Description/Regulations
The Dance Competition is typically conducted in two divisions based on the size of the 5th-8th Grade teams:
A = 14 or less participants
AA = More than 14 participants
L.E.S.T. Northwest reserves the right to merge these into a single division if there are a low number of Dance Teams competing in a given year.
Squads are made up of 5th-8th grade students (male or female). THE DANCE COMPETITION IS ONLY FOR DANCE ROUTINES. No school may have more than one group competing in this competition.
TEAMS MUST BE DULY CONSTITUTED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE SCHOOLS with an advisor in attendance. It is expected that they will have performed at school functions prior to L.E.S.T. Northwest. Trophies awarded will be based on the number of entries. L.E.S.T. Northwest may also make outstanding performance awards for individual or group demonstrations.
How to Participate
All teams must be pre-registered by the deadline. Registration details and deadlines are found on the Registration Page.
Any introduction that a team would like to have read before their performance is to be submitted in writing to the L.E.S.T. Northwest Tournament Director by mid-January, at lestnorthwest@gmail.com.
Schedule
The individual Dance teams may perform at the half time of their school’s L.E.S.T. Northwest basketball games, as desired, and as time allows.
The L.E.S.T. Dance Competition date and time will be posted on the L.E.S.T. Master Schedule. It will run in conjunction with the Cheerleading Competition. Schools that have a Dance Team and a Cheerleading squad will be properly spaced so that no school will have their Cheerleading squad perform directly before or after their Dance Team.
Even though the two competitions are run simultaneously, they are judged separately and on different criteria. Pay close attention to the judging form for the respective competitions. The Dance Competition Adjudication Form is available via a button/link below. Scoring is based on the fundamental skills listed on the adjudication form. The adjudicators scoring criteria is available further down this webpage.
A performance schedule will be posted here on the L.E.S.T. Northwest website by early February.
Major Characteristics of the Dance Routines
- The team must consist of four (4) or more members. TEAMS MUST BE DULY CONSTITUTED BY THEIR RESPECTIVE SCHOOLS, WITH AN ADVISOR IN ATTENDANCE, AND IT IS EXPECTED THAT THEY WILL HAVE PERFORMED AT SCHOOL FUNCTIONS BEFORE L.E.S.T.
- Total routine time limit is five (5) minutes. Time begins with the first note of music or as soon as the first dancer crosses the court line or the first motion (whichever comes first). The Announcer will be giving the instruction to ‘start’ and will announce the end of the performance. Time ends with the last note of music or when all team members have cleared the floor completely (whichever comes last). Teams that exceed the total time limit will receive a 10-point deduction that will be noted on the scorer’s sheet.
- Music is required to be on a thumb drive or cellphone. All music must be properly registered on the Dance Registration form, listing Song, Artist, Album, and Recording label for each piece of music. This is due to copyright laws. Christian music is encouraged! No music with inappropriate language or theme will be allowed, even if it has been edited out.
- Props may be used to compliment the theme of the performance. Please wait until instructed by the “On Deck” monitor to place props, and then do so in a timely manner so that the event stays on schedule.
- Adjudicators will score teams in the following categories: Execution, Choreography, Performance, and Christian Values (i.e. song choice, choreography, messaging, costumes, and make-up.). Judging may begin as soon as the team is asked to “take your position.” Judging must end when the last member crosses the boundary line at the end of the routine. Please see the Dance score sheet for more details (click below).
Adjudicators / Timers
The location of the adjudicators will be identified for teams prior to the start of competition. There will be two timers for the competition. One timer will be seated with the adjudicators and one will be on or near the floor. In the event that one timer finds a timing violation and the other does not, a time violation will be taken.
Score Sheets and Awards
Teams will receive their score sheets after the L.E.S.T. has concluded in the packet schools receive at the Awards Ceremony. Team awards will be given either at the completion of the competition or on Saturday at the awards ceremony.
LEST Northwest 