Rules & Regulations

Onstage Adjudications will happen approximately every 40 numbers and will generally be 15 minutes long. Dancers are invited to come back onstage (in or out of costume) and can sit on the stage for the duration. Lunch break will generally follow the second adjudication and Supper break will generally follow the fourth adjudication of the day and will be approx. 30 min long. The last adjudication of the day will usually be at 9 or 9:30pm.

Age of Dancer as of March 15^th of the current year (closest to competition age). This will be automatically calculated on your DCG account when you add the dancer’s birthdate.

No extra people will be permitted backstage except for the M.C., stage manager and medal assistants.  Teachers must bring their own students backstage from the changing or rehearsal areas and are responsible for all of their dancers at all times while at the competition. Teachers need to check in all dancers/ groups with the M.C. prior to session starting.  Dancers, please be ready 30 min. prior to scheduled time. We reserve the right to run up to ½ hour ahead and will do so when needed.

No cameras, film, video equipment or any other recording devices will be allowed in the Theatre during the competition.  Any person found using such equipment may be subject to disqualification of their child/student/studio – at the discretion of the Standing Ovation Committee.

All decisions by the Judges and Timers are FINAL.  If there is a complaint of any nature, it must be submitted in WRITING to a Standing Ovation representative by the end of the competition.  All matters will be dealt with within two weeks of the current year. Complaints must come thorough the attending studio.

Deadline for entries and fees is Dec 15^th. More information on Drafts and Fees below.

Standing Ovation reserves the right to disqualify any competitor infringing on the rules. No Refunds will be given.

The theatre building will open 1 hour before the start of each day. Dancers, teachers, and families will not be allowed to enter before this time. The doors to the house (stage area) will open 30 minutes before the first number.

No food or drink is allowed in the Theatre, Rehearsal Hall or Changerooms. Only water with a lid will be allowed.

Good sportsmanship and proper conduct are mandatory.  Rudeness and improper language will not be tolerated and are grounds for being expelled from the competition. 

We hire highly qualified judges with impeccable resumes who are knowledgeable in all disciplines. We carefully choose caring judges who are dedicated to assisting our dancers and supporting their training. With live onstage adjudications, our professional judges can assist them on their journey to becoming the best dancers they can be! For events of 4 or more days, we will have a panel of at least 3 Judges and for events of 3 or less days we will have a panel of 2 Judges.

Standing Ovation will not be responsible for lost or stolen articles. Please leave all valuables at home.

No use of stage mics in any discipline.

Absolutely no prompting by any person backstage or in the audience (except for Future Stars category, see Future Stars Notes).  This will result in the competitor’s disqualification.

All props must be listed with your entries on your DCG account (please note size and amounts as well as footprint).  Props must be placed on and removed within 1 minute and may be subject to a $50 fine if a delay in the competition occurs.  Prop load in (delivery) times vary depending on the theatre – information will be sent to the studios one month prior to the competition.

Re-dances will be allowed at the discretion of the judges, only if the performance was less than 50% complete.  Medals will be awarded according to the mark given, but dancers will not be able to qualify for special awards or scholarships in that category. Re-dances will be allowed in the circumstance of technical difficulties, on the part of Standing Ovation Dance Competition or the host venue.

No competitor will be permitted to rehearse on the competition stage during the competition.  This will result in disqualification.

Deadline for entries is Dec 15^th.

*Within a month you will receive a “First Check” of your entries to make sure everything was registered the way you intended. Please respond quickly if anything is not correct. If you are unsure what category best suits a particular routine, choose the discipline you feel best represents that number and where you feel it would be best adjudicated.

*One month before your competition date (more if possible), you will then receive a “Rough Draft” and will be given time to address any concerns.

*You will then receive a “Last Look” and will be given time to fix any problems.

*Finally, you will receive a “Final Draft”. Any changes after the “Final Draft” will only dance for mark and medal and not be able to qualify for Special Awards or Scholarships in that category. Please take care with your corrections.

(please note: Productions are not eligible for Encore Dance Offs)

Routines will be timed from the moment a dancer is seen until the moment the last dancer exits the stage.  A $50.00  penalty will be levied on ALL overtime routines.  Once the teacher has been informed, they will have until the end of that adjudication day to pay in full.  Overtime routines will not be up for scholarships or “Encore Dance Offs” if overtime fees have not been collected.

All overtime fees are added into the scholarship fund for the following year.

Judge’s critiques will be available after the final adjudication and will be accessed through your DCG account to the Studio Owners and Directors.