Convention Rules
Competition Rules
Sample Schedule
RULES & REGULATIONS
Convention Rules
The 360 Dance Experience Convention is a new learning experience for the dancer, the teacher, and the dance parent. Our mission is to prepare and empower artists to go forward into the professional dance community by creating a dynamic and holistic dance experience with a well-rounded education and a solid support system. The 360 Convention will consist of dance classes as well as 360 classes where young artists, teachers, and parents learn about dance beyond the dance studio.
The 360 Convention Levels
Studio Owner/Director (19+)
Dance Teacher (18+)
Senior (16-18)
Teen (13-15)
Junior (11-12)
Mini (8-10)
Satellites (5-7)
College Apprentice (valid college ID or .edu email address)
General Convention Rules
All ages are determined as of January 1 the year of the convention.
Convention fees include a minimum of ten hours of instruction, scholarship opportunity, final day picture session with teachers, and admission to The 360 Competition.
Depending on dancer enrollment, venue capacity, fire codes, and teacher availability levels may have to be combined.
The ages listed above are guidelines for proper dancer placement. Studio owners/directors may place their dancers based on skill level, even if it is different from the dancer’s age. The only exception is scholarship auditions when dancers must audition based on their age as of January 1 the year of the competition.
Studio owners/directors may change the level placement of a dancer within the first two classes of the convention. To change levels, a studio owner/director and the dancer must exchange wristbands at the registration/merchandise stand.
Wristbands should be worn by all registered convention participants and attendees to ensure the safety of the dancers. Any individual without a wristband will be asked to leave the premises immediately.
Dancers are not allowed to stay after class to take pictures with staff and faculty. A final day picture session will be held on the last day of classes. No contact information or social media handles will be shared between teachers and students.
For ‘Early-Bird Discounts’ to apply, payments must be made in full by the early registration deadline listed for the event. The deadline is typically 90 days prior to the start of the event.
Registration is not guaranteed without payment. To secure a spot, we suggest a 50% deposit at the time of registration.
Full payments are required 2 weeks before the start of the event. If payment is not received in a timely manner, a late fee will be added to the amount due.
Day-of convention registration is not guaranteed and will be accommodated based on availability.
All fees are in United States Dollars.
We only accept checks up to 2 weeks prior to the event. All returned checks will be subject to a $50 fee.
Dance studios may apply their own fees where they see fit.
Discounts
Dancer Discount
Any dancer that attends more than one regional event will receive 25% off the second convention fee and 50% off all additional cities.
Teacher Discount
When counting the number of dancers registered, full scholarship recipients, or one-day dancers are not included in the total.
If you qualify for the free hotel room, a staff member from The 360 will make the reservation and pay for the room and tax for two nights. A credit card will be required at check-in by the room occupant to cover all incidentals and further charges.
Teachers attending more than one event during the regional season will have their convention fees waived for each subsequent event.
College Discount
The 360 Dance Experience is proud to provide discounted convention rates to college students with a valid college ID or valid .edu email address.
Dancers applying this discount must dance in either the senior or teacher ballrooms.
This discount cannot be combined with any other discount or scholarship.
College students are not able to audition for scholarships but may observe auditions.
College students are encouraged to contact The 360 office for weekend assistant opportunities.
Additional Discount Rules
Discounts are only valid for full weekend convention fees. Convention discounts are NOT applicable to one-day convention fees or competition entry fees.
Discounts do NOT apply to scholarship recipients.
Discounts do NOT apply to The 360 Dance Experience National Event.
Satellite Dancers
The satellite room is designed to introduce dancers ages 5-7 to the convention world. The 360 Dance Experience offers a one-day option for satellite dancers that includes 5 dance classes and 2 360 classes. The satellite dancers will learn choreography that they perform as a fun ‘opening number’ before the Saturday evening competition begins! Each satellite dancer will be allowed to bring one adult (18 or over) into the room to observe in person (room capacity depending). Satellites are eligible for limited scholarship opportunities.
Independent Dancers
The 360 defines an independent dancer as a dancer that is not currently associated with a physical dance studio. We encourage independent dancers to participate in The 360 Convention. Independent dancers are eligible for all scholarship opportunities. We understand that there are many different reasons why a dancer may choose to be independent, and if there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to The 360 directors.
Single-Day Convention
The 360 Dance Experience offers dancers a single-day convention option. If dancers choose this option, they are not eligible to compete and are not eligible for scholarships. When registering, the dancer will have the option to choose a Saturday or Sunday single-day convention. We suggest Saturday since Sunday classes can be continuations of what was learned Saturday but acknowledge schedules may not allow that choice.
The Virtual Observer Room
*We are proud to be reshaping the way observers participate in The 360 Dance Experience*
At The 360 Dance Experience, we encourage everyone to see and hear what is happening in our classrooms. With the addition of FREE CONVENTION LIVESTREAMS, you can watch your dancer in a different way. Welcome to THE VIRTUAL OBSERVER ROOM!
Parents and guardians are encouraged to watch their dancers while in convention through our Livestream system.
Each classroom will be Livestreamed with a link and password given to the studio owner/director at the time of registration. It is up to the studio owner/director to distribute Livestream information.
Non-dancers are only allowed in the dancer ballrooms at lunchtime. This is for the safety of the dancer and the prevention of overcrowding.
Videotaping is strictly prohibited during class time. Still photographs are allowed.
Please contact the directors or registration desk if special observer accommodations are needed for a dancer.
Scholarships
The 360 is happy to award scholarships to select dancers from every weekend event.
Scholarships expire at the end of the following season of The 360 Dance Experience.
Dancers age 20 and up are not eligible for scholarships.
Scholarship redemption is based on the regular convention rate.
Scholarships cannot be combined and are to be used by whom they were issued.
The number of scholarships awarded is based on the number of attendees at the event.
Studio Scholarships
The 360 Dance Experience offers several studio scholarships for each event. A dance teacher, studio owner, or director can nominate up to three dancers from their weekend roster for this scholarship opportunity. To nominate a dancer, the teacher, studio owner, or director should email hello@the360danceexperience.com with a short explanation on why the dancer(s) deserve a studio scholarship. Nominations are due 30 days prior to the convention start date. When nominating students for this scholarship opportunity, please try to nominate dancers who exhibit the ideals of The 360 Dance Experience. These may be dancers with the need for extra positive encouragement, planning for careers in the arts, or requiring extra financial assistance. The 360 directors will review nominations and you will be notified 21 days before the convention start date if your student was selected. If selected your total amount due will be adjusted accordingly. Studio scholarships are provided by More Than Mental Project.
Safety and Security
The dancer’s safety is of the utmost importance at The 360 Dance Experience. The directors have gone through Youth Protection Advocates in Dance training to ensure the safety of your dancers. If there is any issue during the weekend, we would ask the dancer, parent, and/or teacher to seek out the directors. We will work with you to solve the problem.
Once registration is submitted to The 360 Dance Experience, it is agreed that all dancers, teachers, parents, or other attendees will not hold the host hotel, facilities, and The 360 Dance Experience responsible for any lost personal items or injuries.
Any dancer under the age of 16 who is registered for The 360 Dance Experience convention must be accompanied by an adult of legal age when outside the classroom.
The 360 Dance Experience reserves the right to remove any person or persons who present potential harm, danger, or disruption to themselves or anyone else while attending the event.
All dancers registered for The 360 Dance Experience convention must sign a waiver to participate. Waivers will be provided with registration paperwork.
Photos and videos are strictly prohibited for the safety and protection of the dancers and the teacher’s intellectual property.
RULES & REGULATIONS
Competition Rules
The 360 Dance Experience wants to turn the dance competition world on its head by rethinking the judging and scoring system. The first change we are implementing is assigning judges specific areas of the performance to critique. Judges will be assigned to technique, performance, or creativity and speak only on that subject. This change will give the routine a top-notch critique in all three categories without repetition. The second change we are implementing is that all areas of the performance are weighted equally. Each area, technique, creativity, and performance will be worth 33% of the dance’s final score. The final 1% of the dancer’s score will come from each judge awarding a score out of 10 for overall impression. This score will dictate who is awarded our 360 Dancer. More changes have been made to The 360 Competition so please read carefully!
The 360 Competition Divisions
Please adhere to the time limits for dances.
If additional time is required, you may purchase up to 5 additional minutes of time for routines with 4 or more dancers at a rate of $5 per minute per dancer.
Dance studios may apply their own fees where they see fit.
Age Divisions
The 360 Competition ages are determined as of January 1 the year of the competition.
Dancers must be registered for The 360 Dance Experience full weekend convention in order to compete.
To reach the average age of the routine, add all ages together and divide by the number of dancers in the routine. You will always drop the decimal point when assigning age divisions. Birthdates will be required when registering.
The age division cannot drop more than one age division below the age of the oldest dancer in the routine regardless of actual average age.
Satellite dancers are allowed to compete if the average age of the routine is 8 or above.
Any routine with dancers over the age of 21 must compete in the adult division.
If questions arise, studio owners/directors should be prepared to present birth certificates or other proof of age.
Performance Divisions
Acro- acrobatic tricks infused into a dance routine of any other style.
Ballet- composed of ballet or pointe technique with classical steps and movements.
Ballroom- traditional or Latin ballroom techniques incorporated into a routine with ballroom repertoire.
Contemporary- composed of jazz, modern, and ballet techniques reaching beyond standard vocabulary.
Hip Hop- comprises hip-hop techniques that include but aren’t limited to street, funk, MTV video style jazz.
Improvisation- creating and executing movement spontaneously. The 360 emcee will randomly select the music for the dancer. The routine will be no longer than 2:00.
Jazz- composed of jazz technique using an up-tempo song.
Lyrical- composed of ballet and jazz techniques using a slow song that involves emotion and storytelling.
Musical Theatre- any routine where the dancer plays a character and tells a story. This division does not require the dancer to perform to a song from a musical.
Specialty- composed of all other unlisted categories. Specialty categories can have no more than 4 acrobatic tricks or tumbling passes. Ethnic, novelty, clogging, fusion routines, etc. should perform in this division.
Tap- composed of tap technique while wearing tap shoes. Clogging should enter the specialty division.
All categories apart from acro may contain no more than 4 acrobatic tricks or tumbling passes per routine. An acro trick is defined by The 360 as a movement where the legs go over your head and land on the floor on the other side of your body. Balance tricks (chin stands, elbow stands, etc.) are not considered in this count. Passes across the stage (round off, back handspring, back tuck) would be considered one acrobatic trick.
The 360 Competition judges reserve the right to change performance divisions if there is a unanimous judge vote to do so. This change will not affect the routine’s score.
Recorded tap sounds in a tap routine will result in a 5-point deduction.
Please do not wear street shoes on the stage.
Entry Limits
Competition entry limits are specific to each event. Check the city page for the most updated entry limits for your event.
Additional entries may be accepted after the registration deadline if time permits.
Solos, duos, and trios should be available for the Friday competition if needed to accommodate all entries. We will notify your studio at least two weeks prior to the event. No competition will begin before 5 pm on Friday.
Mini and junior routines will not be scheduled after 9 pm and teen and senior routines will not be scheduled after 11 pm. However, we cannot guarantee that teen and senior routines with mini and junior dancers will perform before 9 pm.
Registration deadline does not guarantee acceptance of all entries. Entries are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Studios are permitted to compete in more than one city if dancers are registered for the convention in that city. However, studios are not permitted to compete the same routines in different cities.
Repeat entries may be entered for critique only, non-competitive basis. Regular competition fees apply.
The 360 faculty will not be permitted to judge their own choreography or their own students.
Music, choreography, and costume selections that are deemed inappropriate by The 360 judges or staff may result in point deduction or disqualification.
Independent Dancers
The 360 defines an independent dancer as a dancer that is not associated with a physical dance studio. We do not allow independent dancers to compete, but we do encourage independent dancers to participate in The 360 Convention.
The 360 Dance Experience Stage
The stage differs from city to city but will be at least 40’ wide and 28’ deep with additional wing space. Wing space may vary from city to city. Marley dance floor will be placed on the stage and a tap mic will be positioned downstage center. We encourage tap dancers, particularly soloists, to dance close to the mic.
Music Requirements
All music must be uploaded through our registration portal two weeks before the event start date.
Audio files must be submitted in as .MP3, .M4A, WAV, or AIF and under 10 MB
We will accept a flash drive with clearly labeled music as a backup. Please submit your flash drive to the registration/merchandise desk when registering on the first day of the event.
CDs and cassette tapes will not be accepted and cannot be played.
If there is a music issue during the competition, a studio owner or registered dance teacher must notify the backstage staff to rectify the problem. Notifying the emcee or sound technician directly during the competition is NOT allowed.
Judging Criteria
Judge 1- Technique – 90 points total
Upper Body – 30 points
Core – 30 points
Lower Body – 30 points
Judge 2- Performance – 90 points total
Facial Expression – 30 points
Energy – 30 points
Execution – 30 points
Judge 3- Creativity – 90 points total
Originality – 30 points
Artistry– 30 points
Musicality – 30 points
All judges- Overall impression – 30 points (10 points per judge)
Scoring
Adjudicated Awards
All entries will be adjudicated by three qualified judges focusing on their specific criteria.
To qualify for The 360 Dance Experience Nationals, a routine must earn a gold or higher.
Overall Awards
*Will be awarded at the final weekend showcase*
In addition to adjudicated awards, overall awards will be presented to the top 3 scoring routines in each division (duo/trio, small group, line, extended line, and production) for each judging category (technique, performance, and creativity) in each age categories.
For solo overall awards, the top 5 scoring routines from each judging category will be awarded per age division. Solos that win first place will be given a free competition entry for The 360 Dance Experience Nationals.
In the case of a tie, the routine with the highest overall impression score will be awarded the overall placement. If there is still a tie both routines will be recognized.
Special Awards
*Will be awarded at the final weekend showcase*
The 360 Dancer
The 360 Dancer is the highest overall scoring soloist in the mini, junior, teen, and senior age categories. All judge’s scores will be considered when awarding The 360 Dancer. The 360 Dancer will be awarded a national convention scholarship and invited to perform in The 360 Dance Experience Nationals opening number.
The 360 Studio
The 360 Studio is awarded to the studio the judges have found to have the most diverse repertoire of routines entered in the competition. We encourage dance studios to expand their focus and will be awarding The 360 Studio with a free competition entry for the next regional season.
The 360 Group
The 360 Group is awarded to a standout routine that the judges pick without considering scores. This routine is recognized for exceptional work in technique, performance, and creativity. The 360 Group winner will be awarded a free national competition entry.
The 360 Core
The 360 Core is chosen by The 360 Weekend Staff. The studio that receives this honor shows good sportsmanship, community with other studios, kindness, and love for all things dance. This award is chosen with no scores or dancing in mind. The 360 Core winner will be awarded a free regional teacher convention entry.
Props
General props are allowed on The 360 stage, however, they must be able to be taken on and off stage in no more than two minutes by the dancer and dance teachers ONLY.
No dance parents will be allowed backstage for the safety and protection of the dancers.
Keep in mind that there may be stairs leading up to a raised stage when choosing props.
There will be no dangerous props allowed during the competition or props that resemble dangerous objects (swords, guns, fire, etc.).
The 360 staff cannot help moving props on or off stage.
Props are allowed backstage 5 numbers before the routine and must be cleared by 5 numbers after the routine.
Any damage to The 360 Dance Experience property or venue caused by a prop will be billed to the studio.
It is the studio’s responsibility to leave the stage clean and clear of hazards after their routine has finished.
There will be no use of chalk, powder, paint, water, or other substance that could damage the Marley flooring or alter the stage for future routines. There is NO exception to this rule.
Hotel ceiling height, wing space, and loading docks will vary from venue to venue. Please contact us if you have any concerns.
Photography and Videography
Photos and videos are strictly prohibited for the safety and protection of the dancers and the intellectual property of the dance studio. This includes the use of cellphones, digital cameras, and other recording devices.
Point deduction or disqualification may result if these rules are not followed.
The 360 offers professional photo and video services at each event.
All dancers authorize the use of their image in photos and videos for The 360 Dance Experience publicity and advertisement purposes.
Media Fee
All dancers will be charged a one-time media fee at each 360 Competition. In exchange, the dancer will receive all their photos and videos from the entire competition via digital download. Family discounts are available. Please contact the office for more information. Please note that individual photos and videos are not available for purchase at any 360 events.
Competition Admission
The 360 Competition welcomes everyone to the competition free of admission. Studio owners, directors, and teachers will have reserved seats during the competition. While in the audience, any dancer under the age of 16 who is registered for The 360 Dance Experience competition must be accompanied by an adult of legal age. The 360 Dance Experience reserves the right to remove any person or persons who present potential harm, danger, or disruption to themselves or anyone else while attending the event. Each competition attendant must obtain an observer wristband from your studio owner/director and wear it all weekend and show security when entering the competition ballroom. ANY individual not wearing a wristband will not be granted entry into the competition or final showcase. Studio owners/directors can obtain more free observer bands at the registration/merchandise table.
Other Competition Rules and Regulations
To compete at The 360 Dance Experience a dancer must be registered for the full convention that event weekend.
The deadline for changes to competition routines is two weeks before the event start date. No changes will be accepted after this date.
Professional dancers, dance teachers, studio directors, and owners can only compete in critique-only routines. The professional dancer is defined as earning at least half of their income from dance.
Dancers may not compete with more than one solo per event weekend.
Dancers may only compete with one studio per event weekend.
All routines must compete in their scheduled order unless special circumstances are approved by The 360 directors upon registration.
All questions that arise are resolved at the discretion of The 360 directors.
Event Refund Policy
If an event is canceled by The 360 Dance Experience, a full refund will be made within 10 business days of the scheduled event.
No refund will be guaranteed if the attendee cancels.
However, if an attendee is unable to attend and can provide a doctor’s note or proof of legitimate cancellation (unavoidable emergencies, death of a family member, etc.), a credit will be given to the individual to put toward a future event in the calendar year or at the director’s discretion. The document needs to be emailed to The 360 office within 30 days of the event. Vouchers will expire at the end of the following season. Vouchers cannot be applied to National Events. The studio holds responsibility for keeping track and making sure vouchers are applied.
WEEKEND ROUND-UP
Sample Weekend Schedule
Schedules will be sent to studios and posted online one week prior to the event start date.
Schedules are subject to change.
