F)
- Bronze (T)
- Silver (WFQ)
- Silver (T)
- Gold (WTFQ)
Open
- Novice (WFQ)
(NA for Pre-Teen & Solo Proficiency) - Pre-Championship (WTFQ)
(NA for Pre-Teen & Solo Proficiency) - Championship (WTVFQ)
- (NA for Pre-Teen & Solo Proficiency)
- Junior 2, Youth, Under 21, Adult, Senior I, Senior II, Senior III, Senior IV, & Senior V Ten Dance (WTVFQ/SCRPJ)
(NA for Solo Proficiency, Teacher/Student, & Mixed Proficiency) - Adult Showdance**
(NA for Solo Proficiency, Teacher/Student, & Mixed Proficiency)
International
Latin
Closed Syllabus
- Bronze (CR)
- Bronze (S)
- Bronze (J)
- Silver (SCR)
- Silver (J)
- Gold (SCRJ)
Open
- Novice (SCR)
(NA for Pre-Teen & Solo Proficiency) - Pre-Championship (SCRJ)
(NA for Pre-Teen & Solo Proficiency) - Championship (SCRPJ)
(NA for Pre-Teen & Solo Proficiency) - Adult Showdance**
(NA for Solo Proficiency, Teacher/Student, & Mixed Proficiency)
Collegiate Team Matches
Collegiate American Team Match (FTRM)
- Collegiate International Team Match (WQSJ)
**All Showdance couples must submit a video of their Showdance entry by February 15, 2023, to the Ballroom Advisory Council VP USA Dance.
ALL CLOSED SYLLABUS EVENTS WILL BE INVIGILATED USING THE CURRENT USA DANCE SYLLABUS LIST OF ELEMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS. PENALTIES MAY BE GIVEN WITHOUT WARNING FOR ANY SYLLABUS INFRACTIONS.
Awards and Scholarships
Finalists in Bronze through Gold events will receive ribbons.
In Novice through Championship events medals will be awarded through the first three places. Ribbons will be awarded to finalists.
Scholarships will be awarded in designated events.
Dance Vision has sponsored $2500 for top two qualified American Smooth Couples to attend the WDSF Smooth World Championship.
Award ceremonies will be held throughout the competition.
Age Classifications (As of December 31, 2023)
| Classifications | Age |
|---|---|
| Pre-Teen I | 9 or less |
| Pre-Teen II | 10 or 11 |
| Junior I | 12 or 13 |
| Junior I | 14 or 15 |
| Youth | 16, 17, or 18 |
| Under 21* | 16 - 20 |
| Adult | 19 or greater |
| Senior I | 35 or greater (one partner 35, other partner must be 30) |
| Senior II | 45 or greater (one partner 45, other partner must be 40) |
| Senior III | 55 or greater (one partner 55, other partner must be 50) |
| Senior IV | 65 or greater (one partner 65, other partner must be 60) |
| Senior V | 75 or greater (one partner 75, other partner must be 70) |
*Only Championship Standard, Latin, and Ten Dance will be offered in the Under 21 age category. Under 21 is not part of the consecutive age category system and younger dancers cannot dance up into it.
Approval Required of Parent or Guardian for Minors
Written approval of a parent or legal guardian is required for all athletes under the age of 18. This must be presented at time of package pick up.
Age and Proficiency Requirements
Age classifications: Couples Pre-Teen through Youth may dance two consecutive age classifications in a given dance style. Couples Senior I through Senior V in proficiency levels other than Championship may dance as many age categories Adult through Senior V as they wish provided they are age eligible for those age categories within the calendar year of the competition; the age categories need not be consecutive.
Proficiency levels: An athlete may enter as an amateur up to two consecutive proficiency levels in each style or discipline at the minimum level for which the athlete is qualified and one higher.
Rest time will be allowed between rounds of any one event. In the interim, other events will be run. Competitors who register for more than one age group or proficiency level may find some of their events run back-to-back.
Format and Entry Divisions
Events consist of one, two, three, four or five dances in succession without leaving the dance floor.
Nine dance events are divided between Smooth and Rhythm and are not danced consecutively.
Ten dance events are divided between Standard and Latin and are not danced consecutively.
Collegiate Team Matches
There will be four dances in each team match. The American Team Match will be Foxtrot, Tango, Rumba, and Mambo. The International Team Match will be Waltz, Quickstep, Samba, and Jive.
Each team will include 4 couples/8 dancers. A dancer can only dance on one team per team match and may only dance one of the four dances for that team.
Competitors may enter in both team matches.
Two dances in each Team Match are RESTRICTED to bronze dancers only. In the American Style, this will be the Foxtrot and Rumba. In the International Team Match, this will be the Waltz and Samba. The dancers in the Bronze Team Match events must enter at least one Bronze heat in the style they are dancing in the team match.
For purposes of determining syllabus, the team matches are considered open. Invigilation is suspended for the team matches. Lifts are not allowed at any level.
There are no limitations on the number of entries from a given college.
To enter a Collegiate Team Match, only one member of the Team will register for the Team match entry. That person will be the Team Captain. This competitor will then submit the names of the 8 team members including the partnerships, which dance each couple is dancing, and which dancers are the Bronze dancers to nationals-registrar@usadance.org on the Team Match Entry Form.
Competitor Fees
Competitor fees for Nationals participants include a per person non-refundable administrative fee and a per couple entry fee for each event entered; entrance to the ballroom for all sessions; admission to the Friday afternoon Social Dance to be held on Friday from 5:00 to 7:00pm; and a program for each couple.
Workshops on various ballroom topics will be offered throughout the weekend at a cost of $15 per workshop. Workshops are free for collegiate competitors.
Collegiate competitors will pay a per person non-refundable administrative fee of $40 per person which includes entrance to 20 dances. Any additional events entered will be charged at the regular Adult per event entry fee. The administrative fee increases to $60 per person after the early discount deadline of February 15, 2023. Team match entries are not included in the 20 dances.
Collegiate competitors may dance the same event at the Adult level that they dance at the Collegiate level without qualifying for the event.
| Early Pricing | Standard Pricing | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult & Senior Base Fee | $25 | $35 |
| PreTeen, Junior, & Youth Base Fee | $25 | $35 |
| Collegiate Base Fee | $40 | $60 |
Event Fees
| Pre-Teen, Junior, Youth, Adult, Senior, & Collegiate* | |
|---|---|
| 1 dance events | $20 until 2/15/2023 then $25 |
| 2 dance events | $40 until 2/15/2023 then $45 |
| 3 dance events | $60 until 2/15/2023 then $65 |
| 4 dance events | $80 until 2/15/2023 then $85 |
| 5 dance events | $100 until 2/15/2023 then $105 |
| 9-10 dance events | $150 until 2/15/2023 then $155 |
| Showdance | $125 until 2/15/2023 then $130 |
*Applies to events danced in addition to the 20 dances included in the base fee.
Refund Policy
Competitors who cancel by Wednesday, February 15, 2023, will receive a 75% refund of their entry fees; those cancelling between February 15, 2023, and March 2, 2023, will receive a 50% refund. Those cancelling after March 2, 2023, will not receive refunds.
Scoring
The scoring system used is the skating system. The best combined score for all dances determines placement in the event.
Competition Efficiency
Depending upon the number of couples entered, some groups or proficiency levels may dance at the same time as others, even though each group is judged separately.
The organizer reserves the right to cancel events for which there are an insufficient number of entries.
