For a printable copy of these rules, click here.

Our goal is to encourage dancers to become great choreographers.  The Ft. Wayne Dance for All is the perfect place to start!

Please read these rules carefully. Dancers of any level of experience or age may enter the exhibition. This is your chance to showcase your creativity.  Please encourage friends to join you on the dance floor!  Choreographers are responsible for ensuring they are fully up to date with the rules relating to their division.

The Ft. Wayne Dance for All Choreography Exhibition is open to any amateur choreographer. Amateur is defined as an individual who has never received any form of compensation (i.e. monies, accommodation, or travel fees) for teaching their own original choreography or co-choreography. This does not include “volunteering” as an instructor at workshops/events or teaching in an individual group or private class.

Three divisions are offered: Beginner/Improver; Intermediate/Advanced; Phrased. Phrased is defined as a dance with different segments that do not happen in order: A,B,A,A,B, or A,B,A,B,A,B,C etc. Dances with restarts or a dance with only one tag, less than 24 counts, are NOT Phrased. However, entries with both a tag and restart is Phrased.  Phrased entries do not have separate levels.  Contact event directors with any questions regarding the proper division.

OFFICIAL RULES:

  • Entries must be original choreography created within the past twelve (12) months of event.
  • Friends dancing with choreographers must purchase weekend pass.
  • Depending on the number of entries, exhibition schedule will be posted approximately 2 weeks prior to event.  (Choreographers should schedule arrival by 9:00 Friday morning.)
  • Dance scripts are due by February 1st.  Scripts should be 1 page (if possible), have proper formatting of single spacing, with double space separating sections.  Please submit it in .doc format.  Links or scripts from Copperknob or any other website will not be accepted. 
  • $5 per dance entry and only two dances per Division per Choreographer are allowed.
  • Music with unacceptable foul language is NOT acceptable and will be disqualified. Absolutely NO “F” or “GD” words or improper lyrics allowed.
  • Beginner/Improver, and Intermediate/Advanced entries, up to 64 counts, are danced to ONLY four walls or through the tag. Entries over 64 counts will be danced TWO walls. Phrased entries will be danced through the FINAL phrase change.
  • Acrobatic moves are not allowed at any time. These movements include:
    • Any move where both legs are above the waist height of the competitor
    • Any move where the competitor’s weight is on one or both hands
    • Any move where a competitor sits or lies on the floor. (This includes splits.)
  • Vulgar or crude movements are not allowed. Movements beyond the pint of flirtation, humor or comedy will result in dance being penalized or disqualified.
  • Dancers must be in the ballroom 15 minutes prior to exhibition. Each entry’s number will be called twice. If the dancer is not on the floor ready to dance, they may be disqualified.
  • Level of dance must be consistent with choreography. Step descriptions must identify with the proper level. Determining factors such as BPM and direction of travel should be considered in selecting the level of dance. Judges will be watching closely!
  • Intermediate/Advanced steps include: Boogie Walk; Develop; Spin, Mashed Potatoes, Moon Walk, Ronde de Bras, Develop, Pencil Turn, Platform Spin, Toe/Heel/Cross Swivels, Turning Sailor, Sugar Foot, Twinkle, Camel Walk, Count “a”, Swivet, Arabesque, Heel Jacks, more than ¼ Monterey Turn, Progressive Turns, Triple Turn, Vaudeville, Wizard Step, Sailor Shuffle.  “Any turn OVER 1/4 in a syncopated dance step (an & count), except for the basic triple step, is considered an intermediate move. 
  • Props are not permitted.
  • Choreographers should bring music on a backup USB stick or on phone. Please email music with your final step description(s).
  • Music used in Exhibition must be listed first on the step sheet.
  • Choreographer or at least one co-choreographer must perform dance (unless due to injury. Prior approval by event directors is required).
  • Any dance winning first place in any other choreography competition is not allowed.
  • Awards are on Saturday afternoon at 4:45 in the Main Ballroom.
  • Entries are judged primarily on choreography (content/phrasing/flow). Proper execution is considered and a small part of judging. It is easier for judges to evaluate a well-executed dance. A dance performed with clean execution is easier to learn and more fun to do.

SCORING:

Fifty (50) possible points are given based on Content, Flow/Phrasing, Execution, Entertainment, and Promotional Value. 

  • CONTENT (15 points) – Variety, complexity, and originality of dance positions, moves and dance maneuvers. Selection of dance maneuvers and combinations of these maneuvers and their relationship to the music.
  • FLOW/PHRASING/MUSIC FIT (15 points) – Flow of steps to include transition to different directions. Steps for the music phrasing, accents, rhythm, and tempo.
  • EXECUTION (5 points) – Proper execution of basic step patterns, framework and hand, head, arm and body movements. Timing, rhythm, balance, and smoothness of dance. (Although the actual choreography is being judged, execution must be considered as a determining factor in some cases where the alike steps are included in multiple dances.)
  • ENTERTAINMENT (5 points) – Attitude, enthusiasm, energy, and excitement. Pride in dancing. Relationship with the audience.
  • PROMOTIONAL VALUE (10 points) – Of or relating to the publicizing of a dance, to increase dancers’ and instructors’ awareness of the dance. This does not necessarily mean the judge will promote, but does this dance appeal to the dance community.

All questions regarding rules interpretations must be submitted prior to the exhibition starting.

Judges are asked to write comments during the dance, however, due to time restrictions, judge may not have the opportunity to write for every entry. Non-compliance of rules and guidelines by competitors may result in point loss / disqualification. Scores will be emailed to competitors.

ATTIRE:

If judges feel attire is not acceptable, a conference will be called, to include event director(s), resulting in entry being dropped a full placement in final scoring or possible disqualification. Due to time restrictions, costumes changes between dances and/or divisions are not allowed.

EXHIBITION ETHICS:

Judges deal in privileged information. We encourage judges to socialize with everyone; however, they are not to discuss specific judges’ observations, will not coach, teach, and critique dancers they are judging until after awards. They will interact professionally with choreographers and in no case discuss the results of any competition while the exhibition is ongoing.

All decisions of the Judges’ findings / rulings and Event Director(s) are considered final.

Questions on administration and/or execution of the competition should be submitted in writing via email to Directors after the event.

Directors are open to any suggestions or comments. 

DESCRIPTION OF INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED TERMS:

ARABESQUE – Free leg extended straight back, forward or to the side, parallel to floor, one arm stretched out to front (an exaggerated pose)

ATTITUDE – Free leg lifted, knee bent, extended forward or backward (a pose)

BOOGIE WALK – Move free leg lifting hip and stepping forward with circular movement, transferring weight to moving leg

CAMEL WALK – Two beat maneuver – Stepping forward on first beat, forward foot does a knee pop on second beat while trailing foot slides up and under raised heel of forward foot. Weighted leg does knee pop prior to stepping forward on free leg which has a straight knee. (May be done to diagonal)

COUNT “a” – Represents when counting 1/16 beats (e.g. – 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4)

DEVELOPE – Free leg is brought up so knee is bent waist level and leg extended straight outward, backward or sideward.

JAZZ BOX – Turning ½ – Cross stepping free leg over weighted leg, take weight making ½ turn left or right, stepping back on free leg, stepping free leg beside weighted leg, stepping free leg beside weighted leg.

MASHED POTATOES – Syncopated pattern traveling backwards – Stepping back (often crossing behind other foot) heel turned slightly in and quick swiveling of heel on weighted foot out, repeating on other foot. (e.g. – Step Right back, heel turned slightly left (&). Swivel Right heel to right (1). Step Left back, heel turned slightly to right (&). Swivel Left heel left (2).

MONTEREY TURN – 4-count standing pattern starting with either foot. Unless specified a Monterey turn is always a ½ turn. (e.g. – Right toe touch to right side, on ball of Left turn ½ turn right closing Right to Left with weight. Touch Left toe to left side, closing Left beside Right.

PENCIL TURN & PLATFORM SPIN – Stationary turn on one foot with other foot in unweighted first position. (Usually completed in one beat of music)

PORT DE BRAS – Includes position and movement of head in relation with arms or movement of arms into different positions.

PROGRESSIVE TURNS – Pivot turn that performs half a rotation with each step. Can be chained together to produce a series of half turns, thighs close together.

RONDE DE JAMBE (RONDE/SWEEP) – Half circles traced with one foot. Extended foot should never reach higher than knee.

SAILOR STEP (Turning Sailor Step) – A triple step pattern leaning in opposite direction of crossing foot (weight stays centered over lead foot). (e.g. – Leaning forward left, step Left behind Right (1), side, step Right (&), side, step Left to original position.)

SWIVET – Twist heel of one foot and ball to the other side, feet remaining parallel, then twist back to center. (e.g. – On ball of Left and heel of Right, swivel Left heel left and Right toes right. Then return to center. Heel and toes should be moved at approximately 45-degree angle).

THREE STEP TURN (Triple Step) – Three steps done to two main beats of music. Usually, two quick steps and one slow step. (e.g. – counted as ‘quick, quick, slow’,. ‘one & two’, ‘three & four’, etc.) TOE/HEEL/CROSS SWIVELS – Feet together, move heels or toes in given direction putting weight on opposite part of foot. V

AUDEVILLE (Heel Jacks) – A syncopated crossing pattern. (e.g. – Step slight back and left on Left (&). Cross step Right over Left (1). Step slightly left on Left turning body diagonally right (&). Touch Right forward diagonally right (2).

Revised 04/01/2026