General
All competitors must finalise their registration by 6th September 2024 (11pm AEST). This includes completion of a competitor registration form, purchase of competitor pass, and submission of music. Every team must email a copy of their music to the organisers in mp3 format to ruedadecasinochampionship@gmail.com, prior to the closing of registrations on 6th September 2024 to complete the registration. A failure to do so will result in an incomplete registration and subsequent disqualification from the competition. Please note that once you have submitted your music, we will not accept any re-submissions of music.
Competitors also need to bring with them a backup of their music on USB, labelled correctly. The DJ will not slow down or speed up your music for you. We try to avoid duplicate song titles for the competition, so the song titles will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. Participants need to declare an application with the title of the song as well as the performing artist’s name in their registration.
As part of the registration, all teams and couples need to send a recent high-quality photo of the entire team/ couple.
All team members (plus extras) must be mentioned in the application, as well as the caller (for Rueda de Casino) and the choreographer.
Every team can declare a maximum of 4 extra people to replace injured or unavailable couples or individuals. Only registered members can replace existing team members and approval is needed by the ARCC Director, the Head Judge and the Event Manager. Teams can’t add any unregistered couple or individual dancer or add couples or individuals to the team.
Props are not allowed, and extra costume pieces should not be discarded during the performance.
All competitors must purchase competitor passes for the event.
Australian Rueda de Casino Championship
Each team consists of couples dancing together in a circle.
One person can only dance for one Rueda team to avoid conflict of interest. EXEMPTION: A dance teacher/ instructor/professional can join the amateur team as a caller or dancer and join the professional team as well. This person can only be the caller for one of those teams, not both.
Other structures than a circle may be used during the dance, although never exceed 30% of dancing time.
The Competition has 2 parts: All teams will dance both part 1 and part 2 and be judged on the performance in both parts. In part 1 all the teams will dance a freestyle improvised Rueda de Casino, and in Part 2 the teams will dance a prepared choreography. Elements from the improvised dance in the first part should not be easily recognised as the same content as prepared for the second part.
Team & Choreography Requirements
It’s obligatory that any Rueda team must have a minimum of four couples.
Any Rueda de Casino Amateur team can only have 1 teacher/professional dancers as a team member competing.
Lifts and acrobatics are allowed but should not dominate the performance and will only enhance the judges’ score if danced in harmony with the music and performed with good control.
The use of non-Cuban Salsa elements cannot exceed 30% of the routine. This includes Afro Cuban, Rumba, Salsa Suelta, lifts, dips, tricks, and acrobatics. Non-compliance will be penalised by the judges in removing points from the score.
Part 1 – Freestyle Round
The freestyle songs will be chosen randomly from a list of given songs published to the competing teams prior to the competition.
The songs will have approximately the same beat per minute (180-200 beats), same length (will fade out after 3:00) and level of difficulty.
The music will not be announced before the championship, which means that the teams will not know the music they will be dancing to before the first part of the competition begins.
One caller must be nominated at time of registration, who is guiding the Rueda.
No choreographies are allowed.
Part 2 – Rueda de Casino Choreography
For the second part the teams can choose their own music. Selected music must be between 3:00 and 3:30 minutes. Typical Salsa/Timba music should be used. There are no restrictions regarding the tempo of the music. Cuban Salsa rhythm must be maintained throughout the routine.
Remixed music is allowed so long as there is a clear and recognisable base rhythm and signature beat of Cuban Salsa. A maximum of 2 songs can be used in the music cut of any given choreography.
The teams must send the pre-recorded music they want to use for the second part via email with the registration before the 6th September deadline, or they will be disqualified.
Open Cuban Competition
Any category must have a minimum of 4 entries to go ahead. Competitors will choose either Amateur OR Professional Division (Definitions below).
You can perform any style of Cuban dance (EXCEPT Rueda de Casino). Any Cuban dance style and a mix of styles is allowed. Dancers should be consistent with the timing of any style they perform, connected with the music, or they risk losing score points.
The competition can be choreographed or freestyle.
Your music must be 100% Cuban and a maximum of 3.00 minutes in length. Remixed music is allowed, but a maximum of 2 songs can be used in the music cut of any given choreography.
Lifts and acrobatics are allowed but should not dominate the performance and will only enhance the judges’ score if danced in harmony with the music and performed with good control.
The teams must send the pre-recorded music they want to via email with the registration before the 6th September deadline, or they will be disqualified.
Open Cuban Team (Amateur/ Professional)
Any Cuban Open Amateur team can only have 1 teacher/professional dancer as a team member, competing.
A team must consist of a minimum of 4 people.
Open Cuban Couple (Amateur/ Professional)
This category consists of two dancers (male and female) competing together in Amateur OR Professional Division.
Open Cuban Amateur Couple consists of 2 Amateurs dancing together.
Open Cuban Professional Couple consists of 2 Professional dancers.
Rueda Couple of the Year (Amateur/ Professional)
Are you Australia’s hottest Rueda dancer? Join us in this fun competition – a giant Rueda with an elimination round leaving us with the last best couple standing.
Pick your partner and start practicing and perfecting the moves. When you go into the competition together you leave together.
This category consists of two dancers competing together. There will be 2 Ruedas to determine the winning couple in each division for fairness purposes (Amateur and Professional).
A Professional cannot join the Amateur division of this Rueda competition.
The main objective is to ensure that none lose the movement and be the last standing. If you lose the movement and the judges catch you, you and your original partner are out. The winner of this competition is the couple that remains standing in the end.
Competition Categories
There is an Amateur and a Professional Division in each of these categories (Division definition is below):
Rueda de Casino Championship
Open Cuban Team
Open Cuban Couple
Rueda Couple of the Year
Any given category must have a minimum of 3 entries for it to go ahead. Pending registrations, the organiser reserves the right to alter or cancel any given category as required.
Division Definition
An amateur dancer is an individual who does not earn their living from, nor has garnered any financial gain through any dance-related endeavours including performances, teaching, judging, or managing dance studios. You cannot compete as an Amateur if you have competed in any other dance competition in any other category than as an “Amateur”. Essentially, an amateur dancer engages in dancing purely as a recreational activity or avocation, without seeking financial remuneration or making a livelihood from their involvement in dance.
A professional dancer is a person who frequently engages in dance performances, competing and/or teaching dance, who earns a significant portion of their livelihood through these dance-related activities. This also includes dancers who have had any financial gain from dance related activities in the past or who have competed or performed as a professional before.
Buena Vista Dance Cuban Academy 