CATEGORIES,
RULES &
REGULATIONS
CATEGORIES
SOLO: 1 Dancer
DUO/TRIO: 2-3 Dancers
SMALL GROUP: 4-9 Dancers
LARGE GROUP: 10-16 Dancers
LINE: 17-23 Dancers
EXTENDED LINE: 24+Dancers
PRODUCTION: 17+ Dancers

AGE DIVISION
PETITE: 7yrs & under
MINI: 8-9yrs
JUNIOR: 10-12yrs
TEEN: 13-15yrs
SENIOR: 16-21yrs
ADULT: 22yrs+
Solo: Based on the age of the dancer as of December 31st, 2025*
Duet/Trio, Small group, Large group, Line, Extended line and Production; Based on the average age of dancers as of December 31st, 2025
CLASSIFICATIONS
NOVICE
Dancers in their first year of competitive dance
SOLOS:
A dancer that has never competed previously in a solo.
DUET:
100% of the dancers have never competed before in a duet.
TRIO:
100% of the dancers have never competed before in a trio.
GROUPS:
75% of the dancers have never competed before.
COMPETITIVE
Dancer(s) who trains more than 6 hours a week; including choreography hours.
PRE-COMPETITIVE
Dancers who train 6 hours or less a week; including choreography hours.
SOLOS:
A dancer that trains 6 hours or less a week.
DUET:
100% of the dancers must train less 6 hours or less a week.
TRIO:
100% of the dancers must train less 6 hours or less a week.
GROUPS:
100% of the dancers must train 6 hours or less a week.
Novice & Part-Time Entries will have their own separate overalls.
No competitive dancer may dance in a pre-competitive category.
DANCE STYLES
Jazz
Tap
Lyrical
Modern/Contemporary
Ballet
Song and Dance
Pointe
Acro
Hip-hop
Musical Theatre
Open
Ethnic


SCORING SYSTEM
PINNACLE: 96.00+
SUPREME: 93-95:99
HIGH GOLD: 90-92.99
GOLD: 85-89.99
HIGH SILVER: 80-84.99
OVERALL AWARDS
NOVICE/PRE-COMPETITIVE/COMPETITIVE:
Solo - Top 5 highest scoring solos in each age division.
Duo/Trio: Top 5 highest scoring duo/trios announced in each age division.
Small/Large/Line/Extended Line: Top 5 highest scoring routines announced for 12 & under and 13 & over.
PRODUCTION: Top scoring production announced
SPECIAL AWARDS:
2 x Best Costume / Overall Look
2 x Best Choreography
2 x Judges Awards per judge
Top Novice Overall

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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RULES & REGULATIONSA non-refundable deposit of $750 must be received to hold your studios spot 50% deposit of registration balance must be received in full by: Dec 15 of current year. Remaining balance is due by Jan 15 of active year Dishonoured (NSF) cheques or pre-authorized payments are subject to a NSF fee of $45.00 ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED AND PAID IN FULL BY: Jan 15 of active year Payment of the registration fees for the event(s) can be made by cheque, money order, e-transfer or credit card (3% processing fee will apply) Cheques shall be made payable to “Bak 2 Dance” The registration fees are non-refundable for any reason including, without limitation, due to medical conditions of the participant(s) Your registration will be deemed to be accepted only at the point when the company sends you a confirmation email. If for any reason you need to change your order, email info@Bak2dance.com Any changes made to entries after the FINALIZED SCHEDULE has been sent out to registrant is subject to a $20.00 fee per change All payments must be received by the deadlines. Any registration or payment submitted after the final deadline will be subject to a 10% late fee of the total registration for the event(s) Space is limited and studios are accepted on a first come first serve basis Bak 2 Dance reserves the right to cancel any competition or move a competition to another date due to unforeseen circumstances Bak 2 Dance reserves the right to add an additional day to the stated 2026 tour dates if deemed necessary Bak 2 Dance’s Event Fee is a mandatory fee for all participating dancers Bak 2 Dance reserves the right to limit, reject, correct, cancel or refuse registrations, and to terminate or change the dates, format and/or location of event(s), in its discretion, including, without limitation, if the Company believes that there is an insufficient number of registrants for the event(s) A Studio representative must be present to collect the awards during the award session or before the end of the event. Bak 2 Dance does not ship awards Throughout the duration of our event, Bak 2 Dance assumes no responsibility for any lost or stolen items
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GROUND RULESPhotography and videography of performances is prohibited in the venue. Bak 2 Dance officials have the right to confiscate or delete any videos and photos taken of a performance. All photos and videos taken by the Bak 2 Dance staff will be available after the event for you to download. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show with your phones and camera put away. All judging results are FINAL and non-negotiable. Harassment and unruly behaviour will not be tolerated and will result in disqualification and eviction off the competition premises. Parents are not permitted in the backstage area during the competition unless registered as an Independent Entry. Incase of any issues, please do not hesitate to have studio owners or teachers communicate with us at info@bak2dance.com
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MUSIC GUIDELINESMusic must be submitted online to Dancebug. Music lengths must abide by the time limits for each dance entry type. All music submitted must be submitted as the “radio edit” or “Clean version” of the song/music submitted. Absolutely no profanity and/or any derogatory music. Please contact Bak 2 Dance for further music file information.
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PERFORMANCE STYLESBALLET: Classical ballet with a high form of technique. Ballet shoes required. Acro tricks are not permitted. Pointe shoes are prohibited. POINTE: Ballet infused pointe techniques. Pointe shoes are required. JAZZ: Traditional jazz techniques and performance. LYRICAL: Fusion of Ballet and Jazz techniques. An interpretation of lyrics and the ability to tell a story through dance. MODERN/CONTEMPORARY: Interpretive movements using contemporary/modern technique TAP: Technical footwork with a rhythmic quality. Pre-recorded Tap sounds will not be permitted. Tap shoes required. MUSICAL THEATRE: Form of dance combining lip-syncing and dance. Tap shoes permitted. ACRO: Combination of gymnastics and dance choreography. Should have a strong balance of both styles. HIP HOP: Focuses on a street style movement vocabulary. Acrobatics tricks and break dancing are permitted. OPEN: Any dance style or a combination of dance styles. Pointe shoes are prohibited. 50% of dancers in the routine are permitted tap shoes. SONG & DANCE: A category where performers sing live while dancing, blending vocal performance with technical choreography. Judging is based on both singing and dancing ability. No pre-recorded solo vocals allowed. PRODUCTION: Production can consist of any dance style. Entries must portray a theme or story line throughout the performance. A maximum of 5 minutes is allocated to set up. Please contact Bak 2 Dance prior to competition if props are involved. *Routine length must be a minimum of 6 minutes to be considered a Production. ETHNIC: These dances are often passed down through generations and reflect the customs, rituals, history, beliefs, and values of the community they originate from. *Pointe shoes are only permitted in the pointe category *Jazz, Lyrical, Modern/Contemporary, Tap, Musical Theatre, are all permitted THREE Acrobatic Trick *Open routines are allowed SIX acrobatic tricks. This includes tumbling lines *Acro, Hip Hop and Productions are allowed unlimited acrobatic tricks Any routine that exceeds the Acrobatic Trick Limits may be deducted 1 mark per judge. A total of 3 marks. *Judges Discretion
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TIME LIMITSTime Limits include entrances and exits. SOLOS, DUETS/TRIOS: Maximum of 3 minutes. SMALL GROUPS: Maximum of 3 minutes. LARGE GROUPS/LINE: Maximum of 4 minutes. EXTENDED LINES: Maximum of 5 minutes and 59 seconds. PRODUCTION: Must remain between 6-12 minutes. *Additional fees apply to all extended time pieces. *All extended time pieces will be categorized separately from those without extended times. *Routines that are more than 30 seconds over the original time limit will be subject to additional fees and category changes. *During the draft schedule phase, time extensions may be granted in certain circumstances, provided they are approved by the competition director
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COMPETITION RULESUpon arrival at Bak 2 Dance, please ensure to pick up your studio owner/teacher bag at the Bak 2 Dance registration table. All music must be submitted to DanceBug. (See music for further information and options) Dancers must always be ready to perform thirty minutes prior to their scheduled time. All entries are to report backstage to the BakStage Manager three numbers before the scheduled number. All entries will perform in the order they are scheduled. If for any reason a routine must perform out of order, it must be approved by a Bak 2 Dance director and it must be performed before the end of its category. If this is not done, the dancer will only receive a score and not be eligible for placement and some circumstance overalls. Please notify the Bakstage manager of any holds needed. Dancers may not compete against themselves in any performance style and category. (Ie: If a performer has two Jazz Solo’s they may only compete the second routine in the next age division up). Only groups are granted the exception of dancing in the same category on the condition that 50% of the dancers are not the same. Second performance attempts will only be granted if time is permitting. An entry at a second attempt will be verbally adjudicated but will not receive a standing and does not qualify for overall awards unless the second performance was due to a music error or a costume malfunction. Any entry in any class and category, displaying suggestive and/or inappropriate content will be disqualified. Bak 2 Dance will strive to keep its competition family friendly. Except for rosin, the use of baby powder, paint, and any other substances that could leave marks or debris on the stage is prohibited for safety reasons. If any such substances are found on the stage, they will result in a deduction of marks or disqualification. Please be advised that studios will be held responsible for any damages to theatre change rooms. Any personal belongings, costumes or dance apparel left behind at the competition will not be the responsibility of Bak 2 Dance. Judges scores will be e-mailed to the studio director upon the completion of competition. All judging critiques will be provided in video format. MONETARY AWARDS: Monetary awards will be credited directly to the studio account. PROPS: a. All entries with the use of props must be declared to Bak 2 Dance prior to the schedule being finalized. b. Props for entries may only be placed backstage during the adjudication prior to the upcoming scheduled dance session. c. Humans utilized as props cannot actively participate in the performance. If they engage actively, they must be registered as performers. In event of a tie for any of the overall and Bak 2 Dance TOP or OVERALL awards, our panel of judges will choose a winning entry at their own discretion. Disqualification for Top/Overall Awards – If dancers perform outside their assigned category and outside their originally scheduled session, they will not qualify for top or overall awards. *This is applicable for categories with 3 or more routines. Routines can be disqualified if found to have copied another routine: Subject to Copyright: – The complete work, including authentic dance compositions. – Specific choreography, including unique and original combinations of steps and moves, set to specific music and within the work’s environment. Not Subject to Copyright: – General ideas and concepts. – Individual steps and movements when deconstructed or used separately. – Using the same or similar costume, piece of music, prop, set piece or formations Additional Clarifications: – Similar-looking works are not automatically the same. Modifying copied choreography results in a new interpretation, not plagiarism. *Ballet/Pointe Variations are not considered plagiarism – Using the same or similar costume, piece of music, prop, set piece or formations