COMPETITION RULES

Available Contests:

• WSDC Jack and Jill (JNJ) contests: Newcomer, Novice, Sophisticated, Masters, Intermediate, Advanced, All Star, and Champions
• Non-WSDC Jack and Jill (JNJ) contest: All American
• Strictly Swing contests: Novice, Masters, Intermediate/Advanced, Generational, AND All Star
• Pro-Am Routines: Novice and Intermediate/Advanced
• Pro-Am Strictly Swing contests: Newcomer, Novice, and Intermediate
• Rising Star Routines (part of the Rising Star Tour)
• Classic Routines (part of NASDE Tour)
• Showcase Routines (part of NASDE Tour)

ENTRY DEADLINES:

• 6:00 PM – Friday: Registration closes for all Friday contests
• 10:00 AM – Saturday: Registration closes for all Saturday contests
• 12:00 AM – Saturday: Registration closes for Sunday ProAm Strictly contests
• 10:00 AM – Sunday: Registration closes for all remaining Sunday contests

 

Entry deadlines are FIRM. There will be no exceptions. (You are cute. We love you. Those deadlines still apply to you, too.)

Official policies governing all The Chicago Classic’s competitions are below. All competitors are responsible for reading and following the rules.

General Competition Requirements

ALL CONTESTS ARE DEGENDERED

1. Code of Conduct: All attendees must abide by the code of conduct listed on The Chicago Classic’s website
2. Waivers: Each competitor must sign an entry/waiver form and pay in full BEFORE competing.
3. Weekend Pass: The weekend pass gives you access to all competitions, open dancing, shows, and most workshops. Your pass is your wristband and must be worn at all times (do no remove it).
4. Age:

• Jack and Jill contests are open to ages 18 and above.
  • Competitors between ages 11 and 17 may petition to compete in Jack and Jill contests.
• Strictly Swing and Pro-Am are open to all ages.
• Rising Star must be fifteen (15) years or older by the end of the event.
• Sophisticated is 35 and above.
• Masters is 50 and above.

5. You will have line ups prior to each division. The area for lining up will be announced prior to the division start. You must line up and check in with the contest coordinators in the designated locations.IMPORTANT NOTE: IF YOU ARE NOT IN LINE WHEN YOUR HEAT IS WALKING IN TO THE COMPETITION AREA, YOU WILL BE SCRATCHED AND NOT ALLOWED TO DANCE. PLEASE BE AWARE OF SCHEDULED COMPETITION TIMES AND BE PREPARED (WITH YOUR BIB NUMBER) TO DANCE.
6. Entering a contest indicates consent to unrestricted use of your name and likeness in photos and videos to appear in future promotions on the internet.
7. Costumes: Costumes are not allowed in any category except Routine Divisions (ProAm, Rising Star, Classic and Showcase). Strictly Swing partners may choose to coordinate outfits.
8. Swing Definition: This is a ‘Swing Dance’ competition, and all recognized swing styles are allowed, including Whip, Push, West Coast, Swing, Shag, Lindy Hop, Imperial, Swingout, Jitterbug, Stepping and others.
9. Entry Limits and Requirements:

• Dancers may compete in multiple swing contest categories during the weekend. You may compete or enter a particular contest more than once, but each entry must be at the different level. If you are unable to compete in a different level, you may only compete in the contest once.
• There is no limit to entries to any division except for pro-am routines and pro-am strictly swing. A professional may dance with fifteen (15) total amateurs in pro-am strictly swing (combining all levels) or five (5) amateurs in pro-am routines (per level).
• If there are fewer than five (5) entries in any division, The Chicago Classic reserves the right to combine or cancel that division. The Chicago Classic also reserves the right to have all lead/follow categories run in a heated format in lieu of prelims or spotlight format to facilitate event schedule constraints.

10. WSDC Jack and Jill Contents: WSDC points will be used to determine the level for all Jack & Jill competitors. Masters may compete in the appropriate WSDC level and in masters. You may compete as a leader and follower per WSDC guidelines.

• Leader and Follower points will be tracked separately in Points Registry.
• Competitors qualify for their dance level based on either their Leader or Follower points, whichever is higher.
• Competitors are allowed to compete in their non-dominant role one level down if they do not qualify in both for the same division. HOWEVER – Competitors with no/limited competition success in their secondary role may submit a petition to dance one (1) additional level down in that role.
• Competitors will not be permitted to dance both roles in the same division.
• Competitors with points in both their primary and secondary roles at the same skill level must select only one (1) role to compete in (either their primary or secondary role) for that event’s skill level contest.

*Competitors – please contact points@worldsdc.com if any points are/were incorrectly allocated to the wrong role in the system.

11. Qualification for Newcomer Dancers: Designed for the dancer that is BRAND NEW to competition. This division is not open to all levels.
12. All rules will be strictly enforced – Scoring and penalties will be at the discretion of each individual judge.
13. Scores: Complete scores from all contest rounds will be available through the event website (and Facebook) at the end of the weekend (after all contests are complete).

Appropriate Behavior and Dress Code:

It is the desire of the Organizer to encourage expressive and exciting dance performances without sacrificing the quality of dancing and good taste. To encourage this balance, any action that the judges believe would make them uncomfortable in a social dance setting (such as wearing inappropriate attire or showing disrespect toward one’s partner, other dancers, or the event) is prohibited. Competitors should check with the Organizer or Chief Judge in advance if they have questions regarding the acceptability of their routine/competition attire.

Responsibilities of Competitors

1. Planning: Competitors should check the weekend schedule in advance to arrive in time to meet registration deadlines. They should bring appropriate competition attire. They should also plan to be on time for competitions. Competitors are responsible for checking at the event for any changes to previously announced schedules, which are always subject to change.
2. Knowing the Rules: All competitors should read these rules carefully prior to competing. Competitors are responsible for adhering to these rules whether they have read them or not. Questions about the rules should be addressed in advance to the Organizer and/or the Chief Judge.
3. Being Prepared to Compete: Competitors should be present in the ballroom at least 15 minutes prior to the start of their competition. Any change in partnership for the couple’s competitions may require an additional entry fee as well as a new entry form and waiver.
4. Demonstrating Good Sporting Conduct: Competitors must always demonstrate good sporting conduct, both on and off the competition floor. Competitors may not speak to judges regarding their placements or scores until after the awards have been given. It is bad sportsmanship to badger or argue with judges about placements and scores. Competitors must also refrain from any behavior that the judges deem inappropriate. Failure to adhere to this code of behavior may result in disqualification.

 

Petitions for Reclassification

• It is the Organizer’s goal to encourage all competitors to assign themselves to a fair and appropriate classification using the honor If competitors feel uncomfortable with their assigned classification, they may petition for reclassification on their entry form by providing a brief, written explanation of the reason(s) for their request. Competitors must submit such petitions to the registration desk by Friday, March 14th by 2:00pm.
• Petitions for reclassification will be reviewed by the Chief Judge, or qualified individual(s)/committee designated by the Chief Judge, and contestants will be notified as quickly as possible of the outcome. The Event reserves the right to reclassify any contestant for any
• To petition up (in your primary role), petitions must be submitted to the WSDC Chief Judges Committee (“CJC”) at least fifteen (15) days in advance of the event, along with two (2) videos of the competitor’s dancing. Petitions and videos must be submitted via this link: com/level-up-petition. The CJC may approve or deny the petition after reviewing the competitor’s Points Registry record and videos.
• To dance down: Competitors may dance one (1) or two (2) levels down in their secondary role as indicated on the Points Registry, with the following clarifications:

1. Competitors with points in both their primary and secondary roles at the same skill level must select only one (1) role to compete in (either their primary or secondary role) for that event’s skill level Jack and Jill contest (g., competitor with 5 Advanced points as a Leader and 10 Advanced points as a Follower must decide whether to compete as either Leader or Follower in Advanced).
2. New for 2025: The division a competitor selects for their primary role at the Event determines what level they may compete at for their secondary role. WSDC recommends competitors dance one (1) level down, but based on their skills, competitors may dance two (2) levels down from their primary role unless they are required to move up based on the WSDC Skill Level Jack and Jill Advancement Chart (Chart 3) for their secondary role (i.e., based on their points in their secondary role). Petitions are not allowed for secondary roles. (g., a competitor with 63 Advanced points as a Leader is allowed to dance in Advanced or All Star as a Leader in their primary role. If they choose to dance in Advanced as a Leader, they may dance in Novice or Intermediate as a Follower; if they choose to dance in All Star as a Leader, they may dance in Intermediate or Advanced as a Follower. However, if they have 1+ Intermediate points, they must dance in Intermediate as a Follower, even if they choose to dance in Advanced as a Leader.)
   1. Exception: To maintain the intent of the Newcomer division, competitors competing in

Intermediate in their primary role may NOT compete in Newcomer (i.e., Intermediate competitors may only dance down one level down in their secondary role).

1. Competitors who are Novice in their primary role may choose to compete in their secondary role in the Newcomer division, if they have no points in their secondary role (see Chart 3: WSDC Skill Level Jack and Jill Advancement Chart), or the Novice division. They may not compete twice in the same skill level Jack and Jill contest.
2. Competitors may dance in Newcomer in the following scenarios:
   1. In either their primary or secondary role if they have no points in either role; or
   2. In their secondary role if they compete in Novice in their primary role and have no points in Newcomer or Novice in their secondary role.

Changes to These Rules

The Organizer will make every effort to conduct all competitions in accordance with these rules. However, the Organizer reserves the right to make any changes in schedule/format deemed necessary for any competition.

Swing Content:

Swing is an American Rhythm Dance based on a foundation of 6-beat and 8-beat patterns that incorporate a wide variety of rhythms built on 2-beat single, delayed, double, triple, and blank rhythm units. The 6-beat patterns include, but are not limited to, passes, underarm turns, push- breaks, open-to-closed, and closed-to-open position patterns. The 8-beat patterns include, but are not limited to, whips, swingouts, Lindy circles, and Shag pivots. Although they are not part of the foundation of the dance as stated above, 2- beat and 4-beat extension rhythm breaks may be incorporated to extend a pattern, to phrase the music, and/or to accent breaks.

** This statement will be used only to identify the presence of Swing content in a performance. It is not intended to be a full definition of Swing, or to be used to evaluate the quality of the performance. Each Judge will evaluate the presence of Swing content, which will be one of the criteria that determines a final score **

Division Rules

Jack and Jill Division

You may dance in more than 1 level of Jack & Jill contests! You can compete as both a leader and a follower.

Here are details on how it works:

• Leader and Follower points is tracked separately in the Points
• Competitors qualify for their dance level based on either their Leader or Follower points, whichever is
• Competitors are allowed to compete in their secondary role as indicated on the Points Registry, with the following clarifications:
  • Competitors will not be permitted to dance both roles in the same
  • Competitors who chose to dance at a higher level in their primary role must dance one level down from that role in their secondary role.
  • Novice competitors (primary role) may dance in Newcomer in their secondary role (if they have no Newcomer or Novice points in their secondary role).
  • Competitors with no/limited competition success in their secondary role may dance one additional level down in that role (so they would be dancing two levels down from their primary role).

Competitors – please contact points@worldsdc.com if any points are/were incorrectly allocated to the wrong role in the system.

General:

Competitors at least 50 years of age may also enter the Masters Division. Competitors must be at least eleven (11) years of age.

The Jack & Jill competitions are designed to highlight social dance skills in spontaneous swing dancing and the ability to

dance well with a variety of partners. A bit of “luck of the draw” comes into play as well.

Format:

Competitors enter as individuals, are randomly assigned partners, and dance to music selected in advance by the Competition DJ. Depending on the number of entries, preliminary and semi-final rounds may be held and will be danced in a heated format. Each division must have at least 5 leaders and 5 followers. There is no maximum number of competitors.

Judging Criteria:

Timing: Timing points are determined by the ability of the dancer to dance on the down beat of the music and to include syncopations that are also on the beats of the music.

Technique: “How Well You Do What You Do”: We are looking for good footwork, balance, control, frame, and line and

how well turns & spins are executed. Well controlled arms and hands.

Teamwork: The ability of the partners to work together as a team. One person should not be obviously “out dancing” the

other. TEAMWORK with action-reaction is essential in good dancing.

Content: “What You Do”: the content is the CHOREOGRAPHY, planned or spontaneous, and musical interpretation

through physical movement. Showing variety and contrast will enhance your dance performance.

Showmanship: “How Well You Sell What You Do”: showmanship/presentation is the ability of the dancers to keep the audience’s attention for the entire length of the performance.

Division Qualifications:

Our qualifications for entries promote fairness and competitor enjoyment by grouping dancers of similar ability in the same division. Please see the World Swing Dance Council webpage for more details for the jack and jill division. It is the Organizer’s goal to encourage all competitors to assign themselves to the appropriate classification using the honor system.

Age Divisions:

Sophisticated: For competitors who are at least 35 years old by the end of the event. Competitors may also dance in a skill level Jack & Jill (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, or Champions).

Masters: For competitors who are at least 50 years old by the end of the event. Competitors may also dance in a skill level Jack & Jill (Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Sophisticated or Champions).

Strictly Swing Divisions:

Swing dancing encourages lead and follow partner dancing at its best. Although swing includes amalgamations and patterns that are familiar to many dancers, the essence of lead and follow must be maintained in and out of these patterns. Strictly Swing division is not meant for long and extended pre-choreographed phrases. Choreography “on the fly” is the objective. Drops, leans, circular movements and other partner weight support moves are allowed if both partners keep at least one foot on the floor.

You may enter more than one Strictly Swing contest. You may dance up a level by dancing with a partner of a higher level. You may also dance down one level in your non-dominant role. You may also enter an age delineated division such as masters. And yet still, you may also enter generational strictly swing. See the generational rules for more information.

General:

The minimum number of entries in each division is five (5). There is no maximum number of entries. Guidelines for expected swing content are 90% in Strictly Swing. It is at the judge’s discretion to determine that the swing content requirement has been met.

Specific:

1. Contestants must be least ten (10) years or older by the end of the event to
2. Length of performance is at the promoter’s
3. Costumes are not However, matching, or complementary outfits are acceptable.
4. This division will be danced in heats for preliminaries and semi-finals (if needed).
5. Couples must maintain physical contact except for spins, turns, short break-a-ways, and
6. Pre-choreographed routines are not
7. Dancers must maintain their own physical contact with the floor during partner weight support

Division Qualifications:

It is the Organizer’s goal to encourage all competitors to assign themselves to a fair and appropriate classification using the honor system. If you do not feel comfortable dancing within these qualifications, please petition (see “Petitions”)

Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, All Star: For these divisions a couple must enter the highest level either partner qualifies for based on the WSDC points they have earned and the WSDC level criteria for Jack & Jill.

Generational:

• Any dancer may enter this division except for Champions
• Only 1 partner can be Advanced or All Star (based on the level entered for Jack and Jill contests)
• There must be a 20-year age gap between partners (minimum of 20, not 19½)
• Because this is an age requirement rather than a skill level requirement you may also enter another Strictly Swing contest at the appropriate skill level if you wish.

Masters (50+): Both partners must be 50 years of age or older. Because this is an age requirement rather than a skill level requirement you may also enter another Strictly Swing contest at the appropriate skill level if you wish.

Pro-Am Strictly Swing Division

General:

1. Students enter with their This division is designed to highlight social dancing skills at a performance level with an emphasis on lead/follow technique.
2. For this contest, amateurs are defined as anyone who does not teach dancing on a regular, ongoing basis or earn a significant amount of income teaching or A professional is defined as someone who earns a significant amount of income teaching or performing dance. Anyone who has previously competed in open or professional level competition must be considered a Pro for this purpose.
3. Only the student is Different skill levels are offered for both Leader and Follower roles. Each skill level and role is a separate contest.
4. Each professional shall have no more than 5 entries in each Division
5. It is the Organizer’s goal to encourage Pro/Am competitions as a learning tool for the

Specific:

1. Length of performance is at the promoter’s Music will be chosen by the Organizer.
2. Costumes are not However, matching, or complementary outfits are acceptable.
3. This division will be danced in
4. Couples must maintain physical contact except for spins, turns, short break-a-ways, and
5. Pre-choreographed routines are not allowed, no choreographed entrances or
6. Dancers must maintain their own physical contact with the floor during partner weight support

Division Qualifications:

It is the Organizer’s goal to encourage all competitors to assign themselves to a fair and appropriate classification using the honor system. If you do not feel comfortable dancing within these qualifications, please petition (see “Petitions.”)

Newcomer: This division is for students with little to no competition experience. Students are expected to perform solid basics. Limited variations are allowed but not required. No leans, drops, or breakaways are allowed. All material should be recognizable as familiar, common “leadable” social patterns.

Novice: This level is based on WSDC skill level. Students are expected to perform solid basics. Limited variations are allowed but not required. No leans, drops, or breakaways are allowed. All material should be recognizable as familiar, common “leadable” social patterns.

Intermediate: This division is for students with significant prior competition and or dance experience. Students are expected to perform clean basics with variations and musicality. Judges will consider musical interpretation, showmanship, and creativity.

ROUTINE DIVISIONS

Pro-Am Spotlight Routine:

This single division is offered for all styles of Swing: West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Hustle, Shag and Hand Dance or any other style of popular swing dance.

General:

• Each professional shall have no more than 10 total entries (between Novice and Intermediate/Advanced).
• Students enter with their teacher and perform a choreographed routine to music they
• Expected swing content of any style is 70%. It is at the judges’ discretion to determine that the swing content has

been met.

• For this contest, amateurs are defined as anyone who does not teach dancing on a regular, ongoing basis or earn a significant amount of income teaching or A professional is defined as someone who earns a significant amount of income teaching or performing dance. Anyone who has previously competed in open or professional level competition must be considered a Pro for this purpose.
• Routine must be at least 2 minutes long and no longer than 3
• Couples dance in a solo
• Dance order will be chosen at random and posted prior to the division start

NASDE Showcase and Classic Divisions:

Classic Division:

• Swing dancing that allows choreography emphasizing the foundation of swing dancing and swing movement. Drops, leans, circular movements and other partner weight support moves are allowed if both partners keep at least one foot on the floor.
• The Chicago Classic is a NASDE Tour Click here for more information on the NASDE Tour, and the rules we comply with to main competitive consistency across the tour.

Showcase Division:

• Swing dancing that allows lifts, as well as other partner weight-support
• The Chicago Classic is a NASDE Tour Click here for more information on the NASDE Tour, and the rules we comply with to main competitive consistency across the tour.

Rising Star

• Rising Star routines represent an opportunity for amateur dancers to gain experience in the routine process with their
• The Chicago Classic is a Rising Star Tour Click here for more information on the Rising Star Tour, and the rules that we comply with in order to maintain competitive consistency across the tour.