Leap! National Dance Competition is hosting a local competition  on February 10 – 12 at the Rancho Cordova Performing Arts Center at 2239 Chase Drive. Details available at the website: https://www.leapcompetition.com/sacramento-ca

Qualifications – Failure to comply with these rules could result in disqualification!

Regional entries and payment must be entered online 21 days prior to the competition date. Any late entries or payment will be assessed an automatic 10% late fee.

SKILL LEVELS

In recognizing that competing studios may have dancers with different skill levels, Leap! has designed the following two levels of competition.

• Leap! LEVEL: (Advanced): This level is for dancers who take more than 5 hours of dance per week and have a competitive background.
• Skip! LEVEL: (Recreational / Intermediate): Recreational dancers with limited or no competition experience, dancing less than 4 hours per week, may enter this LEVEL. There will be no cash prizes in this division.

If a specific LEVEL is not selected online, the routine will automatically be placed under the Leap! LEVEL.

Soloists may only perform in one LEVEL. For example: the same dancer may not perform a Tap routine under the Skip! LEVEL and a Jazz routine under the Leap! LEVEL.

In placing Duo/Trios, Groups, and Lines, experience should be averaged. If a routine has an equal 50% of dancers from both the Leap! & Skip! LEVELS then that act must be entered in the Leap! LEVEL.

Though your studio may have more than one competition team, they may both be placed in the same LEVEL. It is possible that both teams should be entered in the Leap! or Skip! LEVEL. LEVELS should not be used to separate a studio’s groups from competing against one another. Each group placement should be based only upon the qualifications of that team. In addition, even though technically a routine qualifies to enter under the Skip! level, please keep in mind that the levels are designed to provide dancers an opportunity to compete with other dancers of their SKILL LEVEL.

Because it is not possible for Leap! National Dance Competition to know how many hours a competitor dances or for how many years they have danced, teachers are left to their own sound judgment when entering routines. Routines placed under the Skip! LEVEL, but deemed by the Leap! judges to be entered incorrectly, may be elevated to the Leap! LEVEL by the Judges or Leap! Management. All decisions are final. Routines that are moved to the Leap! LEVEL by the Judges or Leap! Management is exempt from the rule regarding the percentage of Skip!/Leap! dancers in a routine.

Violation of these rules will result in disqualification of the routine in question from the overall awards. A studio may move a routine to the Leap! LEVEL prior to the performance of the routine to correct a LEVEL error.

AGE DIVISIONS

• Petite – 8 years old and under (0-4, 5-6, 7-8)
• Junior – 9-11 years old (9, 10, 11)
• Teen – 12-14 years old (12, 13, 14)
• Senior – 15-19 years old (15-16, 17-19)
• Adult: – 20+ years old (20-infinity!)

The age category for all routines is determined by using the average age of the performers as of January 1. Performers maintain their regional age category at Nationals. You must recalculate the average age of a routine for Nationals if any of the dancers in a routine change.

The average age of all performers in a Duo/Trio, Group, or Line determines the appropriate age division. To figure the average, add the ages of all the performers in a routine and then divide by the number of performers. DROP THE DECIMAL POINT. For example, if the average age is 12.9, this routine would compete in the 12 year old age division. Any routine is allowed to compete in one age division higher but must be approved by Leap! when entries are submitted. Additionally, if a protest arises regarding age, all competitors must be prepared to present proof of age. All protests must be presented in writing to the Leap! Director within one half hour of the incident. All protests must be signed. EACH PERFORMER MUST BRING PROOF OF AGE. We will require this proof be presented in the event of a protest.

Dancers may not compete against themselves. Different routines must have more than 50% of the same dancers competing in the same Age, Category, and Skill Level.

​SIZE DIVISIONS

• Solo (1 dancer)
• Duo/Trio (2-3 dancers)
• Small Group (4-9 dancers)
• Large Group (10-19 dancers)
• Line/Production (20 or more dancers)

If a dancer 20 years of age or older (regardless of professional or amateur status), competes in a routine, the routine must be in the Adult age division. The Adult age division will be adjudicated only. If there are 2 or more adult entries, a high score will be presented. There will be no cash award in the Adult age division.

Limit two solos per dancer at listed rates. Additional solos are permitted but will be charged an extra $20.

If any act drops below the minimum number of performers required in the group they registered for, the act will be given their award based on points, however, the act may not be eligible for Overall Awards depending on the circumstance for the dropped dancer.

EXAMPLE: A group of 10 performers registered as a Large Group and one performer is unable to perform, this will then drop the number in the group to 9. They can still be judged as a Large Group, so that all 10 can attend the Nationals, but they may or may not be eligible for the Overall Awards depending on the situation. Overall eligibility is determined by the Director and Judging panel.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Leap! accepts studio checks, money orders, certified checks, and all major credit cards. All entries received after the 21-day deadline will be assessed a 10% late fee and must be paid by a certified check or money order. Studio checks will not be accepted after this deadline. All checks returned for insufficient funds will be assessed a $35 service fee.

There will be a $10 fee for each change made after the schedule and event “Timetable” has been published.  This fee must be paid by credit card at the time the change is made.

NO CHANGE WILL BE PERMITTED AT THE COMPETITION WITHOUT DIRECTORS APPROVAL.

ABSOLUTELY NO CASH REFUNDS will be issued after the 21-day deadline. Leap! reserves the right to reschedule the competition due to inherent weather conditions or any unforeseen circumstances. In the event that a dancer is injured, a credit may be issued for solos only. Credit can only be used by that specific dancer for a future competition. A copy of a doctor’s note must be sent in along with the request. Credits are subject to approval and are at the sole discretion of Leap! Management.