Regulation & Rules

Rules & Regulations

The Dancing a la Carte is conducted under the Rules and Regulations Governing Competitions recognized by the National Dance Council of America, Inc. (NDCA). The following rules shall also apply:

1. Entry will only be accepted with payment in full. For studio entries, include only one payment with the entry forms. Payment at the competition must be made by cash, bank check, money order, or credit card. Payments in advance may be paid with personal checks, studio checks, or credit cards. Credit Card transactions will be subject to a 4% admin fee. Entries received after the final deadline of May 13th will be charged a $100 late fee.

2. Dancers who submit cancellations due to injury or illness in writing up to two weeks before the competition shall receive a full refund by 30 days after the event. Dancers submitting cancellations in writing up to one week before the competition shall receive full credit towards next year’s DALC. Entries canceled on or after within one week of the competition are non-refundable and may not be substituted for other entries. All general admission and reserved tickets are non-refundable.

3. DALC, their affiliate corporations, the organizers, Marcio and Saori DeSouza, their employees, personal representatives, affiliates, associates, assigns, heirs, and next of kin, the National Dance Council of America

Inc. (NDCA), and the World Dance Council (WDC) will accept no responsibility for loss or theft of articles left in changing rooms, performance areas or seating areas. They will also not be held liable for injuries including but not limited to COVID-19 sustained by persons attending this event. Everyone attending does so at their own risk.

4. All persons attending this event, whether as spectators, competitors, officials, or guests of the organizers, shall be bound by the National Dance Council of America’s Rules and Regulations. By participating in this event, they automatically become obliged to adhere to them. The Organizers reserve the right to refuse admittance into the ballroom and/or enter a competitive event to those who do not comply.

*5. Videotaping any event at DALC is prohibited except for the official video company designated by the Organizers.

6. Entrants consent to using and releasing their names and likenesses for photographs, video streaming, television filming, and recording of the event for television broadcast or promotion of the event in any manner and by any means, now or in the future.

7. All competitors must be registered with the NDCA or their country’s WDC-affiliated national organization.

8. The Organizers reserve the right to combine or cancel any Professional, Amateur, or Pro/Am event with three couples or less. In the event of a cancellation, competitors will be duly notified in advance of such cancellation. The Organizers also reserve the right to halve the prize money awarded for Professional, Amateur, or Pro/Am events with three couples or less.

9. Registration into Pro/Am Scholarships requires a minimum of one round of Single Dances equivalent to the number of dances in each Scholarship entered. For example, registration into two 5-Dance Scholarships requires a minimum of ten Single Dances. Registration into Pro/Am Multi-Dances & Championships requires a minimum of one round of Single Dances regardless of how many Multi-Dances and Championships are entered. For example, one round of Single Dances is required to enter one, two, three, etc. Multi-Dances or Championships.

10. Pro/Am and Mixed Amateur Single Dances are divided into Leaders’ and Followers’ events. All Pro/Am & Mixed Amateur

Multi-Dances, Championships, Scholarship Championships, and World Dancesport Series events are combined leader and

follower events except for the additional Gentlemen’s Only Championships.

11. Student/Student competitors are Pro/Am competitors who dance as a couple during the Pro/Am Single Dance sessions.

12. Mixed Amateur events are also known as Teacher/Student events in which the Teacher is a registered Amateur competitor. Only the student will be judged during these events.

13. Pro/Am dancers registered in Proficiency events shall receive a composite judges’ score. They will not be judged against other couples.

14. No couple is exempt from competing in any round of any event. Any couple that fails to appear for the first round of an event will be disqualified.

15. Solo Exhibitions are limited to 3 minutes in length. Dancers must submit their music in advance via email, download, or USB

flash drive.

16. Competitors dancing in Syllabus events may only dance Bronze, Silver or Gold syllabus figures from the official NDCA syllabus

or the approved syllabi of NDCA member organizations.

17. Should any point arise that is not covered in the Rules and Regulations Governing Competitions and Championships recognized by the NDCA or in these additional rules, the Dance Rules Committee and/or the Organizers shall have the final say.

PROFESSIONAL DIVISIONS

All professionals must be registered with the NDCA. Overseas professional dancers must be registered with their country’s WDC-affiliated professional organization. Please contact the NDCA directly for more information regarding professional registration.

AMATEUR DIVISIONS

Youth Amateur Age Divisions:

Teddy Bear: Competitors who are seven years old and younger. May dance up one age classification to the “Pre-Teen 1” category.
Pre-Teen 1: Competitors who are nine years old and younger. May dance up one age classification to the “Pre-Teen 2” category.
Pre-Teen 2: Competitors who are 10 or 11 years old. May dance up one age classification to the “Junior 1” category.
Junior 1: Competitors who are 12 or 13 years old. May dance up one age classification to the “Junior 2” category.
Junior 2: Competitors who are 14 or 15 years old. May dance up one age classification to the “Youth” category.
Youth: Competitors who are 16, 17, or 18 years old. Youth competitors may concurrently dance up one age classification
to the Adult category, or in the case of a Championship level Ballroom, Latin, or Smooth event, the Under 21 category.
Under 21: On the day of the competition, at least one of the partners has reached their 16th birthday, and neither member of the
partnership has reached their 21st birthday. The only Under 21 events offered are Championship Level Ballroom, Latin, and Smooth.

*Dress and/or costuming rules for Pre-Teen, Junior, Youth & Adult competitors must be followed as outlined in the NDCA rulebook. https://www.ndca.org/pages/pre_teen_costumes/Default.asp

Amateur Adult Age Divisions:

Adult A: Competitors who are 19 years and older.
Senior I - One partner must have reached his or her 35th birthday or greater, and the other partner must have reached his or her
30th birthday or greater.
Senior II - One partner must have reached his or her 45th birthday or greater, and the other partner must have reached his or her
40th birthday or greater.
Senior III: One partner must have reached his or her 55th birthday or greater, and the other partner must have reached his or her
50th birthday or greater.
Senior IV: One partner must have reached his or her 65th birthday or greater, and the other partner must have reached his or her
60th birthday or greater.