Rules - Rigas kauss 2024

Pēdējās izmaiņas veiktas - 22.02.2024 10:26


The XII Latvian Line Dance Olympiad "Rīgas kauss 2024" is an event dedicated to every line dancer, during which competitions will be held in various divisions for individual dancers, groups and teams, workshops with world-famous choreographers and dancers are offered, and everyone can enjoy fantastic dance demonstrations. , evening show and enjoy dancing with hundreds of other line dancers.


 

The age group you are in is determined by your age on the day of the broadcast of the Latvian XI olympiad "Rīgas kauss 2024" (Jun 15, 2024). If you have a birthday on this days, you can move on to the next age group, but it is not mandatory.

 

Age groups and divisions of solo line dancers:

 

 

 

A deja

B deja

C deja

C* deja

D deja

Rugrats

0-5

X

 

 

 

 

Kids

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kids

6

X

 

 

 

 

Kids1

7

X

 

 

 

 

Kids2

8-9

X

 

 

 

 

Kids3

10-12

X

 

 

 

 

Starter

 

A deja

B deja

C deja

C* deja

D deja

Primary

0-7

X

X

X

 

 

Junior

8-10

X

X

X

 

 

Youth

11-13

X

X

X

 

 

Teen

14-17

X

X

X

 

 

Open

18+

X

X

X

 

 

Crystal

26+

X

X

 

X

 

Diamond

40+

X

X

 

X

 

Gold

50+

X

X

 

X

 

GoldPlus

65+

X

X

 

X

 

Newcomer

 

A deja

B deja

C deja

C* deja

D deja

Primary

0-7

X

X

X

 

 

Junior

8-10

X

X

X

 

 

Youth

11-13

X

X

X

 

 

Teen

14-17

X

X

X

 

 

Open

18+

X

X

X

 

 

Crystal

26+

X

X

 

X

 

Diamond

40+

X

X

 

X

 

Gold

50+

X

X

 

X

 

GoldPlus

65+

X

X

 

X

 

Novice

 

A deja

B deja

C deja

D deja

D* deja

Primary

0-7

X

X

X

X

 

Junior

8-10

X

X

X

X

 

Youth

11-13

X

X

X

X

 

Teen

14-17

X

X

X

X

 

Open

18+

X

X

X

X

 

Crystal

26+

X

X

X

 

X

Diamond

40+

X

X

X

 

X

Gold

50+

X

X

X

 

X

GoldPlus

65+

X

X

X

 

X

Intermediate

 

A deja

B deja

C deja

D deja

D* deja

Primary

0-7

X

X

X

X

 

Junior

8-10

X

X

X

X

 

Youth

11-13

X

X

X

X

 

Teen

14-17

X

X

X

X

 

Open

18+

X

X

X

X

 

Crystal

26+

X

X

X

 

X

Diamond

40+

X

X

X

 

X

Gold

50+

X

X

X

 

X

GoldPlus

65+

X

X

X

 

X

EXTRA

 

A deja

B deja

C deja

C* deja

D deja

All Age

 

X

X

X

 

 

             

Tautas klase/SOCIAL

 

A deja

B deja

C deja

C* deja

D deja

Junior

<18

X

X

 

 

 

Open

18+

X

X

 

 

 

Senior

35+

X

X

 

 

 

Gold

50+

X

X

 

 

 

GoldPlus

65+

X

X

 

 

 

 

Rugrats

This division is for beginners up to 5 years of age. The emphasis is on pleasure and enjoyment of the dance and encouraging the youngest dancers to participate in the competition. Only one dance is offered in this division.

 

Kids

This division is for beginners aged 6 to 12. The emphasis is on pleasure and enjoyment of the dance and encouraging the youngest dancers to participate in the competition. Only one dance is offered in this division. Dancers will be divided into age groups – 6 years old, 7 years old, 8-9 years old, 10-12 years old.

In this division (Kids) no more than 3 years can participate (regardless of the age group). After that, the dancer must move on to the next division - Starter/Starteri.

If a dancer has won a group with 3 or more dancers, he/she must move to the next division - Starter/Starteri - in the next competition year.

If a dancer has won 2nd place in a group with 6 or more dancers, he/she must move to the next division – Starter/Starters – in the next competition year.

If a dancer won 3rd place in a group with 10 or more dancers, in the next year of the competition, he/she must move to the next division – Starter/Starters.

 

Starter

In the Starter Division, competitions take place in the following age groups:

Primary: 0-8g; Junior: 8-10; Youth:  11-13; Teen: 14-17; Open: 18+; Crystal: 26+; Diamond: 40+; Gold: 50+; Gold+: 65+

This division is recommended for beginners or dancers who have never competed before. The emphasis is on pleasure and enjoying the dance. Variations are not allowed and dancers must strictly adhere to the official description of the steps. Dance teachers are not allowed to participate in this division. For more than 3 consecutive years, dancers are not allowed to participate in this division (in the fourth year, dancers must move to the next division). Three dances are offered.

Dancers who have had ¼ finals or ½ finals and made it to the finals must move to the next division in the next year of the competition – Newcomer.

If a dancer has won a group with 3 or more dancers, he/she must move to the next division in the next competition year - Newcomer.

If the dancer won the 2nd place in a group with 6 or more dancers, he/she must move to the next division in the next competition year - Newcomer.

You can participate in this division for a maximum of 3 years (regardless of the age group). After that, the dancer must move to the next division - Newcomer.

 

Newcomer

In the Newcomer Division, competitions take place in the following age groups:

Primary: 0-8g; Junior: 8-10; Youth:  11-13; Teen: 14-17; Open: 18+; Crystal: 26+; Diamond: 40+; Gold: 50+; Gold+: 65+

This division is recommended for beginners. Variations are not allowed and dancers must strictly adhere to the official description of the steps. Three dances are offered.

If a dancer has won a group with 3 or more dancers, he/she must move to the next division in the following competition year – Novice.

If the dancer won the 2nd place in a group with 6 or more dancers, he/she must move to the next division in the next competition year – Novice.

If a dancer won 3rd place in a group with 10 or more dancers, he/she must move to the next division in the next competition year – Novice.

 

Novice

In the Novice Division, competitions take place in the following age groups:

Primary: 0-8g; Junior: 8-10; Youth:  11-13; Teen: 14-17; Open: 18+; Crystal: 26+; Diamond: 40+; Gold: 50+; Gold+: 65+

This division is recommended for dancers who have been dancing line dance for more than one year or who have some previous dance experience. This division is also recommended as a starting point for dance teachers who have not previously competed. In this division, the emphasis is on the precise execution of basic steps and techniques. Minimal variations are allowed, but dancers may not make turns more than 360 degrees on one leg. Four dances are offered.

If a dancer has won a group with 3 or more dancers, he/she must move to the next division in the following competition year – Intermediate.

If the dancer won the 2nd place in a group with 6 or more dancers, he/she must move to the next division in the next competition year – Intermediate.

If a dancer won 3rd place in a group with 10 or more dancers, he/she must move to the next division in the next competition year – Intermediate.

 

 

Intermediate

In the Intermediate Division, competitions take place in the following age groups:

Primary: 0-8g; Junior: 8-10; Youth:  11-13; Teen: 14-17; Open: 18+; Crystal: 26+; Diamond: 40+; Gold: 50+; Gold+: 65+

This division is recommended for dancers who have a very good knowledge of line dance, who have previously participated in national or international line dance competitions. In this division, the emphasis is on the precise execution of basic steps and techniques, style-appropriate emotions. Variations are also allowed in this division, but dancers are not allowed to perform acrobatic tricks. Four dances are offered.

If a dancer has won a group with 5 or more dancers, he/she must move to the next division - Extra - in the next competition year.

 

EXTRA

In the EXTRA division, dancers are not divided into age groups

The dancers of this division are dancers who compete in international line dance competitions in Advanced or higher-level groups. In this division, dancers are not divided into age groups and men and women dance together. Variations are allowed in this division, and dancers are allowed to perform acrobatic tricks (jumps, twine, etc.)

 

SOCIAL

In the Social Division, competitions take place in the following age groups:

Junior: …<18; Open: 18+; Senior: 35+; Gold: 50+; Gold+: 65+

This division was created and is recommended for dancers who dance more for pleasure - the emphasis is on joy and enjoying the dance. Variations are not permitted in this division and dancers must strictly adhere to the official step description. Dance teachers of any kind are not allowed to participate in this division, and dancers who have participated in other international line dance competitions above the starter division are not allowed to participate in this division.

 

In this division, 2 dances are offered, which are chosen from the world's favorite and popular line dances - one to country music and the other to non-country music.

 

Summary of line dance rules

 

Dancers can dance one or any combination of the offered dances. Either way, the dancers have to dance all the dances to get an awarded place.

 

The beginning of the dance steps will be counted at the beginning of the dance so that the participants know when to start the dance.

 

The duration of the dance for individual line dancers will be 2 - 2.5 minutes. For teams and groups, the dance duration will be the full length of the song / music.

 

Basic steps and variations: Dancers must dance the first two walls according to the dance description. You can use your arms, wrists, head and upper body as you like, but you cannot change any steps. They must be performed exactly as written in the official dance description. You will be awarded penalty points if you do not stick to the dance description. Variations are allowed in the third, fifth and subsequent odd walls. The variations should follow the direction of the dance movement of the basic steps, but the last 2 majors (2x4 or 2x3 (waltz)) should follow the basic steps. In the fourth, sixth and next walls of the couple you have to dance the basic steps with your emotions and style.

 

During the dance introductory music (before the start of the basic dance wall), movements within a radius of no more than one step are allowed.

 

In dances with a description of several parts (A-B-C), variations are not allowed when dancing each part for the first and second time. Only when dancing the relevant part for the third time, variations are allowed, but the last 2 majors (2x4 or 2x3 (waltz)) have to dance the basic steps.

 

Movements containing acrobatic elements, sitting or lying on the dance floor are not allowed, except for Show duets / Showcase Duo and Show Team and Extra divisions individual dancers.

 

Exceptions to the rules on variations:

Rugrats, Kids, Starter, Social, Newcomer: Variations are not allowed in this division. Social dancers must dance in strict accordance with the official dance description.

Novice: The variation rules apply to this division, but only minimal variations are allowed. Dancers are not allowed to make turns more than 360 degrees on one leg. Excessive variations in this division will be penalized with penalty points.

If a dancer leaves the dance floor without an invitation for any reason, they may be disqualified from that dance and, according to the judging rules, this means that the dancer will not be able to gain a place in the overall standings.

Dancers may be given penalties for not following the rules - for inappropriate costumes, for not performing basic steps, for running into or leaving the dance floor, "unacceptable courage" (flirting, sexual harassment, aggression, etc.), not observing the rhythm during the entire dance, as well as Penalties after the judges have consulted about some extraordinary cases, for example, the dancer has left the dance floor or like that.

Groups

 

Duo

In the Duo division, competitions take place in the following age groups:

Junior: age 0-13; Teen: age 14-18; Open: age 18+; Senior: age 35+

The duo are two individual dancers - men, women or a mixed duo, who dance in any unconnected pattern. Hands and bodies can easily come into contact, but dancers must not connect to perform any movement. Before the competition, music will be announced, at which the duo will be able to prepare their own choreography and perform it during the competition.

 

Dancers can start performing their choreography whenever they want, it will not be included in the beginning of the dance.

 

No participant may dance in more than one duo during one competition.

 

Showcase Duo

In the Showcase Duo division, competitions take place in the following age groups:

Junior: age 0-13; Teen: age 14-18; Open: age 18+; Senior: age 35+

The duo has two individual dancers - men, women or a mixed duo. Dancers of this division are allowed grips, elements of pair dancing are allowed, there are no restrictions on movements, acrobatics are allowed. However, if movements that judges consider dangerous are used, dancers may be penalized.

 

Before the competition, music will be announced, at which the duo will be able to prepare their own choreography and perform it during the competition.

 

Dancers can start performing their choreography whenever they want, it will not be included in the beginning of the dance.

 

No participant may dance in more than one show duo during one competition

 

Quad

In the Quad division, competitions take place in the following age groups:

Junior: age 0-13; Teen: age 14-18; Open: age 18+; Senior: age 35+

 

If the dancers are dancing in quad and they correspond to different age groups, then they have to participate in the Open age group, or in case all the dancers are under 18 years old, then in the Teen age group.

 

A quad is four individual dancers, men, women, or any gender combination, dancing in any unconnected pattern.

 

Hands and bodies can be easily touched, but dancers cannot connect to perform a movement.

 

Before the competition, music will be announced, at which the quartets will be able to prepare their own choreography and perform it during the competition.

Dancers can start performing their choreography whenever they want, it will not be included in the beginning of the dance.

 

No competitor may dance in more than one quad during one competition.

 

Team divisions, age and summary of rules

Team age groups:

 Junior: age 0- 13; Teen: age 14-17; Open: age 18+; Senior: age 35+, Gold: age 50+, Gold+: age 65+

·                 Junior (age 0 to 13) - team members are up to 13 years old; it is allowed that one of the team dancers is from another age group;

·                 Teen (age 14 to 17) - team members are at least 14 and up to 17 years old; it is allowed that one of the team dancers is from another age group;

·                 Open (age 18 +) - team members can be from different age groups, but if you add the ages of all dancers and divide by the number of dancers (calculates the average), there must be at least 18;

·                 Senior (age 35+) - team members are at least 35 years old, it is allowed that one of the team dancers is younger than 35 years;

·                 Gold (age 50+) - team members are at least 50 years old, it is allowed that one of the team dancers is younger than 50 years;

·                 Gold + (age 65+) - team members are at least 65 years old, it is allowed that one of the team dancers is younger than 65 years

 

Team Divisions:

           Country Classic Team

           Modern Line Team

           Standard Line Team

           Cabaret Team

 

Country Classic Team

There must be at least 6 dancers in the team, there is no limit to the maximum number of team members.

 

This division has all the same rules as the individual line dance divisions.

 

Before the competition, one dance will be chosen to be performed. Dancers have to dance the basic steps of the first two walls, variations can be placed on the third, fifth and all subsequent odd walls. During the basic walls, it is possible to change the pattern only by varying the size of the steps. Changing the steps, their direction is strictly forbidden. In the walls of variations, the variations do not necessarily follow the direction of the basic dance, in these walls dancers are also allowed to change the location, but the last 2 majors (2x4 or 2x3 (waltz)) should follow the basic steps.

All dances that will be selected for this division will be accompanied by country music.

 

Modern Line Team

There must be at least 6 dancers in the team, there is no limit to the maximum number of team members.

 

This division has all the same rules as the individual line dance divisions.

 

Before the competition, one dance will be chosen to be performed. Dancers have to dance the basic steps of the first two walls. Variations can be placed on the third, fifth and all subsequent odd walls. During the basic walls, it is possible to change the pattern only by varying the size of the steps, but changing the steps, their direction is strictly forbidden. In the walls of variations, the variations do not necessarily follow the direction of the basic dance, in these walls dancers are also allowed to change the location, but the last 2 majors (2x4 or 2x3 (waltz)) should follow the basic steps.

All the dances that will be chosen for this division will not be accompanied by country music.

 

Basic Steps and Variations for Country Classic and Modern Line Dance Teams: Dancers must dance the first two walls according to the dance description. You can use your arms, hands, head, and upper body as you like, but you can't change any steps. They must be performed exactly as written in the official dance description. You will be awarded penalty points if you do not follow the dance description. Variations are allowed on the third, fifth and subsequent odd walls, but the last 2 majors (2x4 or 2x3 (waltz)) should follow the basic steps. In the fourth, sixth and subsequent walls of the couple, you have to dance the basic steps with your emotions and style.

 

During the basic walls, it is possible to change the pattern only by varying the size of the steps, but changing the steps and their direction is strictly prohibited. You can use your arms, hands, head, and upper body as you like, but you can't change any steps. They must be performed exactly as written in the official dance description.

 

In variation walls, the variations do not necessarily follow the direction of the basic dance, and in these walls the dancers are also allowed to change positions. During the variations, other dancers must not be disturbed by putting other dancers on the dance floor, the last 2 majors (2x4 or 2x3 (waltz)) must be danced in these walls as basic steps.

 

In dances that have several parts in the description (A-B-C), no variations are allowed when dancing each part the first and second time. Only when dancing the respective part for the third time are variations allowed, but the last 2 majors (2x4 or 2x3 (waltz)) must be danced in basic steps.

 

In the dances whose descriptions have insertions (TAG), it is not allowed to vary or change them, they must be performed exactly according to the dance description.

 

Movements that contain acrobatic elements, sitting or lying on the dance floor are not allowed in these teams.

 

Standard Line Team

There must be at least 6 dancers in the team, there is no limit to the maximum number of team members.

 

The team must have at least 6 members, who are individual dancers who dance any combination of dances. Team members must not meet and connect to create drawings or initiate a turn or movement. Team performances can include strings(combinations) from line dances and pair dance styles. Lifting, lowering and weight-carrying contact are not permitted in standard team performances.

 

The teams of this division dance to music of their choice. Music must be at least 2 minutes and no more than 5 minutes long. The time is counted from the first notes to the last notes. Any arrival and departure music must be counted within the total time limit. If you exceed the time allowed, you will get a lower score in the final. At least 50% of the music used in a standard team performance must be country music (that is, it must have been in the country charts, its performers must be recognizable country singers or bands).

 

Show Team

 There must be at least 6 dancers in the team, there is no limit to the maximum number of team members.

 

The team consists of at least 6 participants, who are individual dancers who dance any combination of dances. Team members can meet and connect to create drawings or initiate a turn or movement. Team performances can include strings/combinations from line dances and pair dance styles. Lifting, lowering and weight-carrying contact are allowed in cabaret teams. Teams can use any dance style or a combination of them by choosing the theme and music of their choice. Cabaret / themed costumes are allowed. Audio / verbal sounds are allowed.

 

The teams of this division dance to music of their own choice. Music must be at least 2 minutes and no more than 5 minutes long. The time is counted from the first notes to the last notes. Any entry and exit music must be counted within the total time limit. If you exceed the time allowed, you will get a lower score in the final. Cabaret teams are allowed to play any style of music.

 

General rules for teams:

 

Team music must be sent to dj.geminiruta@gmail.com no later than a week before the competition, indicating the name of the team and in which division it will dance. A backup copy of the music must also be available with the competition. Delays in the performance of the team due to the unavailability of music may lead to disqualification of the team.

 

The order in which the teams will perform will be determined by the event organizers in a random manner.

 

Imaginary acts, pantomimes, singing or comedy acts are permitted for show teams but are NOT permitted for other teams.

 

Costumes / appearance - for all divisions

Basic rules

·               Men: must wear a cowboy hat in all dances except funky and novelty style dances. If the hat falls off during the dance and is not raised at the earliest opportunity, you will have penalty points.

·               Women: Skirts and dresses must be worn with tights (skin colour) and "dance pants", i.e. clothing that restricts the visibility of the underwear. A cowboy hat is not mandatory, but it can be used if desired.

Common rules for men and women:

·               All dancers are recommended to dance in country / western dance boots, except for non-country style dances, during which any other dance shoes may be worn, but country / western boots in non-country dance dances are not prohibited. If dancers wear any other style of footwear, they must be dance shoes with a heel height not exceeding 5 cm.

·               Themed or formal costumes of any kind, masks are prohibited;

·               Costumes must not have any names or advertisements of any kind;

·               Tops without straps are prohibited;

·               Transparent or leather-coloured material used in the dancer's costume and creating an unsafe view of the underwear or body that may confuse participants, judges or spectators is not allowed;

·               The naked part of the body from the chest to the waist is not allowed;

·               The neck must be fully exposed so that it is also visible from the sides and back (must not be covered with hair).

·               The Team Cabaret Division and the Social Divisions are free from the costume rules, but any costume that may confuse the referees or spectators will be penalized with penalty points.

·               If you are not sure if any part of your costume / look is compliant, check with the organizers before submitting the video.

General Regulations 

Dancing culture:

The use of chewing gum is prohibited.

Audio / verbal sounds / singing are not allowed (except for the command cabaret division). Synchronous lip movement with the song is allowed

Acrobatic movements are not allowed at any moment in the dance (this also includes the introduction and the 'ending poses' of the dance). Acrobatic movements are defined as follows:

·               any movement in which both legs are higher than the waist of the participant;

·               any movement in which a participant weighs on one or both hands;

·               any movement in which a participant sits or lies on the floor.

·               Twine is not allowed.

·               Kicks are allowed, but they must not in any way disturb or endanger other dancers on the dance floor.

(Note: Extra Division dancers, Cabaret teams and Showcase duos are free from acrobatic restrictions)

No hand-held individual accessories are allowed (except for the Cabaret division).

Vulgar, seductive or rude dance movements are not allowed. Movements that will be overly saturated with flirtation, humour and comedy will prevent the dancer from gaining a place in the final results.

Responsibilities of participants:

Each participant must make sure that they are fully acquainted with the latest regulations for their division. This includes the official dance description and costume rules.

All participants are expected to behave in a professional and appropriate manner. Anyone who acts unethically or unprofessionally may be disqualified from the competition.

If participants do not comply with the published rules, they will be disqualified.

To draw the attention of the event organizers to inappropriate behavior, questions about the competition, protests or disputes immediately. All decisions of the event organizers, competition coordinators, judges and scorers are final. 

Judges: 

During the competition, the judges and other organizers may not disclose information about the results or points to the participants of the competition or other visitors to the event under any circumstances.

The reason and result of the meeting of the judges will be announced only to the dancers involved, if necessary. If the Chief Judge considers that a statement is necessary, it will only be made in a general form so that all participants can benefit from it.

By participating in the Riga Cup Olympics, you agree with the following statement: “We undertake not to take any requests, claims against the organizers of this event. We allow any video of the event to be reproduced, sold, copyrighted, displayed, transmitted or distributed. We are aware of the physical risks of starting and competing in a dance competition and take full responsibility for any injuries or personal loss that this event may cause. We do not object to the processing of personal data as far as the publication of lists of participants, the compilation of results and their publication are concerned. "