Jack & Jill Competitions

Jack & Jill competitions have been designed to demonstrate competitors’ social dance skills in spontaneous dancing and their ability to dance well with a variety of partners.

Divisions

These division descriptions have been created as guidelines. The designated West Coast Swing divisions use the World Swing Dance Council (WSDC) Points Registry for eligibility and Country Two-Step Tour (CTST) uses their respective rules.

Any competitor uncertain about their category status should check with the Contest Registration Desk or the Chief Judge for proper classification prior to the registration deadline of the contest in question.

Petitions – Should a WCS competitor wish to petition up for a particular contest, they must submit a petition to the WSDC prior to the event. See petition up requirements under the WSDC Registry Event Rules,  (WSDC Petition Up Form). The Chief Judge may approve petition down requests at the event. (WSDC petition down form)

WSDC West Coast Swing Jack & Jill
Skill Level Advancement Chart  (Chart)

1. Newcomer (WSDC)
   This division is intended for new dancers with limited or no competition experience. Competitors should be familiar with some of the basic steps as listed in the dance content section of General Definitions (section G).
2. Novice (WSDC)
   This division is intended for dancers with limited or no competition experience. Competitors are expected to know the basic steps as listed in the dance content section of General Definitions (section G). WCS competitors may enter this division if they have earned fewer than 16 Novice points. Must move to Intermediate after 30 Novice points.
3. Intermediate (WSDC)
   This division is intended for dancers with some competition experience. WCS competitors may enter this division if they have earned at least 16 or more Novice points.  Must move to Advanced after 45 Intermediate points or if they have 1 Advanced point.
4. Sophisticated (35+) (WSDC)
   This age-based division is intended for dancers who are at least 35 years of age and know the WCS basic patterns.
5. Masters (50+)(WSDC)
   This age-based division is intended for dancers who are at least 50 years of age and know the WCS basic patterns.
6. Advanced (WSDC)
   This division is for dancers with significant competition experience. WCS Competitors may enter this division if they have earned 30 or more Intermediate points. Must move to All Star with 90 Advanced points or if they have 1 All Star point.
7. All-Star (WSDC)
   This division is intended for top-level dancers. WCS competitors may enter here if in they meet the WSDC criteria for this division. *Verify at WSDC.

CTST Country Two-Step Jack & Jill 

1. Novice (CTST)
2. Intermediate (CTST)
3. Advanced (CTST)

Other Jack & Jills

1. Open Hustle
   Open to any skill level.
2. Open Nightclub Two-Step
   Open to any skill level.
3. High/Low (WCS)
   This division is where competitors of each skill category (high/low) are randomly paired; High Division Leader with Low Division Follower and High Division Follower with Low Division Leader. Low Division is Novice through Intermediate; High Divisionis Advanced and above.
4. Open Triple Challenge (WCS,CTS,HUS,NC2)
   Open to all skill levels; must know the basics and must do at least 3 of the 4 dances: West Coast Swing, Country Two-Step, Hustle, Nightclub Two-Step. Couples may do all 4 dances however the overall final placement is based on the best 3 scores.

Guidelines

• All Jack & Jill dancing is gender-neutral; you may enter as  a leader or follower. Partners are paired at random and will dance to music pre-selected by the Competition DJ.
• Judges will expect a minimum of 90% recognizable content for each respective dance.
• Partners must maintain contact throughout the dance, except for free turns, spins, side-by-sides, breakaways.
• Not allowed: lifts, aerials, gymnastic maneuvers, entrances, exits, and routines. (see General Definitions)
• All Star Jack & Jill – some liberties are allowed.

Format

Preliminary & Semi-final rounds (if necessary)

• Contestants will dance grouped in heats. Number of heats will be determined based on the number of contestants. There are no restrictions in drawing one’s dance partner, spouse or relative.
• Music selection and the order in which it will be played will be pre-selected by the DJ & Competition Committee.
• Contestants will be judged individually, on a callback basis, and must demonstrate good teamwork with all their partners. Should there be an imbalance in the number of leaders or followers, some contestants may dance twice.

 Final round

• Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Masters & Open divisions will dance in a group or semi-group format. All Star division will dance in a spotlight format and may include a group review dance. An uneven balance of contestants or other circumstances may alter this format.

NOTE: World Swing Dance Council (WSDC) and Country Two Step Tour (CTST) points will be awarded as applicable. Their respective Rules and Guidelines apply to the designated contests. Please review details on their respective websites.

Couples Competition

This division is designed to highlight lead/follow social dance skills in spontaneous partner dancing. Competitors enter as a couple (selecting the partner of their choice) and dance to music randomly selected by the Competition DJ.

Divisions

1. Generational Strictly Swing
   Open to any skill level. There must be a 20 year age difference between partners.

Guidelines

• There should be a minimum of 90% recognizable dance content.
• All dancing is to be “lead/follow”, no routines allowed.
• Couples must maintain contact except for spins, turns, short side by sides, and breakaways.
• Dancers must maintain their own physical contact with the floor during partner support moves.
• Elements not allowed include, but are not limited to, lifts, aerials, gymnastic maneuvers, routines, and formal entrances & exits (see general definitions section).
• Costumes are not allowed; matching attire is acceptable.

Format

Preliminary and Semi-final rounds (if necessary)

• Couples will dance grouped in heats. Number of heats will be determined based on the number of couples entered.
• Couples will be judged on a call-back basis.

Final round

• Finalists will dance in group format unless otherwise noted. Changes may be made.

Pro/Am Competitions

This Just Dance division for Dance Teachers and their Students is designed to highlight lead/follow social dance skills. Each Pro Teacher is allowed a maximum of 5 Student entries per division. Contestants may enter one time per dance.

Divisions

1. West Coast Swing Novice (Leader, Follower)
2. West Coast Swing Intermediate (Leader, Follower)
3. Country 2-Step Novice (Leader, Follower)
4. Country 2-Step Intermediate (Leader, Follower)
5. Hustle Novice (Leader, Follower)
6. Hustle Intermediate (Leader, Follower)
7. Nightclub 2-Step Novice (Leader, Follower)
8. Nightclub 2-Step Intermediate (Leader, Follower)

Guidelines

• There must be a minimum of 90% recognizable content for each respective dance.
• All dancing is to be “lead/follow”, no routines allowed.
• Couples must maintain contact except for spins, turns, short side by sides, and breakaways.
• Dancers must maintain their own physical contact with the floor during partner support moves.
• At most, 5 partner weight support moves are permitted.
• Elements not allowed include, but are not limited to, lifts, aerials, gymnastic maneuvers, routines, and formal entrances & exits (see general definitions section).
• Costumes are not allowed; matching attire is acceptable.

Format

Final Only

• Couples will dance grouped in heats. Number of heats will be determined based on the number of entries.

Top Teacher Award

Awarded to Teacher with most points

Top Student Award

Awarded to Student with highest overall total Pro/Am placement points.

General Definitions

Dance Categories

1. 1. Swing (WSDC guidelines apply)
      West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Carolina Shag, Lindy, Lindy Hop, Push, Whip, Hollywood Swing, Imperial Swing, Jitterbug, Jive, and Hand Dance are some of the recognized styles of swing.
   2. Country Two-Step (CTST guidelines apply for J&J)
      Country Two-Step styles using a basic rhythm of  “QQSS” or “SSQQ” are recognized.
   3. Hustle
      Hustle styles using a basic rhythm of “&1,2,3” or “1,2,&3” are recognized.
   4. Nightclub Two-Step
      Nightclub Two-Step styles using a basic rhythm of QQS (1&, “2”) (aka Rhythm) or SQQ (“1”, 2&) (aka Smooth) are recognized.

Dance Content

1. West Coast Swing
   Competitors are expected to be familiar with basic patterns, including but not limited to: starter step, basic throwout/release, underarm turn, sugar push/push break, tuck turn, right and left side pass, turning basic, basic whip, hand change patterns, and some exposure to spins & turns.
2. Country Two-Step
   Competitors should be familiar with basic patterns, including but not limited to intertwining weave movements utilizing basic closed, side by side and promenade positions plus some exposure to wraps, spins and turns.
3. Hustle
   Competitors should be familiar with basic patterns, including but not limited to: release/throwout, cross body lead, hesitation/time step, underarm pass, wheel, wraps, shadow turns, right and left side pass, hand change figures, New York walks, & some exposure to spins & turns
4. Nightclub Two Step
   Competitors are expected to be familiar with basic patterns, including but not limited to: basic step, underarm turn, left turn, right turn, open breaks, hand change figures, and some exposure to spins/turns/rolls.

Drops

Not allowed in Newcomer, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Sophisticated and Masters J&J levels. Any maneuver during which one of the competitor’s heads is below their partner’s waist level is considered a drop. (e.g. splits, neck drop, layout)

Lifts & Aerials*

Not allowed.  A lift or aerial is any maneuver lasting longer than a fraction of a beat of music during which a dancer’s weight is NOT supported primarily through their own feet.

This definition does not include:

• Flea hops
• Bunny hops
• Kicks
• Leveraged body leans
• Heel clicks & jumps (done solely by the individual and not assisted by the partner)

Gymnastic/Acrobatic Maneuver*

Not allowed. A gymnastic maneuver is any move that serves to illustrate a type of acrobatic ability that is not part of a recognizable dance pattern. Gymnastic-type maneuvers include, but are not limited to, cartwheels, back-flips, etc

* The intent of prohibiting lifts, aerials, and gymnastic-type maneuvers is to discourage the use of any moves that might endanger the well-being and safety your partner, another competitor or spectator. Please dance safely and use good judgment.

Side-by-Sides

Are allowed, but restrictions apply! A side-by-side is a set of symmetric or complementary movements or footwork executed by a couple. Any footwork combinations recognized by the judges as components of Carolina Shag, or any of the listed recognizable swing styles, are allowed as long as they do not exceed 16 beats of music. Excessive use of side-by-sides improperly phrased to the music are considered a routine and are not allowed.

Breakaways

Are allowed, but restrictions apply! A breakaway is a set of symmetric or complementary movements or footwork executed by a couple who intentionally break contact (except for spins and turns and should not exceed 16 beats of music.

Routines

Not allowed. Any segment which, in the opinion of the judges, consists of prearranged choreography in excess of 16 beats of music is considered a routine and therefore not allowed.

Entrances & Exits

Not allowed. An entrance and exit are formal, generally choreographed segments at the beginning and end of a performance, respectively.

Costumes

Not allowed. Matching or complementary attire suitable for social dancing are not considered costumes and are allowed in Strictly Swing, Just Hustle, Pro/Am and Jack & Jill.

Judging Criteria

All competitions will be judged using the relative placement scoring system and based on the following criteria:

1. Timing
   Swing is danced beginning on the downbeat. Timing extends to much finer distinctions than a single beat. It includes whether a competitor is fractionally ahead or behind the beat as well as matching the syncopated rhythm of the music.
2. Teamwork
   Swing, Country 2-step, Hustle and Nightclub 2-step are connected partner dances. The demonstration of this connection and the appearance of “lead/follow” or “action/reaction” between the partners is an expected part of any competition dance. One partner ignoring, “out-dancing”, disrespecting, or jeopardizing the safety of the other (or other competitors) demonstrates poor teamwork. Do not dance at the expense of your partner or any other competitors participating.
3. Technique
   How well the competitors execute the movements comprising their dance constitutes technique. This includes aspects such as control of balance, weight changes, foot placement, body lines, follow-through & extension, spins and turns.
4. Choreography
   The selection and order of movements and transitions executed during a dance comprise choreography. Good choreography demonstrates a close connection with the music as well as variety and contrast in movements. This includes a couple’s ability to match or compliment their patterns, syncopations, and actions to the music including musical phrasing, accents, breaks, character, texture, mood, and tempo. Degree of difficulty is also evaluated.
5. Presentation/Showmanship
   Creating an atmosphere of excitement by inviting and generating interest in a performance is the desired effect of good presentation. While showmanship is one aspect of presentation, it cannot substitute for good dancing.

Notes

• It is the Event’s intent to permit expressive and exciting performances without sacrificing the quality of dancing for showmanship. Any action that the judges believe would likely make them feel uncomfortable in a social dance setting is prohibited and subject to penalties.
• All Judges’ decisions are final.

Penalties

The penalties assessed will be determined by each individual judge. Judges are directed to lower the contestant’s score as much or as little as they determine is necessary based on the nature of the violation. In addition, if a violation is noted by a majority of the judges on their score sheets, the couple shall be placed out of the award money by the Chief Judge.

1. Error
   An error is a mistake — an apparently “unintentional” breach of these rules. An example of an error includes, but is not limited to, a brief unintended loss of contact between the partners.

2. Violation
   A violation is an apparently “intentional” breach of these rules. Examples of violations include, but are not limited to, a lift in a Jack & Jill, a routine in Strictly Swing or a maneuver that endangers another competitor.

Misclassification of Eligibility*

If a misclassification is discovered before the start of the competition, the competitors in question will be given the option to reclassify themselves (if possible) or withdraw. If the error is discovered after the start of the competition, the competitors will be disqualified & their placements/awards given to the next in line. *WCS division eligibility is based on WSDC Points Registry Rules.

Restarts

Restarts will only be permitted in the case of music system failure or other catastrophic failures such as, but not limited to, shoe or clothing failures. Restarts will not be permitted for reasons such as contestant dissatisfaction with their music, performance or partner draw.

Director’s Responsibilities

Final decisions on any matter rest solely with Chief Judge & Committee. Changes, if necessary, will be posted at the Registration desk. These rules are subject to change.

Awards

Prize Money

• Prize money will be split evenly between partners.
• It is the responsibility of the contestant to collect their awards. Awards will NOT be mailed after the event.