Rules

DANCE TEACHERS UNITED

COMPETITION AND CONVENTION UPDATED RULES

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY — Our Rules and Process Have Changed

REGISTRATION

• All competition entries must be registered for the convention and competition with a DTU member teacher before the published deadline.

• Registration for all competition entries is on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Registration closes 21 days before the competition date.

• Armbands must be worn by every competitor throughout the competition and workshop. Lost or broken armbands require a $5 replacement fee.

• Only paid members of Dance Teachers United may enter dancers in the competition. Please ensure membership dues are current and in good standing.

• No independent dancers will be allowed to register for the convention or competition.

• The minimum age for the talent competition is 4 years old. All dancers/families should be prepared to show a birth certificate.

• Studio owners, salaried instructors, and dancers over the age of 22 may not compete at DTU competitions. Members may present a routine to be showcased and critiqued. They will receive a Level of Achievement award and judges' critiques; however, they will not be eligible for overall or monetary awards.

• Paid studio assistants or assistant teachers under the age of 21 shall compete in the Pro-Am division.

• If a studio assistant competes with a group, the group must be entered in the Pro-Am division regardless of the group's average age.

• The Pro-Am division will not be awarded overall placement titles and is not eligible for monetary awards.

• All entries must be registered through the DTU website on DanceBug.

• The DanceBug service is free to use for all studios.

• Only one solo per dancer per event is permitted.

• All teachers are required to pay their registration and accompany any and all dancers registered for DTU events.

• Membership fees must be current and paid in full to be eligible to compete and receive discounted convention rates.

• At least one teacher from the studio staff must be registered for the convention and accompany the dancers at all times during the event.

• Without complete registration, including payment, and a teacher in attendance, studio dancers will not be allowed to participate.

LEVELS OF ACHIEVEMENT

Levels of Achievement will be determined solely by judges' scores. DTU member teachers are no longer required to designate an act's competitive level (Recreational or Competitive) at registration.

Overall awards will be presented within each Level of Achievement:

Crystal

Diamond

Platinum

No overall awards will be given to acts receiving Gold or below.

LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RATING SCALE

300–285 Points: Crystal Award

284.99–270 Points: Diamond Award

269.99–245 Points: Platinum Award

244.90–225 Points: Gold Award

224.99–0 Points: Spirit of Dance Award

AWARDS

All entries will receive a Level of Achievement award based on the number of points earned from the judges.

Competitors will also be eligible for overall awards within each division. Overall awards are based on the number of entries and are at the discretion of the Competition Director.

All judges' decisions are final.

OVERALL AWARDS

Overall awards will be presented to the Crystal, Diamond, and Platinum Levels of Achievement.

Fall/Winter: Top Five in each division awarded to 11 & Under and 12 & Over.

Summer: Top Ten in each division awarded to 11 & Under and 12 & Over.

MONETARY AWARDS

All monetary awards will be made out to the DTU member teacher sponsoring the act.

SUMMER HIGH SCORE GROUP AWARD

11 & Under and 12 & Over

$300 presented to the teacher

SUMMER HIGH SCORE SOLO OR DUET/TRIO

11 & Under and 12 & Over

$150 presented to the teacher

FALL/WINTER HIGH SCORE GROUP AWARD

11 & Under and 12 & Over

$150 presented to the teacher

FALL/WINTER HIGH SCORE SOLO OR DUET/TRIO

11 & Under and 12 & Over

$75 presented to the teacher

All registered competitors receive a custom keepsake DTU Pin.

OTHER AWARDS

Martha Geeslin Outstanding Stage Performer(s) of the Day

Susan Allen Best Costume of the Day

Mary Alpha Johnson-Donnelly Outstanding Choreography of the Day

Beverly Smith Invitational Award

Vicki Giles Taking the Stage Award

Claire Gaines Entertainment Award

Carla Parker "Bridging the Gap" Award

DTU Nationals Competition Clash Award – 11 & Under and 12 & Over (Summer Only)

Additional special awards will be given at the discretion of the judges.

DISCIPLINES

Ballet

Musical Theatre

Contemporary

Hip Hop

Jazz

Tap

Novelty

Lyrical

Open

Acrobatics

Dance Team

Kickline

DIVISIONS

Petite: 4–8 years old

Juniors: 9–12 years old

Teens: 13–15 years old

Seniors: 16–18 years old

College: 19 years old and up

Pro-Am: 21 years and under

Showcase: 22 years and up

CONVENTION CLASS AGES

Petites: 4–8 years old

Juniors: 9–11 years old

Seniors: 12 years and up

CATEGORIES AND TIME LIMITS

Solos: 2¾ minutes

Only one solo per dancer allowed per competition.

Duet/Trio: 3½ minutes

Small Group: 4–9 dancers – 3½ minutes

Large Group: 10 or more dancers – 4 minutes

Productions: 16 or more dancers – 6 minutes

TIME LIMIT ON ACTS

Any act running 5 seconds or more overtime will be deducted 3 points per judge.

Extra time is available to purchase at the time of registering the act on DanceBug.

SCHEDULING

DTU competition organizers try to schedule all dances with the utmost concern for the students performing.

The order and lineup are based on category and age division.

Once the lineup is published and has been made official, any act moved outside their scheduled awards session will not be eligible for high score or overall awards.

Each entry must be entered in a discipline appropriate for that number.

The acrobatics category should consist of at least 51% acrobatics and 49% dance.

AGE CATEGORY

The age category shall be determined by the average age of the dancers in the act.

You must round up if the average age is .5 or higher.

Enter each dancer's age at the time of competition.

BUMP RULE

Any duet, trio, group, or production cannot compete in an age division more than one division younger than the oldest dancer in the act, regardless of the average age.

Example: An entry with an average age of 11 (Junior) that includes a participant at the age of 16 (Senior) must be entered in the Teen division, which is one division younger than the oldest dancer.

PROPS

Props must be free-standing and must be set and removed quickly to keep the show moving.

Failure to do this in a timely manner could result in a 25-point deduction.

No props requiring electricity are allowed.

No use of fire, helium balloons, glass, or live animals is allowed.

No liquids, glitter, mist, etc. are allowed on stage.

Petals, leaves, or similar materials must be able to be swept up by the studio within 30 seconds after the number has concluded.

Failure to adhere to these restrictions may result in a fine set forth by the venue.

MUSIC

All finalized music must be uploaded to DanceBug at least one week prior to the competition.

Teachers must be ready with backup music.

Music and choreography must be suitable for a family audience.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The doors will open for general seating one half hour prior to the published start time of the competition.

Dressing rooms will be assigned depending on the venue.

All Photogenic and Improv entries must be pre-registered for the Convention.

There will be NO rehearsal time on stage before competition.

Color-coded armband registration applies to Convention Classes only.

Teachers may adjust convention level as needed during online registration; however, all dancers must compete in the appropriate age division for the competition.

No reserved seating is allowed.

Special accommodations will be made for handicapped individuals and member teachers.

EVENT CHANGES, CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS

Dance Teachers United is committed to providing a high-quality event experience. However, in the event of circumstances beyond our control—including but not limited to natural disasters, severe weather, government restrictions, public health emergencies, or other "Act of God" events—Dance Teachers United reserves the right to modify, postpone, or cancel any event as necessary.

In such cases, refunds will not be guaranteed.

Participants may be offered a credit toward a future event, transfer of registration, or partial refund at the discretion of Dance Teachers United, depending on the circumstances and expenses DTU has already incurred.

Dance Teachers United is not responsible for any additional costs incurred by participants, including but not limited to travel, lodging, or other related expenses.

By registering for a Dance Teachers United event, DTU members, studio employees and/or staff, studio owners, and any other affiliated members' associations, including but not limited to dancers and the families of DTU members, acknowledge and accept this policy.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Any scholarships awarded through either the competition or convention hold no cash value and are redeemable only by DTU member teachers within one year of the award date.

All scholarships are redeemable on DanceBug as part of the registration process.

SPORTSMANSHIP

Sportsmanlike behavior is expected at all times.

A failure to do this will result in immediate disqualification with NO refund.

CONTACT INFORMATION

FOR COMPETITION INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS:

Ashley Jordan-Fuller

Email: dtuashley@gmail.com

Text: 251-331-3285

FOR CONVENTION AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS:

Shey Campbell

Email: shey.dtu@gmail.com

Text: 601-540-0379

MAIL-IN PAYMENTS

Shey Campbell

821 Easterly Drive

Brandon, MS 39042

www.d-t-u.com