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Competition Rules

Competition Rules

1. General Structure

  • Format: One-on-one freestyle battles. No pre-choreographed routines.

  • Music: Randomly selected salsa/bachata tracks (unknown to competitors). Songs do not repeat.

  • No Physical Contact: Competitors must not touch each other (instant penalty).

2. Round Breakdown

A. Main Competition (Salsa/Bachata Focus)

  • First Round: Two 30-second turns per dancer. Judges score based on:

    • Musicality (30%): Rhythm, accents, and phrasing.

    • Creativity/Style (25%): Originality within salsa/bachata vocabulary.

    • Technique (20%): Clean footwork, balance, and control.

    • Performance (15%): Stage presence and audience engagement.

    • Adaptability (10%): Adjusting to tempo/style changes.

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  • Semi-Finals: 30-second head-to-head battles. Minimum 2 basic steps per round to maintain genre integrity.

  • Finals: 1-minute alternating turns. Dancers must adapt to contrasting songs (e.g., salsa dura → bachata moderna).

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3. Footwear & Attire

  • No heel requirements. Safe, dance-appropriate shoes only (no bare feet/slippers).

  • No costumes required. Outfits will not be scored.

3. Fusion Policy (Main Rounds)

  • Fusion is ENCOURAGED (e.g., pachanga, afro, or hip-hop steps) if woven organically into salsa/bachata.

  • Penalized: Overuse of non-genre vocabulary (>30%) without musical justification.

  • Example: A b-boy in the main rounds can use a freeze only on a dramatic pause—not as a recurring trick.

4. Disqualifications

  • Ignoring musicality (e.g., dancing off-beat for >5 seconds).

  • Excessive fusion (>50% non-salsa/bachata content in main rounds).

  • Disrupting opponents (moving during their turn, 2 warnings = DQ).

5. Tiebreakers 

  • Main Competition: Judges prioritize risk-taking (e.g., complex syncopations).

  • Rules:

    • 70/30 Rule: 70% of moves must interpret salsa/bachata music (e.g., breaking power moves on clave accents).

    • No Genre Basics Required, but musicality is strict (e.g., a b-boy can drop to the floor only on a clear break or percussion hit).

    • Judging: Focuses on innovation (40%), musicality (40%), and audience impact (20%).

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