BASIC INFO: DANCE DIVISION
Eligible Entries
Acceptable Dance Division entries consist of any dance video of you or your group that has been filmed within one year before the competition entry period (May 7, 2024 or later).
Dance Style Families
Contemporary/Jazz
This style family includes any and all types of jazz dance (including contemporary jazz and anything from musical theater) and contemporary dance (including modern, lyrical, and experimental styles that are not necessarily based on ballet technique). This style family also includes neoclassical and contemporary ballet pieces. It can include dancing on pointe or on flat, as well as ballet-based character pieces.
Tap
This style family includes any and all styles of tap dancing (including Rhythm Tap, Broadway Tap, and experimental styles). Entries may be either with music or a cappella, however, it is important to be able to hear the taps in order to be able to efficiently judge technique.
Ballet
This style family includes any and all ballet classical variations, pas de deux, and group tableaux from the globally established classical repertoire, regardless of method (Vaganova, Cecchetti, Bournonville, RAD, etc.). Any contemporary or modern pieces, even if they are heavily based on classical technique, will be moved to the Contemporary/Jazz style family.
Hip-Hop/Urban (Street Culture)
This style family includes any dance style within the global Hip-Hop, Street, or Urban realm, including but not limited to Hip-Hop, Popping, Locking, House, Krump, Animation, Robotics, Body Percussion, Stepping, Breaking, Jookin’, Waacking, Jazz Funk, Dancehall, or any derivative thereof of these styles. Although not typically included in this category, we will also accept Pantsula as an Urban Style.
Bollywood
Includes any and all styles used in Bollywood, including Bhangra or other similar dances.
Acrobatic Dance
The dance content in this style category may be founded in ballet, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, modern, contemporary, or any other legitimate dance style. Acro dance movements are not restricted to these dance styles, but the complete absence of any dance will cause an Acrobatic Dance entry to be disqualified. Entries in this style must have a significant percentage of both dance and acrobatics in order for the entry to be admissible as Acrobatic Dance.
Folk/Traditional Dance
Traditional dances (or derivatives thereof) that have origins in a specific country or region, including ethnic dances, ritual dances, or dances of ritual origin. Note that ballroom and dancesport dances do not fall into this category.
Confined Spaces
Dances created and danced specifically for, and danced in, spaces much smaller than a small dance studio size. Examples of eligible "Confined Spaces" would be a room in a house or a small/medium shipping container. Entries will be judged on the creative use of the space and the objects in it, as well as the quality and coherency of the dancing and choreographic sequence themselves.
Urban Spaces
Dances created and danced specifically for, and danced in, outdoor locations of any size or shape within a city or town. Examples of eligible "Urban Spaces" would be a public square, around a city monument or statue, or a concrete park. Entries will be judged on the creative use of the space and the objects in it, as well as the quality and coherency of the dancing and choreographic sequence themselves.
**Note on acrobatics or gymnastics: any and all acrobatic elements are allowed, but acrobatic techniques are not a basis used to judge dance technique, and therefore will neither increase nor decrease your chances of winning. The only exception to this is for the Acrobatic Dance category, where acrobatic/gymnastics techniques will influence the judge's score.
The same goes for the use of props. Props are allowed if that is your or your choreographer’s artistic vision, but will neither increase nor decrease your chances of winning.
Dance Studio Representation
Dance studios may enter their students into the competition in their stead, provided that they have permission to do so by a parent or legal guardian of each student, or from the dancers themselves if they are 18 years of age or older.
Studio logos are allowed in dancers’ videos, as long as they appear in one of the upper corners or middle of the videos. Any student who becomes a First Round Finalist will have their video posted on the Finalist Gallery of the website, along with the studio’s name and website (provided the studio name and website were included when filling out the competition entry form).
First Round Finalists
All entrants who pass the First Round will have their video published in the Gallery of Finalists on the IODC competition website. The general public will be encouraged to vote for their favorites, and we encourage all entrants to encourage people to vote as well.
The Finalist who receives the highest number of public votes & overall engagement will be taken into consideration by the judges when determining the Contest winners. However, while influencing the overall judging process, receiving the highest number of public votes & overall engagement does not in itself determine the competition winners, EXCEPT FOR THE INFLUENCER PRIZE.
The winner of the Influencer Prize is determined entirely by the number of votes an entry receives. The entry with the most public votes wins the Influencer Prize.
Note that during public voting, there is an option to pay for multiple votes. The proceeds go towards making this online competition possible, and towards keeping the entry fees low.
Winners and Prizes
The winner of each style, age group, and category will receive a medallion, and a certificate stating the entrant’s names, the name of the dance piece, the choreographer’s name, and the style, age group, and category won (144 possible in all).
Important: if the judges deem the level of entries in any particular category, style family, or age group not at a level sufficient to pass to the Second Round or to be awarded a winning prize, we reserve the right to decide that a particular category will have no Finalist, or no Winner.
Note that all Finalists, regardless of whether or not they are a winner in their Division or Category, also have a chance at winning the $1000 USD Overall Performance Prize (Grand Prix).
BASIC INFO: CHOREOGRAPHY DIVISION
Eligible Entries
Acceptable Choreography Division entries are any video of choreography that has been created within the last 10 years (May 7th, 2015 or later).
Dance Company Representation
Company names and logos are allowed in choreographers’ videos. Any choreographer who becomes a First Round Finalist will have their video posted on the Finalist Gallery of the website, along with the company’s name and website (provided the company name and website were included when filling out the competition entry form).
Judging Criteria
Choreography will be judged on Originality, Structure, Development, Pacing, Musicality, and Coherence, regardless of dance style or cast size.
First Round Finalists
All entrants who pass the First Round will have their video published in the Gallery of Finalists on the IODC competition website. The general public will be encouraged to vote for their favorites, and we encourage all entrants to encourage people to vote as well.
The Finalist who receives the highest number of public votes & overall engagement will be taken into consideration by the judges when determining the Contest winners. However, while influencing the overall judging process, receiving the highest number of public votes & overall engagement does not in itself determine the competition winners, EXCEPT FOR THE INFLUENCER PRIZE.
The winner of the Influencer Prize is determined entirely by the number of votes an entry receives. The entry with the most public votes wins the Influencer Prize.
Note that during public voting, there is an option to pay for multiple votes. The proceeds go towards making this online competition possible, and towards keeping the entry fees low.
Winners and Prizes
Three winners will be chosen for the Choreography Division (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place), and each will receive a medallion with their name and winner placement engraved on it.
On top of the medallions, the following money prizes will be awarded to each of the Choreography Division winners:
- 1st Place: $1000 USD
- 2nd Place: $600 USD
- 3rd Place: $300 USD
Note that all Finalists, regardless of whether or not they are a winner in their Division or Category, also have a chance at winning the $1000 USD Overall Performance Prize (Grand Prix).
ADDITIONAL RULES AND PERTINENT INFORMATION
All entries must be paid for and entrants must accept the Terms and Conditions in order to be officially entered into the competition.
Please note that any violation of any of these rules, or violation of any of the clauses in the Terms and Conditions of this competition, will be grounds for disqualification. In the event of disqualification, the entrant(s) will be notified as soon as the disqualification has been determined. No refunds will be given to disqualified entrants.
Dancers (and their parents/legal guardians, if applicable) and organizations must agree that, if they make it past the First Round, their videos, names, and website URLs will be published in the Gallery of Finalists of the IODC website. Note that it may happen that some excerpts of some videos may be used to promote the dancers, choreographers, dance studio/school/company, or the IODC competition itself through e-mail, social media, on websites, or through other electronic means.
Finalists or Winners may be asked to do video interviews for public broadcast through e-mail, social media, on websites, or through other electronic means. This will most likely take the form of self-taping with a smartphone video camera.
There is no limit to how many times you may enter nor is there a limit on the number of styles and categories you may enter. However, you may not submit the same piece with the same dancers in it more than once. You may enter the same dance piece more than once if the dancers in each entry are different, or if the piece is entered by the choreographer in the Choreography Division while the same piece is entered by the dancer in the Dancer Division. In this latter case, two completely different aspects and people are being adjudicated, so it will be allowed.
Any entry in any style or category displaying suggestive and/or inappropriate content will be disqualified.
Judges decisions are final and cannot be contested. In the event of a tie for any Division, Style & Category, our panel of judges together and/or the Director of the Competition will choose a winning entry at their own discretion. In the case of a tie, the number of public votes on each entry may be taken into consideration by the judges in order to make a final decision.
Judges scores will not be made public, nor will they be sent to entrants. However, if specific feedback is desired, please write to us at info@iodc.online, and we will ask the pertinent judge to write a brief feedback paragraph. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that the judge will agree to write a feedback paragraph, as it may occur that the volume of requests be too great for this to be possible. We apologize in advance for the inconvenience, and sincerely hope that you understand. If you wish to have a face-to-face video conference with a judge, that may be a possibility, but there is no guarantee that the judge will agree. If the judge does agree to give feedback in a video conference, an extra fee will be charged for this service. Please e-mail info@iodc.online if you wish to have a live video conference with a judge.
Money Prizes: All money prizes will be sent out electronically, through online systems such as PayPal, Interac (within Canada), wire transfer, or some other similar service. Please note that ChoreOnline Inc. is located in Canada, so transfers using Venmo are not possible, as Venmo is only available in the USA. Winners of money prizes will be notified within two weeks of the final determination of winners. If you do not respond to the notification of winning with a satisfactory manner of receiving the prize money electronically within ninety (90) days of the notification, your right to receive the prize money will be null and void.
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ABOUT CHOREOGRAPHY ONLINE
Choreography Online is an online platform that sells performance rights for dance choreography on behalf of choreographers all over the world.
Choreography Online also produces the IODC, provides an I-PATH UK accredited online choreography diploma program, provides casting services to production companies, and provides innovative services and tools that help dancers, choreographers, and performing artists advance their prospective careers.