PERFORMANCE DIVISIONS

Solo: 1 dancer on stage
Title Solo: 1 dancer on stage
Duo: 2 dancers on stage
Trio: 3 dancers on stage
Small Group: 4-9 dancers on stage
Large Group: 10-15 dancers on stage
Line: 16-21 dancers on stage
Production: 22+ dancers on stage

AGE DIVISIONS

Petite: 6 & Under
Junior: 7-9
Pre-Teen: 10-12
Teen: 13-15
Senior: 16-18
Pre-Professional: 19 & Older

*ALL AGES FOR REGIONAL AND NATIONAL COMPETITIONS ARE AS OF JANUARY 1, 2023 

Substitutions of any performers for our nationals, The Final Callback, in groups, lines, and productions will require the ages to be re-averaged and the routine must compete in the new appropriate age division.

All routines entered in Open Call’s Pre-Professional age division will receive an adjudicated award and will be eligible for scholarships and scouting. Dancers from this age division will not be eligible to compete for our Lead Role Title, High Score or Overall High Score Awards. 

PERFORMANCE LEVELS

The two competing performance levels (Apprentice or Company) should be determined at the discretion of the teacher. Open Call recommends dancers who have 5hr/week of training or less compete in the Apprentice Level and dancers with 6hr/week of training or more to compete in Company Level. These two levels will apply to all Age Divisions.

All dancers in the Pre-Professional Age Division will be required to compete in the Company Level and are not eligible for Lead Role, High Score, or Overall High Score. All levels are eligible for Special Awards, and Scholarships. To be eligible for High Score, Overall High Score, and Cash Prizes you must compete in the Apprentice or Company Level.

Competition experience must be averaged for the following Performance Divisions, Duo/Trios, Small Groups, and Large Groups. Excluding Line and Productions. All routines entered in the Line and Production Performance Divisions are required to compete in the Company Level. Soloists will be individually based but must compete in the same level throughout the entire competition. 

If you need further recommendation, please email opencallcomp@gmail.com. Once again, final decisions are at the teacher’s discretion, so please keep in mind, age and technical ability must also be considered. Our panel of judges’ has the authority to move a dancer/routine up to the next performance level but they do not have the ability to move a dancer/routine down.

Non-Competitive: This non-competing level is for the performing experience and judges critiques. These dancers/routines will not receive a placement score.

APPRENTICE LEVEL

Our entry level of competition. This performance level will be open to dancers who have minimum training and competition experience.  We encourage those that are still working on double pirouettes to register at this level. *Please note these are guidelines for the levels. It is not mandatory that you enter the Apprentice Level if you are new to the dance competition world.

COMPANY LEVEL

Our premiere level of competition. This performance level will consist of dancers who are well acquired with the competition world and who are looking to make a career in dance. Only those registered in the Company performance level are eligible to compete in our Title Category Division to become OC’s Lead Role. All Line and Productions are required to compete in this level. Soloists competing in the company level may NOT compete in the apprentice level for duo/trio/groups.

Any misuse of performance levels is at the discretion of Open Call and may result in a point deduction and/or possible disqualification.

Please contact allison@opencallcompetition.com for further information of performance levels and guidelines.

TITLE DIVISION

COMPETING FOR THE OPEN CALL LEAD ROLE

Only those registered in the Company Level are eligible to compete for our Open Call Lead Role Title. Soloists registered in the Title Solo division will perform throughout the scheduled solo division. You may enter up to 3 solos at our regional competitions to be adjudicated/judged for the Lead Role Title.

Please note Title Solos are not eligible for High Score Awards, but are eligible for Overall High Score Awards. Title Soloist need at least a compiled score of 289 to receive the Lead Role Title, but dancers who do not get a 289 are still eligible for 1st and 2nd Understudy .

*Our Lead Role winners will be featured on Open Call's website, Facebook, Instagram and print ads. Those soloists who are awarded LEAD ROLE in a regional city will be eligible to compete for the National PRINCIPAL LEAD ROLE Title at our Final Callback.
At The Final Callback our Solo Title division will be judged separately and will be announced during our Final Awards Ceremony. Those registered in our Pre-professional age division are not eligible to compete for the Lead Role Title.
**Once awarded Principal Lead Role in an age division you may NOT compete in the same age division the next season.

CATEGORY DIVISIONS

  • Acrobatics/Gymnastics: Routine must resemble that of a gymnastics floor routine. Choreography should blend gymnastics and dance together. 75% of the routine must contain acrobatic passes.

  • Ballet/Pointe: Primarily ballet technique, including classical steps and movement. (Ballet shoes / Pointe shoes required and no gymnastic/acrobatics are permitted.)

  • Contemporary: A fusion of jazz styles, ballet technique, and a strong modern base. Two gymnastic/acrobatic tricks permitted.

  • Dance CREW: Choreographed battles incorporating hip hop, breaking, locking, popping, and krumping performed by a dance crew. Three gymnastic/acrobatic tricks permitted. (7+ dancers create a crew.)

  • Hip-Hop: A dance, which consists of the latest jazz funk/street dance, breakdance, pop n lock, and krumping. Three gymnastic/acrobatic tricks permitted.

  • Jazz: Routine consisting of jazz technique utilizing upbeat music. Two gymnastic/acrobatic tricks permitted.

  • Lyrical: A combination of jazz and ballet techniques encompassing emotional and storytelling elements to slow music. Three gymnastic/acrobatic tricks permitted.

  • Modern: Consists of dance movements hinged through contracting and releasing the body and is performed bare foot. No gymnastics/acrobatics permitted.

  • Musical Theater: Any style of dance interpreting a song from a “Broadway” or movie musical. Vocals are permitted. Two gymnastics/acrobatic tricks permitted.

  • Open: A combination of listed performance categories allowing up to three gymnastic/acrobatic tricks.

  • Showcase: (NON-COMPETITIVE CATEGORY) These dancers/routines are for performance experience and judges’ critiques only. These dances will NOT receive an adjudication score and will NOT be eligible for High Score or Overall All.

  • Specialty: Consists of all other dance forms such as: ballroom, clogging, panti-mime, ethnic, and routines portraying a character throughout the entire number. Unlimited number of gymnastics/acrobatics tricks permitted.

  • Tap: Routine primarily composed of tap technique. No gymnastics/acrobatics permitted. (Clogging is restricted to the specialty division.)

*NOTE: Gymnastic/Acrobatic tricks are movements that pass through or stop at a fully inverted (upside down) position with both feet off the floor (the torso passing directly over the top of ones head/shoulders). The only exceptions to this are forward, backward and shoulder rolls, acrobatic tricks in lifts (a lift being defined as being supported by another dancer with any body part), and Hip-Hop stall moves (only permitted in the Hip-Hop/Dance CREW category division). 
An acrobatic PASS constitutes one trick. Any tricks done separately count as separate tricks (roll-off, ripple, etc.) Each judge will note a deduction .5 for each additional gymnastic/acrobatic pass.
**Dances with more than 3 acrobatic tricks may be placed in the Specialty category.

ADDITIONAL CATEGORIES

  • Improvisation: Each dancer will be played 10 seconds of the judges selected song (dancer will have selected a category division prior to their song being selected). All dancers will be judged on their creativity, use of stage, and how they execute their technique throughout their movements. Those competing in the duo/trio improvisational performance division will also be judged on their partnering and improvisation connection. The selected song will be played from the beginning and will begin to fade at 1:30.

Attire: The dress code attire for Improvisation is at each dancer’s discretion. Depending on the selected category division shoes are optional. We do strongly encourage dancers to wear clothing that will allow the judges to see your body lines and that will not restrict your movements. 

*Dance improvisation is not only about creating new movement but is also defined as freeing the body from habitual movement. Development of improvised movement material is facilitated through a variety of creative explorations including body mapping through body mind centering, levels, shape and dynamics sensory experiences through touch or contact improvisation, and perceptual schema.

**Dancers from this category division will not be eligible for High Score or Overall High Score Awards.

Camera Ready

This is your chance to be on our. program cover and become the face of Open Call! To enter, bring to your regional competition an accurate, full-body, 8" x 10" photo, in black and white or color. Please write your name, address, height and weight on the back of the photo. Only one photo per dancer. Do not send pictures prior to the event! Winners, you will not receive these photos back after the competition.

*Our elite panel of judges will choose two winners in each regional city, one 12 & under and one 13 & over. Each of these winners will be featured on our official Facebook page and website, and have the opportunity to enter into our Final Callback Camera Ready Category. 

**Regional winners MUST attend nationals to be considered in our cover model search. You are not eligible to win "The Face of Open Call" consecutively. 

Improv Showdown!

Along with our Improv Category, dancers can compete in our Improv Showdown. This is a weekend favorite event! Dancers are divided between 12 & Under and 13 & Older. All dancers competing in the Improv Showdown from each age division will dance on stage together and have four counts of eight to improv individually. The top dancer from each age division will receive a scholarship announced during the next awards ceremony. If you'd like to pre-register for the Improv Showdown or want to inquire about pricing, email allison@opencallcompetition.com.