2009 FDC Rules & Regulations
Group Size and Time Limits
Division *Time Size
- Solo* 2.45 1
- Duet/Trio* 2.45 2-3
- Small Group* 3:00 4-9
- Large Group* 4:00 10-19
- Line* 4:00 20+
Age Divisions
- Petite: 8 and Under
- Junior: 9-11 years
- Teen: 12-14 years
- Senior: 15-19 years
- Adult*: 20+ (Adult Category-see explanation below)
Age Cut Off
January 1st, 2009.
Average Age
Round down or drop decimal.
*Adult Category: Any performer 20 years or older dancing in any solo, duet/trio or group is NOT eligible for the High Point and is considered to be in the Adult division. Adult division includes Teachers, Pros & Parents.
Rules
Bump Rule: Duet/Trios, Groups & Lines including dancers of different age divisions will compete no more than one age division younger than the oldest dancer, regardless of average age. For example: if a group includes a dancer age 16 (senior) and the average age is 11 (junior), the group will compete one level above junior – age 12 (teen).
Prop Rule: For safety measures, a dancer may not be more than 6 feet off the ground while on top of any scenic piece.
Littering Rule: No form of liquid, gel, aerosol or glitter may be used that would affect the dancing surface.
FDC Guidelines
Photography
No video or still cameras of any type are allowed. The FDC does not allow the use of audience photography or videography of onstage performances due to the prevalence of people of questionable nature. We urge all studio owners, teachers, and especially parents to keep our performers photographically safe. Each organization will individually address the photographer personally with discretion. The use of cameras may lead to an entry being adjudicated only.
Scheduling
Events are not scheduled to perform earlier than 7:00 AM on any day. Every effort will be made to schedule the last entry to perform no later than 10:30 PM on Sunday nights.
Inappropriate Elements
Choreography, costuming, and/or the use of dance themes such as rape, suicide, murder, sex, domestic violence, anorexia, and dark undertones chosen and/or presented to competition audiences with a lack of “artistic discretion” is considered inappropriate. The FDC appreciates the art form, creativity and desire to heighten world awareness of these themes through dance but deem it inappropriate to present them to audiences that include children of every age. We recognize that this is extremely subjective and sensitive. Therefore, each competition will individually address these performances as they surface at each particular event. An entry that is ultimately deemed inappropriate by an FDC competition will be adjudicated only. We urge all studio owners, teachers, and especially parents to keep performances thematically and choreographically appropriate.
Judges
FDC judges are a combination of championship caliber competition studio directors, teachers affiliated with major dance studios like Broadway Dance Center, and currently performing dance professionals. First and foremost, these judges are all well trained in multiple genres of dance and are sensitive to the various skill levels represented by the dancers’ differing ages. This mixture of age, breadth of dance experience, and extensive background in performing arts contributes to the diverse range of feedback judges can offer all our competitors. Minimum FDC judges’ feedback for every entry includes comments in four main areas: Technique, Choreography, Age/Skill level, Appropriateness and Performance Skills.