CATEGORIES, RULES & AWARDS
DIVISIONS
NOVICE
• DANCERS IN THEIR FIRST YEAR OF COMPETITIVE DANCE (INCLUDING PRE-COMPETITIVE DIVISION)
• NOVICE SOLOISTS - THEY MAY HAVE PREVIOUSLY COMPETED IN A DUET/TRIO AND OR GROUP
• NOVICE DUET/TRIO - THEY MAY HAVE PREVIOUSLY COMPETED IN A GROUP (ALL MEMBERS OF THE DUET/TRIO MUST QUALIFY AS NOVICE)
• ALL MEMBERS OF SMALL GROUP, LARGE GROUP, LINE, EXTENDED LINE AND PRODUCTION MUST BE 100% NOVICE
• NOVICE DANCERS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO COMPETE IN THE MAIN EVENT DANCE OFF
(EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE IF 75% OF A STUDIO'S ENTRIES ARE NOVICE AND/OR PRE-COMPETITIVE)
PRE-COMPETITIVE
• DANCERS WHO TRAIN LESS THAN 6 HOURS PER WEEK
• ALL MEMBERS OF DUET/TRIO MUST QUALIFY AS PRE-COMPETITIVE
• ALL MEMBERS OF SMALL GROUP, LARGE GROUP, LINE, EXTENDED LINE AND PRODUCTION MUST QUALIFY AS PRE-COMPETITIVE
• NO COMPETITIVE DANCER MAY DANCE IN A PRE-COMPETITIVE CATEGORY
• PRE-COMPETITIVE DANCERS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO COMPETE IN THE MAIN EVENT DANCE OFF (EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE IF 75% OF A STUDIO'S ENTRIES ARE NOVICE AND/OR PRE-COMPETITIVE)
COMPETITIVE
• DANCERS WHO TRAIN MORE THAN 6 HOURS PER WEEK
• ALL MEMBERS OF DUET/TRIO, SMALL GROUP, LARGE GROUP, LINE,
EXTENDED LINE AND PRODUCTION MUST QUALIFY AS COMPETITIVE
DANCE STYLES
• SONG AND DANCE
• ACRO
• HIP-HOP
• MODERN/CONTEMPORARY
• MUSICAL THEATRE
• LYRICAL
• JAZZ
• TAP
• OPEN
• BALLET
• POINTE
AGE CATEGORIES
AGE DIVISION
• LIGHTWEIGHT 6 AND UNDER
• MINI 7-9 YEARS OF AGE
• JUNIOR 10-12 YEARS OF AGE
• TEEN 13-15 YEARS OF AGE
• SENIOR 16-18 YEARS OF AGE
• ADULT 19 +
ADULT CATEGORIES NOT ELIGIBLE FOR OVERALLS UNLESS SPECIFIED (BASED ON REGISTRATION)
NEW FOR 2027
6 AND UNDER, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, ADULT
• SOLO - BASED ON THE AGE OF THE DANCER AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2026
• DUET/TRIO, SMALL GROUP, LARGE GROUP, LINE, EXTENDED LINE AND
PRODUCTION - BASED ON THE AVERAGE AGE OF DANCERS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2026
• DROP THE DECIMAL POINT E.G., 11.8 =11)
CATEGORIES
• SOLO - 1 DANCER - 3 MINS MAX
• DUET/TRIO - 2-3 DANCERS - 3 MINS MAX
• SMALL GROUP - 4-9 DANCERS - 3 MINS MAX
• LARGE GROUP - 10-15 DANCERS - 4 MINS MAX
• LINE - 16-24 DANCERS - 4 MINS MAX
• EXTENDED LINE - 25 OR MORE DANCERS - 5 MINS MAX
• PRODUCTION - 20 OR MORE DANCERS - 8 MINS MAX
• IMPROV - 1 DANCER
NEW EXTENDED TIME CATEGORIES
• EXTENDED TIME DUET/TRIO - 2-3 DANCERS - 3 MINS +
• EXTENDED TIME SMALL GROUP - 4-9 DANCERS - 3 MINS +
• EXTENDED TIME LARGE GROUP - 10-15 DANCERS - 4 MINS +
• EXTENDED TIME LINE - 16-24 DANCERS - 4 MINS +
• EXTENDED TIME EXTENDED LINE - 25 OR MORE DANCERS - 5 MINS +
*TIME LIMITS WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED
**ONCE MUSIC UPLOADS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED ANY ROUTINES IDENTIFIED AS BEING ENTERED UNDER AN INCORRECT CATEGORY WILL BE REASSIGNED TO THE APPROPRIATE CATEGORY WITHIN THE EXISTING SCHEDULE.
***EXTENDED TIME ENTRIES WILL HAVE IT'S OWN DEDICATED OVERALLS (BASED ON REGISTRATION).
FOR EXAMPLE: EXTENDED TIME SMALL GROUP WILL COMPETE AND RECEIVE OVERALLS WITHIN A SEPARATE EXTENDED TIME SMALL GROUP OVERALL IN IT'S CORRESPONDING AGE DIVISION.
RULES
• EACH SOLOIST MUST BE ENTERED IN A GROUP ROUTINE
TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN A SOLO OVERALL
• A SOLOIST IS ONLY ELIGIBLE TO WIN ONE OVERALL
• NO SOLOIST MAY COMPETE AGAINST THEMSELVES
• MAXIMUM OF 3 ACRO TRICKS ARE ALLOWED IN ANY
CATEGORY OUTSIDE OF THE ACRO AND OPEN CATEGORY
(A TUMBLING PASS IN CONSIDERED 1 TRICK)
• NO INDEPENDENT ENTRIES ALLOWED
SCORING
SYSTEM
SILVER 75 - 79.99
HIGH SILVER 80 - 84.99
GOLD 85 - 89.99
HIGH GOLD 90 - 92.99
KNOCKOUT 93 - 94.99
TKO 95+
*FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD ANNOUNCED IN EACH CATEGORY
* FIRST TO FIFTH ANNOUNCED WHEN 8 OR MORE IN CATEGORY
* MEDAL PLACEMENT ANNOUNCED FOR ENTIRE CATEGORY
OVERALL AWARDS
NOVICE
NOVICE
SOLO
TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORING SOLOS ANNOUNCED IN EACH AGE DIVISION
DUET/TRIO
TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORING DUET/TRIOS ANNOUNCED IN EACH AGE DIVISION
SMALL GROUP / LARGE GROUP / LINE / EXTENDED LINE
TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORING ROUTINES ANNOUNCED FOR 12& UNDER AND 13& OVER
PRE-COMPETITIVE
SOLO
TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORING SOLOS ANNOUNCED IN EACH AGE DIVISION
DUET/TRIO
TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORING DUET/TRIOS ANNOUNCED IN EACH AGE DIVISION
SMALL GROUP / LARGE GROUP / LINE / EXTENDED LINE
TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORING ROUTINES ANNOUNCED IN EACH AGE DIVISION
COMPETITIVE
SOLO
TOP 10 HIGHEST SCORING SOLOS ANNOUNCED IN EACH AGE DIVISION
SMALL GROUP
TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORING ROUTINES ANNOUNCED IN EACH AGE DIVISION
DUET/TRIO
TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORING DUET/TRIOS ANNOUNCED IN EACH AGE DIVISION
LARGE GROUP
TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORING ROUTINES ANNOUNCED IN EACH AGE DIVISION
LINE
TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORING ROUTINES ANNOUNCED IN EACH AGE DIVISION
EXTENDED LINE
TOP 3 HIGHEST SCORING ROUTINES ANNOUNCED IN EACH AGE DIVISION
PRODUCTION
TOP SCORING PRODUCTION ANNOUNCED
IMPROV
TOP SCORING DANCER ANNOUNCED FOR 12& UNDER AND 13& OVER
ADULT CATEGORIES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR OVERALLS UNLESS SPECIFIED (BASED ON REGISTRATION)
OVERALL AWARDS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON REGISTRATION
TKO
SPECIAL AWARDS
SPECIAL AWARDS GIVEN OUT BY THE JUDGES AT EACH AWARDS
CEREMONY TO STANDOUT PERFORMANCES
TOP DANCE STYLE AWARDS
HIGHEST MARK IN EACH DANCE STYLE, IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING
CATEGORIES (EXCLUDING PRODUCTION): SOLO, DUET/TRIO, SMALL
GROUP, LARGE GROUP, LINE AND EXTENDED LINE.
TOP PRE-COMPETITIVE SCORE
HIGHEST MARK IN 12& UNDER AND 13& OVER PRE-COMPETITIVE
CATEGORIES (EXCLUDING PRODUCTION)
TOP PRE-COMPETITIVE STUDIO
HIGHEST SCORING STUDIO IN 12& UNDER AND 13& OVER
PRE-COMPEITIVE
TOP NOVICE SCORE
HIGHEST MARK IN ANY OF THE NOVICE CATEGORIES
(EXCLUDING PRODUCTION)
CHOREOGRAPHY AWARDS
12& UNDER - JUDGES SELECTION (COMPETITIVE & PRE-COMPETITIVE)
13& OVER - JUDGES SELECTION (COMPETITIVE & PRE-COMPETITIVE)
JUDGES CHOICE AWARDS
12& UNDER - JUDGES SELECTION (COMPETITIVE & PRE-COMPETITIVE)
13& OVER - JUDGES SELECTION (COMPETITIVE & PRE-COMPETITIVE)
ENTERTAINMENT AWARDS
12& UNDER - JUDGES SELECTION (COMPETITIVE & PRE-COMPETITIVE)
13& OVER - JUDGES SELECTION (COMPETITIVE & PRE-COMPETITIVE)
TOTAL KNOCKOUT DANCERS
SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO INDIVIDUAL DANCERS
HAND PICKED BY OUR JUDGES