IDP Competitor Handbook

Navigation

• IDP Competitor Handbook
  • Section I. 1. IDP - The Organization
  • Section I. 2. Leadership Structure
  • Section I. 3. Vision & Goals
  • Section II. 1. Couples & Pro-Am Competition Categories & Divisions
  • Section II. 2. Cabaret Division
  • Section II. 3. Jack & Jill Competitions
  • Section II. 4. Competitor Movement Allowances & Limitations
  • Section II. 5. Music & Dance Styles Offered for Couples & Pro-Am Competitors
  • Section II. 6. Championships Available for Couples and Pro-Am Competitors
  • Section II. 7. Competitor Graduation Criteria for Couples & Pro-Am
  • Section II. 8. Competitor Attire for All Event Competitors
  • Section II. 9. Awards & Prizes
  • Section II. 10. Scoring & Judging
  • Section III. Membership

Section II. 6. Championships Available for Couples and Pro-Am Competitors

Many dancers find that they come to love and/or excel in some dance styles, but not in others, and only enjoy competing in one or two of their favorite dance styles. Others enjoy the challenge of becoming proficient in many different dance styles, and prefer competing in as many dance styles as possible.

To accommodate this range of preferences, two types of Couples and Pro-Am championships will be offered by Division/by Category at IDP-sanctioned events: Individual Dance Champion, and Division Dance Champion.

1. Individual Dance Champion: 
   1. Everyone who enters an IDP-sanctioned dance competition in a Couples or Pro-Am Division will be scored toward the Individual Dance Champion award (this is in addition to being scored toward Division Dance Champion – see below).
   2. You may enter either one specific dance style (e.g., Waltz) or several different dance styles (e.g., Waltz, Hustle, Hand Dance, and Foxtrot).
   3. You may enter different Divisions/Categories (e.g., Division IV-Open and Division III-Open); however, you may only enter one Division/Category per dance style (i.e., Waltz cannot be entered in both Division IV-Open and Division III-Open).
   4. The Top 3 placements for each dance style in each Division and respective Category will be recognized with prizes/awards.
2. Division Dance Champion: 
   1. Everyone who dances the required number of dances in their Couples or Pro-Am Division (see “Division Requirements for Division Dance Championships”, page 14) will be automatically considered for the Division Dance Championship in their respective Division/Category.
   2. In this championship category, there are specific requirements that must be met to qualify, as detailed below (see "Division Requirements for Division Dance Championships", page 14). To meet these requirements, the dances entered must all be danced in the same Division/Category (e.g., Division III, Open). Additionally, each of these dances will also be considered individually toward the Individual Dance Champion Award.
   3. A First Place Division Dance Championship will be awarded for each Division/Category, based on the highest calculated raw scores from that Division/Category of competitors. (For example, if a competitor dances 8 dance styles in a Division/Category, yet only 5 are required for that Division/Category, then only their 5 highest raw scores will be counted toward their Division Dance Championship placement. Further, if a competitor dances 5 dance styles and, for example, 4 are in Division III Open, and 2 are in Division IV Open, then only their 4 highest raw scores in Division III Open will be counted for Division III Open Championships placement, as they did not dance the required number of dances in Division IV Open to also have those counted toward the Division IV Championship.) See Section II.10 for an explanation of “raw scores”.

 
Division V: A Division Championship award will not be offered for this Division. Each dance that a competitor enters will be judged and awarded equally and individually as “Individual Dance Champion”. 

Division IV: Competitors must compete in at least 3 dance styles to qualify for Division IV Champion.   

Division III:  Competitors must compete in at least 4 dance styles to qualify for Division III Champion. 

Division II:  Competitors must compete in at least 5 dance styles to qualify for Division II Champion.   

Division I:  Competitors must compete in at least 6 dances to qualify for Division I Champion.   

Masters & Pro-Am Graduates:  Competitors will compete in a Performance Medley which must consist of 3 dance styles (each represented equally), at least one of which must have been one of their winning dance styles from Division I.  The music for both Pro-Am Graduate’s and Master’s Performance Medley is solely determined by the competitors and can be no more than 7 minutes in length.

NOTE:  For Divisions I – V, competitors will have the option of attending a warm-up session shortly before competing, at which time music will be played in the same BPM range as their Division’s competition music.

*These are the requirements to qualify for Division Dance Champion; competitors may choose to dance in more dance styles than the stated requirements, however, only the highest placement raw scores of the required number of dance styles will be calculated toward their Division Dance Championship Award.