FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When do schedules go out to the studios?

We strive to have schedules emailed to participating studios 4 to 5 weeks in advance of each competition.

What do the terms Connection Level One and Connection Level Two mean?

Connection Level One is the name of the division that students enter if they train 5 or less hours a week. Connection Level Two is the division for students who engage in 6 or more hours of classes a week. This division of levels allows students with similar abilities to compete fairly against others. (an equal amount of prizes are given out to EACH Connection Level so everyone has the ability to win equally)

How do I calculate the age division for my duet/trios and groups?

Find the average age of your group as of December 31 2011 and drop the decimal.

Do you deduct marks for going overtime in your number?

No. We do give time limits, but we do not deduct marks if numbers are a few seconds over. Time limits are a guide for teachers when choreographing routines. They are recommended however, as adhering to these lengths will ensure that the day runs on time. (which as you know, is critical to ensuring an enjoyable weekend for all) Judges will also be able to fairly assess routines in the suggested times. Longer numbers only serve to tire the student and diminish their performance. If however, numbers are going to run past these time limits, please let The Ultimate Dance Connection know in advance so proper allotment of time can be scheduled.

How do you select your adjudicators?

Adjudicators are selected for their knowledge of and exposure to dance through professional performing experience, teaching, and/or adjudicating. We screen our adjudicators diligently for a well rounded perspective on dance, and more importantly, an understanding of children as dancers. We also ensure that the adjudicators do not know the studios that are participating. Please see our Competition Info – Adjudicator Selection Process page for more information.

How do I get to the theatre?

Look at our Dates and Locations page. Clear directions and parking information is provided there.

RULES & REGULATIONS

ENTRIES

All entries must be received by the noted deadline. Late entries may be accepted at the discretion of The Ultimate Dance Connection and will be charged an additional $10.00 per entry. Entries are limited and schedules are always challenging to put together so please be on time. Many thanks for your cooperation.

All fees are due at the time that the entry forms are received. There should be one cheque per studio covering the entry fees for all entries from that studio. The Ultimate Dance Connection will not accept individual cheques. For entry forms that are faxed, entries are not considered confirmed until a cheque is received.

Teachers must sign and submit The Ultimate Dance Connection Summary Sheet before entries will be considered confirmed.

Dancers cannot enter the same category twice. Should they wish to dance again, they must enter in the next highest category level. This rule also applies to group numbers if more than 80% of the dancers are in the same routines.

The Ultimate Dance Connection requires photocopies of dancer's birth certificates in the event that there is some discrepancy about a dancer's age.

AGE APPROPRIATENESS/FAMILY VIEWING

All routines entered into The Ultimate Dance Connection must be family friendly in content. Any music choices/lyrics, costuming or choreography that is deemed age inappropriate and offensive will be commented on harshly by our adjudicators and marks will be deducted at the adjudicators discretion. If routines are absolutely inappropriate, the director of The Ultimate Dance Connection will disqualify the routine and it will not receive a mark or awards. No entry fees will be returned.

Preparing Music

A CD player will be provided. All CDs should be clearly marked with:

Piece Name
Studio
Category
Assigned entry number
Whether the number begins on, or off stage

Sample CD Label as it should appear on all CDs:

Name: Rock This Town
Studio: Elite Dance Arts
Entry Number: 450 (as assigned)
Student Begins: on-stage (or off-stage)

Please ensure that all CD's are in good working order. It is strongly advised that all studios have a back up CD/recording of their music.

**Teachers will not be allowed in the music booth. Music should be dropped off backstage with an Ultimate Dance Connection representative one hour before each number is performed.

PLEASE NOTE: As cassette tapes have become obsolete, it is UDC's experience that theatre facilities no longer provide cassette players. As such, UDC organizers will not be responsible to provide a cassette player.

PHOTOGRAPHY

The Ultimate Dance Connection feels very strongly that all children participating in our event should have their privacy protected; therefore photography of ANY KIND is strictly prohibited in the theatre. This included still photography with or without a flash, and video taping. Should an audience member engage in such an activity, they will be asked to leave the theatre immediately and their pictures/recording will be deleted.

THEATRE ETIQUETTE

Consumption of refreshments on the theatre premises is also restricted to specific areas. Please respect the rules of the individual theatres we use for our competitions so that we may all be allowed to continue to use these terrific facilities.

USE OF PROPS/SET PIECES

Props may be used in any number, provided they can be moved on and off the stage quickly, and are free standing. No props that could pose any danger to anyone, such as fire, sharp objects, etc. may be used.

Glitter, confetti, etc. may not be thrown onstage during the course of a number. We request that people setting props on stage do not wear any studio jacket, t-shirt, etc, that identifies them as being affiliated with a particular studio.

Please inform festival staff it will take more than a minute to set up your production number.

Should this be the case we will schedule extra time for your set-up. If the stage does become littered with anything during the course of your number, please be prepared to clean it up immediately following your routine.

During the course of the festival, pictures may be taken of the students and their teachers by festival staff. All participants give permission for these photos to be used for the purposes of promotion, advertising etc.

Any matters not dealt with in the list of rules should be referred to the director of The Ultimate Dance Connection in whose sole decision all cases shall be final.