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RULES

REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPETITION

  1. All competitors must hold a full weekend pass to Montreal Westie Fest and pay all competition fees.

  2. All competitors must report to the competition registration desk prior to competition and have a Bib Number assigned to them.

  3. Staff members may compete in the division(s) they qualify for.

  4. All contests must have a minimum of five (5) couples to be a valid contest.

  5. Montreal Westie Fest offers a casual dress code for competitions.  We require you to dress respectfully, but you do not have to be formal.

 

CONTESTANTS’ MEETINGS

  1. Montreal Westie Fest will not be holding contestants meetings.

  2. If you have any questions regarding the competition, you may ask the Chief Judge.

  3. You may also petition for change of dance level through an offered petition form which will be available at registration. 

  4. You will be asked to line up prior to each division. The area for lining up will be announced prior to the division starting, please be in the ballroom and paying attention to all announcements.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: IF YOU ARE NOT IN LINE WHEN YOUR HEAT IS WALKING IN TO THE COMPETITION AREA, YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO DANCE. PLEASE BE AWARE OF SCHEDULED COMPETITION TIMES AND BE PREPARED (WITH YOUR BIB NUMBER) TO DANCE.
 

JUDGES

  1. There will be a minimum of five Judges for all competitions. In addition, Montreal Westie Fest will have a Chief Judge and Alternate Judges available.

 

SCORING SYSTEM

  1. Contests are scored by relative placements utilizing a tablet based scoring system.

  2. Contestants will be judged as an individual in the J&J preliminaries and/or semi-finals and as a couple in all finals.

 

MUSIC AND VIDEO

  1. Music for the Strictly Swing, Pro-Am and Jack & Jill competitions will be the responsibility of its DJs.

  2. Rising Star and Pro-Am Spotlight:

    1. Couples are responsible for their own music selection. Couples are also responsible for sending the DJ their music at least an hour before floor trials.

  3. You are free to video all performances and competitions unless otherwise advised.

 

FLOOR TRIALS

  1. See Schedule 

 

POSTING OF RESULTS

  1. The detailed results of all the competitions will be posted after the final awards are given on Sunday.

  2. The results of all the competitions will be posted on the website and Facebook event as soon as possible.

 

PROCEDURE FOR COMPETITIONS

  1. Competitor line up will be announced in the main ballroom prior to your competition.

  2. You must line up and check in with the contest coordinators in the designated location.

  3. If you are not in line and checked in by the time the contest is ready to begin, you will be removed from the competition and not allowed to compete.

 

WSDC JACK & JILL COMPETITIONS

  1. Newcomer, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, All-Star and Sophisticated :

  2. There will be Preliminaries, Semi-finals and Finals as needed depending on the number of dance entries.

  3. Contests are judged by relative placement.

  4. For Preliminaries and Semi-finals, contestants will be judged individually; in the Finals you will be judged as a couple.

  5. You will be dancing for a period of 1½ -2 minutes. The number of contestants brought back for the finals will be determined in advance or where a natural break occurs when possible.

  6. All Star dancers must compete in the Jack & Jill in order to receive a discounted pass.

 

NON WSDC JACK & JILL COMPETITIONS​

  1. Pro-Am (for Newcomer/Novice, Intermediate)

    1. Multiple on-staff professionals will be assigned randomly.

    2. You will be dancing to a minimum of 3 songs appropriate to your division.

  2. Lumber Jack & Jill​​

    1. Contest is open to all Competitors, who may enter the contest as a leader or a follower (but not both). The couples are randomly paired, and are judged as a couple. The pairings are randomized throughout the heats of the contest. The preliminary, semi-final and final rounds will be heated.

    2. Any contestant that dances more than once (due to uneven numbers of competitors) in the prelims, may dance in the next round only once, the next contestant in line will get to the next round but without his or her partner.

    3. Every contestant must wear a plaid shirt or accesory to participate in the contest (some shirts might be available for sale on site).

    4.  The finals will be spotlighted.

 

SCHEDULED COMPETITION TIMES

  1. Check out event schedule on website (start times are flexible – always SUBJECT TO CHANGE based on number of contestants, etc)

  2. Changes in competition start times will be announced in the ballroom and posted on Facebook.  A sheet may also be posted on the wall near registration if any significant changes are made.

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COMPETITION RULES

  1. Montreal Westie Fest Sportsmanship Expectations:

    • Sportsmanship is a fundamental aspect of our competition. Competing at an event is a privilege, not a right. The event director may flag a competitor’s behaviour as un-sportsmanlike. Said behaviour will be reviewed by the Chief Judge. Redress for violations can include but are not limited to dropping in placement, or removal from competition

  2. Rising Star Division:

  3. Pro-Am Spotlight Division:

    • This division is offered for all styles of Swing: West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Hustle, Shag and Hand Dance or any other style of popular swing dance. Students enter with a professional and perform a choreographed routine to music they choose. Couples dance in a solo format. Both the professional and amateur’s performance is considered by the judges. Dance order will be chosen at random and posted prior to the division start time. Music instructions will be provided in a google form sent to you upon registration for your routine division.

    • The routine should be a minimum of 2 minutes and a maximum of 3 minutes.

    • Costumes are encouraged, but not required.

    • Time and judging starts at first movement of performance with or without music and it ends when the music stops.

    • Lifts, drops, tricks and stunts are allowed but not required.

    • No props are allowed.

    • Routines must be at least 75% recognizable of the style of the performance.

    • The division may be separated into leads/follows or by level based on entries and the discretion of the Chief Judge and event director.

  4. Strictly Swing Divisions:

    • This division consists of swing dancing that encourages lead and follow partner dancing at its best. Although swing includes amalgamations and patterns that are familiar to many dancers, the essence of lead and follow must be maintained in and out of these patterns. Strictly Swing division is not meant for long and extended pre-choreographed phrases. Choreography “on the fly” is the objective.

    • Competitors may dance in their level, based on the partnership, as well as dance in another division above their level with a different partner. However, if you enter the Pro Strictly Swing you can only dance in this division in your role.  You can switch roles to dance in a different Division. 

    • Drops, leans and other partner weight support moves are allowed as long as both partners keep at least one foot on the floor.

    • Costumes are not allowed. However, matching or complementary outfits suitable for social dancing are acceptable.

    • This division will be danced in heats and/or spotlight at the promoter’s discretion.

    • Couples must maintain physical contact except for spins, turns, short break-a-ways, and recoveries.

    • Dancers must maintain their own physical contact with the floor during partner weight support moves

  5. Switchly

    • Contestants who are skilled in both Leader and Follower roles may compete in the ‘Switchly’. This competition is held as a strictly and contestants must sign up as a partnership. Contestants are dancing to music selected by the DJ. The preliminary, semi-final and final rounds will be heated. Pre-choreographed routines are not allowed.

    • Costumes are not allowed. However, matching or complementary outfits suitable for social dancing are acceptable.

    • This division will be danced in heats and/or spotlight at the promoter’s discretion.

    • Couples must maintain physical contact except for spins, turns, short break-a-ways, and recoveries.

    • Dancers must maintain their own physical contact with the floor during partner weight support moves

    • Couples are required to ‘switch roles’ and dance as both a leader and a follower multiple times throughout their dances.

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