Competitor Information

General Rules

• Open to all NZ and International competitors.
• Registration must be finalised by Friday 6 November 2026, 1:00pm — this includes the registration form, entry fee payment, and music submission for choreographed sections.
• Choreography re-use (2026): a routine may be reused from a previous year, including at a different division level. The same routine may be used in a maximum of 2 entries in any given year.
• Competitors may enter as many categories as they're eligible for, but only once per category — except Professional competitors in Pro-Am, who may enter multiple times with different Amateur partners (the Amateur may still only enter once per Pro-Am category). Competitors may also enter multiple Teams if representing different schools.
• A minimum of 3 entries is required for a category to run; below that, the organiser reserves the right to merge it with another category, and will notify affected team leaders / competitors.
• No props allowed — see Definitions below for what counts as a prop.

Music Rules & Requirements

• Youth / Adult Solos & Duets: 1:10–1:30 minutes.
• Adult Couples & Teams: 1:30–2:00 minutes.
• Entrance / exit should not be included in the music cut — it counts as part of the song length.
• Tracks over/under these limits by up to 10 seconds: 5-point deduction, plus 1 point per further 10 seconds.
• Remixed music is fine as long as the base rhythm and signature beat of the style stays clear and recognisable. No mixing dance styles within a routine except Showcase categories. Maximum 2 songs per music cut (Open Reggaeton Teams may use more).
• Three things to do: (1) upload your music in the format specified via the registration platform, (2) label it clearly with your name/team and category, (3) bring a labelled USB backup with you on competition day.
• Music submission deadline matches the registration deadline: Friday 6 November 2026, 1:00pm. Late or missing music forfeits the registration fee and category entry — no re-submissions after the deadline.

Definitions

Pro-Am

A Professional or Semi-Pro dancer partnered with an Amateur; only the Amateur is judged (though Professional/Semi-Pro errors that detract from the Amateur's performance can still cost points).

Cabaret

Minimum 50% recognisable partner dancing; tricks and lifts allowed for the remainder. Max 8 bars / 32 beats / 4 counts of 8 for continuous turns (2pt deduction if exceeded). Consistent timing throughout.

Classic

Minimum 50% recognisable partner dancing; max 6 tricks, no lifts. One foot must stay on the floor at all times, even during tricks (2pt deduction if both feet leave the floor via partner assistance).

Trick

Any movement needing the other partner's support to maintain, regardless of whether feet stay on the floor. Back-to-back tricks count as one only if they flow seamlessly, don't change direction, and stay within 2 counts of 8.

Lift

Both feet leave the floor with a partner's assistance. Same back-to-back rule as tricks.

Prop

Any object that isn't part of the costume — including any costume piece that becomes detached, intentionally or not (e.g. jacket, hat, wig), whether it's the wearer's own or removed by a partner/teammate.

Freestyle Categories

Entered with a partner; judged on lead/follow connection, timing, musicality, creativity, styling and grounded technique. No lifts; tricks and dips (follower keeping one foot down) should be used sparingly. Individual shines are fine, but pre-choreographed sections are discouraged. Partners may not swap lead/follow roles mid-category. Judged by ranking only (no numeric score) — organisers choose the music, two songs per round at different tempos, roughly 1:30–2:00 each. All couples dance simultaneously and rotate position between songs. More than 6 couples triggers a Qualifier Round with the top 6 progressing to Finals (overall score = average of heat + final).

Jack & Jill Categories

Entered solo — partners are randomly rotated. Same rules as Freestyle above. Ranked only, with Leaders and Followers scored separately per song.

Choreographed Categories — General

Performed one at a time to chosen music, meeting duration and genre requirements. No restriction on move combinations; shines and tricks permitted for partnered categories per the Classic/Cabaret definitions above. Costume malfunctions are deducted per the tiered system in the Deductions table below.

Category-Specific Rules

• Duets (all styles): up to 3 connected/assisted moves, each within 2 counts of 8. Simultaneous/group moves within that window count as one. Exceeding 3 moves, or exceeding the time window, is a 2pt deduction each.
• Couples (all styles): Classic or Cabaret format. Minimum 50% recognisable partner dancing (raised from a 30%-shines cap for 2026 — same rule, opposite framing: up to 50% may now be shines/tricks/dips/flares); 2pt deduction if not met.
• Shines Teams (all styles): Youth 17-year-olds may compete but shouldn't exceed 30% of team members, and are judged the same as adults. Same connected-move limits as Duets (3 moves, 2 counts of 8 each, 2pt deduction each if exceeded). Minimum 3 members per team; a school may field more than one team only with a completely different roster per routine.
• Couples Teams (all styles): Classic or Cabaret format, minimum 3 couples per team (1 leader + 1 follower = 1 couple), performed lead/follow. Same multi-team-per-school rule as above.

Deductions Table (2026)