The Six Degrees Salsa Competition is just around the corner!
The competition, which begins on February 16th, is being organized by Jennifer Aucoin, in association with Six Degrees Nightclub. Jennifer is the founder of Steps Dance Studio, the organizer of the annual Canada Salsa Congress and organizer of the Berlin Salsa Competition from 1998-2003.
Jennifer brings her organizational expertise and her years of experience as a professional dancer, instructor, choreographer, adjudicator and event organizer to help make this one of the most prestigious salsa competitions in Canada.
The Six Degrees Salsa Competition features over $20,000 in prizes, including $6000 first place for the professional division and trips to worldwide Salsa events. Preliminaries for both the amateur and professional divisions will take place Tuesday, February 16, 23 and March 2 & 9. Amateur division semi-finals will be on Tues. March 16 and the semi-finals for professionals will take place on Tues. March 23. Finals for both categories will be held on Tuesday, March 30.
SIX DEGREES SALSA COMPETITION 2010 ~ RULES & PARTICIPANT INFORMATION
Get ready! Please read all of the following information very carefully. If you have any questions, please call Jennifer at (416) 656-STEP (7837).
HOW TO REGISTER
- Register in advance online at www.sixdegreesvenue.com
- Register in advance by calling Jennifer at (416) 656-7837 or by emailing her at Jennifer@stepsdancestudio.com
- Only 5 couples per category will be allowed to enter each week. If there are still spots left on a particular night, people may then register in person with Jennifer at Six Degrees before 10:00pm on the day of the preliminaries (speak to DJ and ask him to call Jennifer over the microphone).
CATEGORIES
This year there will be 2 categories. Please read the following descriptions carefully. Any person caught entering the wrong category will be disqualified from the whole contest. If you have any questions or doubts as to which category you belong to, please ask Jennifer before you compete!!!
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Amateur
You are in the amateur category if:
Neither competitor has performed for money
Neither competitor has ever taught salsa
Neither is or has been a member of a salsa dance company that paid them to perform
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Professional
You are in the professional category if:
One, or both of you, has performed for payment
One, or both of you, has taught a class or assisted a salsa instructor and been paid.
One, or both of you, is or has been a member of a salsa dance company that paid you to perform.
CONTEST DATES
Please note that both categories (professional and amateur) are welcome to enter into any preliminary round. Each couple, however, will only be judged against those in their respective category. If a couple enters the preliminary round and does not make it to the semi-finals round, they are allowed to enter another preliminary round on another night (space permitting).
- Preliminaries for amateurs and professionals
- Preliminaries for amateurs and professionals
- Preliminaries for amateurs and professionals
- Preliminaries for amateurs and professionals
- Semi-finals for Amateur category (plus last minute qualifying preliminary round for Amateurs from out of town at 10:20 sharp)
- Semi-finals for Professional category (plus last minute qualifying preliminary round for Professionals from out of town at 10:20 sharp)
- Finals for both Amateur & Professional categories
PRELIMINARIES
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Contestants, please check-in with Jennifer by 10pm
Contest will begin at approximately 10:30pm
All couples will dance at the same time to a warm-up song (not to exceed 1:30 minutes)
Each couple will then dance for 2 minutes to a song chosen by the dj, starting with amateur competitors and then professional competitors
Contestants will be judged by 2 judges
Costumes are not required
Every contestant must pay to enter Six Degrees on the night they are entering the competition but will then receive a VIP pass for Six Degrees for the duration of the contest.
2-3 couples will be chosen from each category each week to advance to the semi-finals. If a couple does not advance, they are welcome to try again during another preliminary round.
Competitors may keep their scoresheets if requested.
Competitors who do not live in the greater Toronto area (ie. those who travel from Ottawa, Montreal, Detroit, Windsor, etc.) will be allowed to enter a preliminary round at 10:20pm on the night of the semi-finals for their respective category. Only 5 couples will be allowed to enter so please register early. 2-3 of the 5 couples will be chosen by the judges to compete in the semi-final round a half hour later.
SEMI-FINALS
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Semi-finals for the Amateur category will be held on Tuesday, March 16 at Six Degrees.
Semi-finals for the Professional category will be held on Tuesday, March 23 at Six Degrees.
All contestants must check in with Jennifer by 9:30pm sharp on the day of the semi-finals where they will choose from a hat they order in which they are competing.
There will NOT be a warm-up song for the competitors.
Each couple will dance 2 minutes to a fast-paced salsa song chosen by the dj. Each couple in the same category will be dancing to a different song, but the same speed..
This will allow the contestants to demonstrate how well they can improvise, stay on beat and interpret the music.
Costumes are not required but are encouraged (ie. costumes will not be judged but they may contribute to the overall presentation score)
One person from each couple will be asked to wear a fabric number sign pinned to their back.
There will be a panel of 4 judges who all have several years of experience teaching salsa and who all have experience performing and/or competing.
Placement in the semi-finals will not be announced, only which couples are advancing to the finals.
Contestants will receive their scoresheets at the end of the evening.
The top 6 couples in each category will advance to the finals.
FINALS
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Finals for both Amateur and Professional categories will be held at Six Degrees on Tuesday, March 30, 2010.
Contestants will perform on the Six Degrees stage.
All contestants must check in with Jennifer by 9:00pm sharp!!
Each category of contestants will dance together to a warm-up song (not to exceed 1:30 minutes) immediately before that category competes (ie. amateurs will all dance a warm-up song together and then each amateur couple will compete individually then the pros will warm-up together, etc.)
Contestants will perform a choreographed showcase of their choice that must be between 1:45-2:00 minutes in duration
Song chosen for the finals must be at least 90% salsa
Only CD €™s will be accepted and must be clearly labeled with participants €™ names and category (Amateur or Pro). To avoid any problems, there must only be ONE TRACK on the CD!
Costumes may contribute to the overall presentation score. We ask that no one wear jeans in the finals.
One person from each couple will be asked to wear a fabric number sign pinned to their back.
There will be a panel of 4-6 judges who all have several years of experience teaching salsa and who all have experience performing and/or competing.
ADDITIONAL RULES & TIPS FOR COMPETITORS
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There are no restrictions on dips or lifts (but please remember that salsa is not just about dips and lifts!!)
There are no restrictions on separating from your partner while dancing
5 marks will be deducted from a couple €™s total score in the finals if they dance for less than 1:45 minutes or more than 2:00 minutes
Dancers will be judged in 5 categories (timing/musicality, technique, difficulty, connection/synchronization, presentation/showmanship ). Please see example of scoresheet for more information. In the finals, couples will also be scored in choreography/originality.
For further information or to enter the contest, please contact Jennifer at 416.656-STEP (7837) or at Jennifer@stepsdancestudio.com. For more contest details and prize and sponsorship info, please visit www.sixdegreesvenue.com.