Rules & Definitions
General Information and Regulations
Competitors must check in with the register to pick up their competition number.
All competitors must be ready to dance 30 minutes prior to scheduled dance time.
The Organizer reserves the right to merge or cancel any categories.
Be sure to check this website periodically for updates.
All persons attending the event whether as competitors, spectators, officials or guests of the Organizers
are bound by US OPEN SALSA CHAMPIONSHIPS rules and by participating at the
US OPEN SALSA CHAMPIONSHIPS 2012 automatically become obligated to adhere to them.
The US OPEN SALSA CHAMPIONSHIPS, PB&G PRODUCTIONS, INC. nor the venue for the event do not take
any responsibility for loss or theft of articles left in the changing rooms, ballrooms or hotel rooms liable
nor can be held liable for injury sustained by persons attending this event.
Everyone attending does so at his/her own risk.
Definitions
Amateur: A dancer who does not teach or perform for money, some minimum amount may have been
received to cover small expenses but is not a major source of income, in any dance form.
Professional: A dancer who is receiving financial compensation for teaching or performing.
Professional Rising Star: A dancer who dances for a Pro-team, Part Time teacher,
dancing for more than two years with the team may teach part-time but never have enter a Professional competition,
Professional Rising Star may compete with his or her students in the Pro-am divisions, may compete in the Pro team divisions, Pro-Am team division formely known (semi-pro) but may not dance in any amateur team or any amateur divisions.
Pro-Am Teams: formaly know as semi-pro division. Is a combination of amateur and Professionals dancers or very high advanced level of dancers
Pro-Am: (Professional/Amateur) This Divisions is when one Professional Dancer dances with his or her student*Selection of category – Newcomer, Novice, Intermediate, or Advanced – is based on the level of the amateur should be selected with the guidance of the professional.
Newcomer: A person studying the dance for less than 6 moths.
Novice: A person studying the dance for less than eighteen months.
Intermediate: A person studying the dance for less than two years.
Advance: A person studying the dance for more than two years.
Teams:
Team under 4 couples or 8 members: A combination dancers male/female with a maximum of
8 members or minimum of 4 members two couples.
Production teams:A combination of dancers male/female with a minimum of 10 members and
a maximum of 24 members
Ladies teams:The teams has a minimum of 5 ladies and a maximum of 20, if the team is more than
10 members is encourage to compete in the production team as well
Free Style teams:A combination of men or women with specialties in open footwork 3 minimum 20
Maximum 10 members or more is encourage to compete in the production team as well
Free Style Couple:A couple that can be two men or two women leading and following heat preliminary
and Showcase final.
Showcase:Solo performance as couple. Breaking On-1 or On-2 is permitted but must remain consistent throughout the routine. Lifts, Dips, Drops and Shines are permitted. Costumes are required. Routine must be recognizable salsa. the Us Salsa Open Championships will be for Professional, Pro-Rising Star, Amateur and Advance divisions On 1 and On2
Just Salsa:When a competition is designated just dance, no routines, entrances or exits, lifts, aerials,
or drops of any kind are permitted.(newcomer, novice, intermediate, and advance)
dips are ok to hit music, costumes are encourage, The Us Open Championships will be on
Professional, Professional Rising Star, Amateur levels. Costumes are required
Jack and Jill:
Novice:A person studying the dance for less than eighteen months.
Intermediate:A person studying the dance for less than two years.
Amateur:A person studying the dance for more than two years.
Just men Open:This is for men leading and following as couple on any level
Just Women Open:This is for women leading and following as couples on any level
Over 40:One of the competitors must be over 40 years old, categories are Open competition on Just salsa and Showcase
Over 50: Both of the competitors must be over 50 years old, categories are Open competition on Just salsa, Chacha, Bachata and Showcase
Pre-Teen: Dancers will be under 13 years old, is open for newcomer, novice, intermediate, advance
Teen: Dancers will be under 18 years old, is open for newcomer, novice, intermediate, advance
General Rules
Competitors and attendees must have a day or weekend pass and are required to fill out a registration form and sign a liability waiver compliance.
All competitors will receive a number to be used for the entire weekend and will be responsible to keep that number.
Pros may compete with no more than 4 Amateur (ams) in any one level of a dance.
All competitors may compete on as many divisions they may want to, however you can only go up two divisions, (you compete in novice, you may compete on intermediate and advance, but no Newcomer or you compete in newcomer, you may compete in novice and intermediate, but no in Advance
All competitors consent to release the use of their photographs, biographies, and names, for any video or television footage for sale.
All Open Floor format will be divided in heats, competitors will dance to two songs of 1.5 minutes each – one slow and one fast, to be selected by the US Salsa Open Championships
All solo Showcase (couples) competitors will dance a maximum of 2 min; Production Teams will dance a maximum of 3 minutes, other teams a maximum of 2 minutes. Solo and teams competitors will supply their own music on a single track CD. All solo competitions are indicated with a double asterisk (**).Professionals, Pro-Rising Star, teams will be able to use their own music and must provide the name of song and artist at the time of registration.
The minimum/maximum time allowed for all solo competitors includes entrance and exit, with or without music. Solo routines should be no less than 1 ½ minutes and no more than 2 minutes.
If there are fewer than three couples, the US Open Salsa Championships reserves the right to cancel or combine divisions.
The head judge and US Open Salsa Championships committee will have final say on all discrepancies, equal scores, etc all decisions are final.
All competitors must available to compete by Friday 12:00pm since there could be changes done to the schedule base on amount of entries
DANCE RULES
>
Salsa
Breaking on one, two, five is permitted, however proper salsa/ mambo rhythm must
be maintained.
>
Just Dance
When a competition is designated just dance, no routines, entrances or exits,
lifts, aerials, or drops of any kind are permitted dips are ok to hit the music.
>
Pro/Am
The judging criteria will be focus on the (amateur)student not on the professional, the
Competition will be done in an open floor format by heats, a professional may dance with up to 4 students
in the same division. The student may compete at his/her level and two division up to challenge his/her
abilities, costumes are encourage, no jeans
>
Amateur Just Salsa
on1/On2
or
Showcase
When a competition is designated just dance, no routines, entrances or exits lifts, aerials, or drops of any kind are permitted dips are ok to hit the music. All Open Floor format will be divided in heats, competitors will dance to two songs of 1.5 minutes each – one slow and one fast, to be selected by the US Salsa Open Championships
All solo Showcase (couples) competitors will dance a maximum of 2 min. Solo will supply their own music on a single truck CD. Showcase routines may have and intro of different styles of music up to 20 sec time to be included in the 2 minutes.
>
Professional and Professional Rising Star On 1/On 2 or Showcase
When a competition is designated just dance, no routines, entrances or exits lifts, aerials, or drops of any kind are permitted dips are ok to hit the music. All Open Floor format will be divided in heats, competitors will dance to two songs of 1.5 minutes each – one slow and one fast, to be selected by the US Salsa Open Championships,
there is a semifinal and final depending on the amount of entries will be decided how many couples will go the final. A maximum of 10 couples will be taken to the final.
All solo Showcase (couples) competitors will dance a maximum of 2 min. Solo will supply their own music on a single track CD. Showcase routines may have and intro of different styles of music up to 20 sec time to be included in the 2 minutes.Professionals, Pro-Rising Star, teams will be able to use their own music and must provide the name of song and artist at the time of registration.
>
Teams under 4 couples or 8 members
Teams are allowed to compete in up to two divisions with the same routine, if the team has being practicing for less than a year may compete as amateur and Pro-Am, No pro dancer may dance in the amateur teams, teams may do tricks, drops breaking on one, two, five
is permitted, however proper salsa/ mambo rhythm must be maintained 80% of the routine must be
recognizable salsa. No props or special effect are allowed and routine will a max of 2 min.
Professionals, Pro-Am, teams will be able to use their own music and must provide the name of song and artist at the time of registration.
Pro-Am Team a combination of Professional and amateur dancers no more than 50% of the team may be professional,
>
Production teams over 5 couples or 10 members
Teams are allowed to compete in up to two divisions with the same routine, if the team has being
practicing for less than a year it may compete as amateur and Pro-am, teams may do tricks,
drops breaking on one, two, five is permitted, however proper salsa/ mambo rhythm must be maintained
80% of the routine must be recognizable salsa. Props or special effects are allowed no fire or special
requirements are allowed only props within the costumes. See music requirements for Professional and
Pro-Am teams, production teams routines will be a max of 3 min. Professionals, Por-Am, Amateur, teams will be able to use their own music and must provide the name of song and artist at the time of registration.
>
Open style Teams and Couples
Teams are allowed to compete in up to two divisions with the same routine, teams may do tricks,
drops breaking on one, two, five is permitted, however proper salsa/ mambo rhythm must be maintained
80% of the routine must be recognizable salsa. Props or special effects are not allowed or special
Teams will be able to use their own music and must provide the name of song and artist at the time of registration.This division alowws same sex dancers only men or only women
>
Free Style Couple
can be two men or two women leading and following, preliminary will be on open floor format divided in heats, dance to two songs of 1.5 minutes each – one slow and one fast, to be selected by the US Salsa Open Championships the final will on be Showcase format with a two minute routine . . Solo will supply their own and will dance for up to 2 min, music on a single truck CD.
Jack and Jill
These are just dance competitions. Dancers will draw for partners or have partners selected randomly. Costumes not required but encourage good presentation is always a plus. All Open Floor format will be divided in heats, competitors will dance to two songs of 1.5 minutes each – one slow and one fast, to be selected by the US Salsa Open Championships, there is a semifinal and final depending on the amount of entries will be decided how many couples will go the final. A maximum of 10 couples will be taken to the final.
Rules are subject to revision.