Rules & Regulations

All US competing Professionals and Amateurs must be currently registered with the National Dance Council of America ( NDCA). Proof of registration will be required. Registration forms will be available at the competition or may be requested by mail or go to www.ndca.org to register online.

The Chairman of Judges shall be the sole arbitrator on decisions concerning ties, or any problem in scoring. The decision of the Chairman of Judges shall be final. No judge shall be harassed or questioned by the competitors about the reasons for the markings. Any judge, competitor, or official who acts in an unsportsmanlike manner that reflects poorly on the sport/art of dancing is subject to disciplinary action by the NDCA.

All event time schedules are approximate and are subject to change. For student events, professionals, their students and music (if applicable) are required to be in the ballroom and ready to perform at least 30 minutes prior to any published time schedules.

In all competitive events, where there are fewer than 3 entries in a category, the organizers reserve the right to eliminate Age and Sex divisions and combine categories. The organizer also reserves the right to cancel any Scholarship events where there are less than 3 entries.

Dress Code: Pre-Teen: The NDCA changed the regulations regarding costuming for pre-teen competitors as indicated in the rulebook published in January 2012. You must adhere to NDCA costuming requirements. Inappropriate costuming will be grounds for disqualification. For rules and regulations, you may visit the NDCA at www.ndca.org. For “Syllabus” competitions Junior, Youth, and Adult competitors may wear an “Open Amateur” dress.

Pro/Am and Am/Am Single Dance Categories: 

• Bronze: Newcomer Bronze (first-time competitor at this level at HMB), Pre Bronze, Intermediate Bronze, Full Bronze, Open Bronze,
• Silver: Pre Silver, Intermediate Silver, Full Silver, Open Silver,
• Gold: Pre Gold, Intermediate Gold, Full Gold, Open Gold, 

Students may enter in any “Main” level (and all its sub-levels) of dance and the next higher, providing they are in consecutive order (ex: Student may enter in – Pre Silver, Intermediate Silver, Full Silver And Pre Gold, Intermediate Gold, Full Gold).

There is no limit on student entries in Open Single Dance Divisions. Students may enter in completely different dance levels in the American style between Smooth and Rhythm and in the International Style between Standard and Latin.

Age Divisions: The age of the Amateur or Student is the only consideration. Pre-Teen, Junior and Youth competitors may dance up two Age classifications.

• Pro/Am and Am/Am Adult Single Dances Age Classifications: A1 (16+), A2 (31-50), B1 (51+), B2 (61+), C1 (71+), C2 (81+)
• Pro/Am Championships: A (19+), B (36+), C (51+), S1 (61 +), S2 (71+), S3 (76+), S4 (81+)
• Pro/Am Scholarships: A (19+), B (36+), C (51+), S1 (61 +), S2 (71+), S3 (76+), S4 (81+)
• Junior and Youth Pro/Am and Am/Am Single Dances Classifications: TB (7 & under), PT 1 (8-9), PT2 (10-11), J1 (12-13), J2 (14-15), Y (16-18), Under 21 (19-21)
• Junior and Youth Championships: TB (7 & under), PT1 (8-9), PT2 (10-11), J1 (12-13), J2 (14-15), Y (16-18), Under 21 (19-21)
• Junior and Youth Scholarships: PT (11 & under), J (12-15), Y (16-18)
• Pro/Am Championship Events: Students are allowed to enter multiple Championship Events including the highest level of single dances entered and the next one up. Example: A student who enters in the Bronze single dances may do the Bronze Scholarship, but he/she can enter the Bronze and Silver Championships. Additionally, they can enter the 6-dance championships in the highest level of single dances entered and the next higher.

Special Note: There are unisex and gentlemen only championship events in Newcomer, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Rising Star, and Open.

Rising Star Open Championships are open to students who have never won the Open level at Harvest Moon Ball or the National Championships.

Pro/Am Scholarship Events: To qualify for the scholarship events, a student must be entered in the corresponding Single Dance, Solo, or Pro/Am One-Dance competitions PER SCHOLARSHIP EVENT ENTERED. Scholarships are unisex competitions for Pro/Am adults only. A student is allowed to enter 1 closed scholarship in the highest level of closed single dance events entered and in 1 Age Category Only. Example: If a student enters – Intermediate Silver, Full Silver, Newcomer Gold, Pre Gold, he or she must dance in the Gold Scholarship. Student may dance in both Closed and Open Scholarships in the same style as long as they meet the minimum single dances requirement for each. Please note that Multi-Dance categories do not fulfill the 5-dance requirement noted above. Closed Scholarship candidates must stay within the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Syllabuses. Open Scholarship candidates may dance open figures. A panel of invigilators will be used for all restricted categories (closed divisions). The categories will be strictly supervised and competitors committing infractions may be disqualified.

Solo Exhibitions: No Solo Exhibition is to exceed three minutes. Music must be on individual CD and must be submitted at least 30 minutes prior to dancing the solo event. Critique/Score Sheets will be given on Solo Exhibitions only.

Cancellation/Refund Policy: All requests for changes or cancellations must be made in writing on or before 15 days prior to the date the competition commences after which there will be no refunds. Refunds will be made 30 days following the completion of the competition. Any such refund is subject to a $50 processing fee due to processing costs incurred by the organizers. In addition, any direct costs incurred by the Organizers from third parties (e.g. hotel and meal) will be deducted from any refund given. For all cancellations received after the deadline, at the Organizer’s sole discretion, credit may be given toward the following year’s event.

ALL ADMISSION TICKET SALES ARE FINAL, NON-EXCHANGEABLE AND NON-REFUNDABLE. No substitutions will be allowed for entry cancellations at the event. Entries received after the date published on entry forms, if accepted, are subject to a $50.00 late fee.

Payment: Payment can be made by personal check, cashier’s check, money order, or cash. Personal checks will only be accepted up to the entry deadline published on entry forms.