For those of you not familiar with dance competitions, here are some facts that may help you understand what you are watching at Dance Pacifica.

Accreditation

Dance Pacifica is an amateur ballroom dance competition - professional ballroom dancers cannot compete.  It is sanctioned by DanceSport BC, itself a member of the Canadian Amateur DanceSport Association (CADA) which is a member of the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF).  DanceSport BC defines the rules governing the Dance Pacifica competition: syllabus requirements, the exact definition of age levels, dress code, etc.  In order to compete, dancers must be registered with DanceSport BC (unless it is their first time competing in a sanctioned competition).

The Dances

Competitors at Dance Pacifica dance the international style.  The dances of the international syllabus are split into two major categories.  There are five Standard dances: Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Slow Foxtrot and Quickstep.  There are five Latin dances: Samba, Cha cha, Rumba, Paso Doble, and Jive.

Levels of Difficulty

Each event at Dance Pacifica falls into one of six levels of difficulty: Newcomer, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Pre-Championship and Championship.  Competitors in Newcomer, Bronze, Silver or Gold must limit themselves to the steps defined in the international syllabus.  At progressively higher levels the number of steps increases, and the difficulty of the steps increases, requiring greater technique, experience and athletic ability.  Pre-Championship and Championship couples are not restricted by the syllabus and are allowed more interpretive leeway in their performances.

In addition, the number of dances performed by each couple varies by level.  For example, competitors in Newcomer usually compete in only one dance, which is selected in advance by the dance committee (in the past, the Dance Pacifica committee has usually selected the Waltz for the Standard division and the Cha cha for the Latin division).  The number of dances to perform increases with the level.  At the Gold level, couples compete in three of the five dances.  Championship dancers must perform all five dances and sometimes solo in two of the dances as well.

The level at which a couple dances is determined by points that they earn at Dance Pacifica and similar competitions.  For instance, 3 points might be awarded for winning 1st place, 2 points for 2nd place, and 1 point for 3rd place.  The number of points awarded varies with the number of competitors entered in the event.  Once some specified number of points (e.g. 9 points for Bronze) has been reached, the couple is required to compete at the next higher level at subsequent competitions.  A couple can enter Newcomer events only twice before they must advance to Bronze.

Age Categories

Event categories are also divided by age range.  Juvenile events are for dancers 11 years old and younger.  Junior categories span the ages of 12 to 15, with further subdivisions possible if enrollment gets too high.  Youth divisions are for 16 to 18 year olds.  The Adult division is the main focus of any dance competition. 

To accommodate competitors who are getting on in age there is the Senior division starting at age 35.  Some may find this low age limit a bit insulting - but it points to the athleticism, endurance and energy required to dance at the high level of the best BC amateur dancers.  Sometimes at larger competitions a second level for seniors 50 and older is offered.

The Judges

At Dance Pacifica there are seven judges - from BC and other parts of Canada or the US.  Judges are qualified and registered with the Canadian Dance Teachers Association (CDTA) or an equivalent body in other countries (judges, too, have a set of rules to follow).

Judging is based on observed technique (frame, footwork, movement, body shaping, alignments, degree of turn, connection with partner), presentation (dress, appearance, styling, projection, energy level) and musicality (individual interpretation of the music).  Each judge adds his or her personal preferences and areas of emphasis to their knowledge of dance requirements.  Due to time constraints and the number of couples dancing at one time, they must often make their decisions based on only quick glances at each couple.

Finals and Semi-Finals

Multiple couples (at a given level and age category) dance at one time.  If there are more than seven couples registered for an event then semi-finals must be scheduled for that event - and additional rounds and heats if the number of couples is even higher.

In the preliminary rounds a couple advances if they are "called back" by the judges.  In the final round each judge ranks the couples in order; the scrutineer then tallies the results from all the judges to determine the final ranking.

The Prizes

Medals and/or trophies are usually offered to the top three competitors in each category by the event’s organizing committee.  Sometimes cash prizes are also offered, to help defer the costs of dance training and competition.  This will usually depend on the amount of financial support that the organizing committee can raise from the community.

Pro Am Events

In addition to the regular amateur events, Dance Pacifica may offer Pro Am events (first offered in 2004).  In these, a student (Am) dances a routine with his or her teacher (Pro). The panel of judges grades the student’s performance.  These events fall under the jurisdiction of CDTA, and competitors and their teachers must be registered with CDTA (or an equivalent body in the US).

For Further Information

If you have questions regarding the rules and regulations surrounding dancesport competitions, try connecting to the DanceSport BC web page at www.dancesportbc.com.  For exact definitions of age levels, details surrounding the points system, dress regulations, etc., click on "About DSBC" at the top of the page and then "Schedule B: Competition Rules".