Rules and regulations

The Tournaments

The ESDU presents annual competition events for amateur and professional dancers and singers. At the ESDU Masters Series – qualification tournaments – dancers can qualify for the finals, the ESDU World Dance Masters, held each year in May in Porec/Croatia.

Eligibility

All ESDU Master Series-qualification tournaments- are open to all competitors. As the member of the ESDU, a school, club, union or a person individually has the right to participate on national qualification tournaments under more favourable conditions than non-members. You can become a member of the ESDU by registering on the ESDU Portal www.esdu.org/en/esdu-online-registration/ and by paying 120 Euro annual membership fee.
A competitor is allowed to represent a maximum of two different schools at any one tournament, but must be entered in two different disciplines. All entries with Starting permission have the right to participate.

ESDU World Dance Masters:

Eligible participants are those who have qualified at an ESDU Masters Series qualification tournament and have the permission to start. The obligatory „Starting Permission“ has to be shown at the finals. Participants from countries where the ESDU qualification tournaments aren't held have the possibility to qualify one day before the official start of the ESDU World Dance Masters in Poreč.

ESDU ONLINE REGISTRATION

Before application to any of the ESDU qualification tournaments it is obligatory to register on the ESDU Registration Portal www.esdu.org/en/esdu-online-registration/

You have the possibility to register as the ESDU Member till the 31st of January 2012.

After successful registrations you will automatically receive on your e-mail a registration confirmation and ID number.

ATTENTION: e-mail address and password that you have written during the registration in requested fields, you will use them also to login on the tournament.

If you have questions regarding registration contact us on office@esdu.org

Registration for the ESDU All Other Countries qualification tournament

You can register for the ESDU All Other Countries qualification tournament on the ESDU web page - the MENU – ESDU All Other Countries qualification tournament – registration for the tournament and with your login data ( e-mail and password that you have used for the registration) you can login in the portal.
After the registration is accepted and the payment has been effected, the ESDU will confirm the receipt and the „Starting permission“ will be given and sent via e-mail.

Entries are limited. Schools are encouraged to turn in their applications as early as possible. Dances will be listed in the order of their registration. Once the competition is sold out, further dance applications cannot be accepted.

Changes of an application form are possible within the closing date. No changes are possible, after this deadline.
Schools or clubs that cancel an accepted application will not receive any refund of their application fee.

Multiple entries by one competitor in different categories or disciplines are allowed. In case of multiple entries by a school or club in the same category or discipline, each competitor may only be entered a maximum of two times.
Dances registered in an incorrect category or discipline will be judged by the jury and transferred into the correct category without points being deducted. Please note: If a competitor is entered two times in one discipline, he stays in the same discipline and category he registered and is scored and judged according to the critera for that discipline and category.

Age Groups
A tournament consists of MINI, CHILD, JUNIOR, and SENIOR age groups.
The cut-off date for age groups is the last day of the ESDU World Dance Masters. MINI, CHILD, JUNIOR, and SENIOR groups are based on the average age. Therefore, a competitor may compete in the child group even though he or she may have turned 12 after January 1st. The appropriate age group for a dance is determined by the average age of the competitors!

MINI or CHILDREN are not allowed to compete in the SENIOR group and SENIORS are not allowed to compete in a MINI or CHILDREN group.

Exception: in the discipline “Production Number” it's allowed to have Performances with MINI or CHILDREN and SENIORS.

Average age for dances with more than 1 dancer:
MINI: 5 – 8,5 years
CHILDREN: 8,6 – 12,5 years
JUNIORS: 12,6 - 16,5 years
SENIORS 1: over 16,6 years

Real Age for dances with 1 dancer (Solo):
MINI: 5 – 8 years       
CHILDREN: 9 - 12 years
JUNIORS: 13 - 16 years
SENIORS: over 16 years

Categories – Divisions:
Solo: 1 person
Pair/Trio: 2 or 3 persons
Group: 4-12 persons
Formation: 13 + persons

Time Limits
Solo: 1.00 – 2.00 min
Duo/Trio: 1.00 - 2.00 min
Group : 2.00-3.30 min
Formation : 2.00-3.30

Production Number: 3.00 min – 4.30 min.

Timing starts with the clear start and ends with the clear end of the performance.

Time limits have a window of 5 seconds. Misdemeanor will result in a 20-point deduction.

Music
Please provide one professional quality recording CD for each number entered. Schools are responsible for choosing, editing, running and preparing their own music.
Music will be played from CDs.

CDs should be given to the proper tournament authorities no later than one hour before a performance. Please make sure your CDs are properly prepared.

1 CHOREOGRAPHY = 1 CD.

A reserve CD should be at the disposal.

CD has to be professionally recorded.

SCORING SYSTEM

(a) technique: 40%
(b) choreography: 30%
(c) level of performance: 15%
(d) overall impression: 15%
•    Every  judge gives points  from 1 to 10 in each of the criteria. The total number of points one judge can give is a maximum of 40 points.
•    The jury consists of 3 to 5 judges for each dance. One spare judge is always present.
•    Evaluation is closed-type, and final.
•    There is only one round
After the competition, except for the judges comments, there will be a possibility of getting the number of points gained.

DISCIPLINES:

BALLET
NATIONAL / FOLKLORIC DANCE
CONTEMPORARY   – MODERN
                          – LYRICAL
MTV COMMERCIAL
OPEN
JAZZ
MUSICAL THEATHER
TAP
URBAN DANCE STYLES
B-BOYING
ACROBATIC DANCE
PRODUCTION NUMBER


BALLET
Historical Dances, Classical Ballet, Neo-Classical Ballet, Postclassical Ballet, Characterdance from the classical ballet repertoire. Original choreographies (ag. Swanlake, La Bayadere etc.) and newly created choreographies are permitted. Pure classical technique, in soft shoes or pointed shoes (12 years up)

NATIONAL / FOLKLORIC DANCE
Original choreography is allowed but not necessary.The folkloric dance tradition must be preserved. The costumes and music must reflect the folkloric tradition.

CONTEMPORARY
Please chose between these two subcategories:
MODERN: Emotive and narrative dance that reflects the techniques and characteristics of the modern dance pioneers such as Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Lester Horton.    
LYRICAL: Lyrical is a dance style that combines elements of ballet, modern and jazz dance techniques. It is inspired by the lyrics and the musicial content. Lyrical dance challenges choreographers and dancers to use motion to interpret music and express emotion. A lyrical dancer's movements attempt to show the meaning of the music.

Both of these subcategories are aiming at developing new dance vocabulary and creating experimental coreography.

MTV COMMERCIAL
A fusion of different dance styles with newly created choreographies inspired by the MTV tradition, variety shows and popular singing groups . It is a commercial style of jazz, a fusion of Jazz, Funk, Hip Hop or other styles, which you can see performed both live and in video clips alike The accent is on presentation, style, expression and performance.

OPEN
All dance styles are allowed. A routine in this category should incorporate a combination of styles, and emphasis is placed on originality when combining different dance styles and techniques.  Clear and pure dance technique in any chosen style is required.

JAZZ
Jazz is an energetic dance style, consisting of unique moves depending on the specific style and era of jazz you are leaning. The styles and steps must reflect jazz dance technique (eg. lay outs, jazz pirouettes, jumps etc.). which are based on learning and using technique from classical training The music must reflect the jazz tradition and can vary from theatre style, latin jazz, artistic jazz, lyrical jazz etc. Jazz is an exciting and ever evolving dance form full of rhythm, passion and life that encourages individual expression and the development of personal style.

MUSICAL THEATER
All styles are permitted including both classical and contemporary musicals.
Examples: from the 1930 ( Singing in the rain, Oklahoma, Cabaret, Sweet Charity) up to the present day (Mamma Mia, Producers, Chicago, Wicked, etc.). Storyline, characterisation and costume must reflect the chosen musical theatre peace. Musical character must be recognizable.

TAP
Must have clear tap technique. Appropriate choice of music is essential. No tap sounds are permitted on the music track.

URBAN DANCE STYLES
Urban dance is a fusion of various dance forms mixing together various elements from many different movements from hip hop free style( popping, locking, boogaloo, bump and grind,  etc). Many of these styles of dancing and movements were started on the street without dance studios, in urban dance communities. Please when applying mention the styles and movements you will be using in your performance.

B BOYING
B- boying is a popular style of street dance that was created and developed as part of hip-hop culture. The dance consists of four primary elements: toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes. It is danced to both hip-hop and other genres of music that are often remixed to prolong the musical breaks.

ACROBATIC DANCE
Acrobatics includes both basic and intermediate acrobatic movements such as forward and backwards rolls, handstands, cartwheels beranis and other movements Beside using acrobatic movements and technique, the predominant inclusion of dance elements is required. All dancing styles are allowed but must be creative in interpretation. It will be judged as a dance and not as a gymnastic number.

PRODUCTION NUMBER
Must have a clear theme which takes you on a theatrical journey that has a beginning, middle and end. All dance styles are allowed. Only for groups (9 +).