7th Annual San Francisco Salsa Congress Competition

Come see the most exciting, and most fairly judged Salsa Dance Competition Finals on Sunday, November 23, 2008 at the SF BAY AREA INT'L SALSA CONGRESS!
On 2 Division Winners On 1 Division Competitors


DANCE COMPETITION RULES
CATEGORIES: AMATEUR, PROFESSIONALS ‘ON1”, PROFESSIONALS “ON 2”,

PRIZES: Over $6000 in Cash and Prizes. Winners of each category, will be sent to Orlando, FL for the World Championships in December

PRELIMINARY ROUNDS: Each couple competing in the Amateur, Pro on1 or Pro on 2 categories must qualify at one of the following dates:

September 19, 2008 at Hot Salsa Friday
October 3, 2008 at Hot Salsa Friday
October 17, 2008 at Hot Salsa Friday
October 31, 2008 at Hot Salsa Friday ( also our PB&G Halloween Party!)
November 7, 2008: The Semi-Finals at HSF

* Couples will be judged by local panel of invited Judges.
* 2 couples per category will be selected each week to advance into the semifinals on November 7, 2008.
* Total of 8 couples per category will be sent to the Semi-Finals.
* Couples may enter as many times as they want until they qualify but No Change Of Partners Can Occur once you have qualified into the Semi-Finals Round.
* All couples will be introduced and dance on the floor together for a warm up, 1.5 minutes to music at DJ’s choice.
* Each couple will then perform alone and perform to DJ’s selection of music, 2 minutes.
* Performance Order Of Competitors Will Be Determined Each Night by Lotto.
* All Competitors need to be registered by 10:30pm the night they are competing.
* All dancers need to be present to draw a number. If you or your partner are not present you will be disqualified.

SEMI-FINALS: November 7, 2008 at Hot Salsa Friday.
Couples will be judged by local panel of invited Judges.
* 3 couples per category will be sent to the Finals, Sunday, November 23, 2008 at the SF Bay Area Int'l Salsa Congress
* All couples will be introduced and dance on the floor together for a warm up, 1.5 minutes to music at DJ’s choice.
* Couples will then perform solo their choreographed routine to music of their choice, not to exceed 2 minutes. Your music will be stopped if it goes over the 2 minute mark.
* Performance Order Of Competitors Will Be Determined Each Night by Lotto.
* All Competitors need to be registered by 9:30pm on the night of the SEMIFINALS.
* All dancers need to be present to draw a number. If you or your partner are not present you will be disqualified.

SF BAY AREA INT’L SALSA CONGRESS
Dance Competition
Sunday November 23, 2008

General Information

Spectator Admission: If they do not already hold a Full Event Pass, all spectators must pay at the door on the day of competition, Sunday, November 23, 2008, according to the following rates:

Full Day Pass, SUNDAY (includes all day workshops, access to all Shows, Dancing and Competition events including the Open level Jack n Jill and the MASTER’S Jack n Jill) $100

Single Evening Pass (from 5pm on, includes all Shows, Dancing and Competitions) $30

The admission fee permits unlimited entrances and exits to and from the event area for the duration of the competition.

Hotel for Competitors
Room accommodation is not included in pass. If you are not planning on staying at the Congress Hotel, there will be limited dressing room space backstage and nearby restrooms for final primping/changing/accessorizing, etc.

Waiver of Liability Form
All SF BAY AREA INT’L SALSA CONGRESS competitors must sign a Waiver on the day of the competition during check-in. Competitors who fail to sign this form will not be permitted to compete.

Competitor Registration

Registration for Couples and Teams participating will take place all day Sunday, November 23, 2008 at the SF BAY AREA INT’L SALSA CONGRESS. COMPETITION REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE AT 4PM SUNDAY.
Registration to the SF BAY AREA INT’L SALSA CONGRESS Dance Competition will be free to those with a PAID FULL CONGRESS PASS.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PAID FULL CONGRESS PASS, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY A REGISTRATION FEE OF $75-the equivalent of a Full Congress pass.

Chairperson of the Judges
The Chairperson of the Judges (or Head Judge) shall be responsible for overseeing the judging panel and shall be responsible for decisions regarding any problems with marking, ties, or adjudication decisions. The Chairperson’s decision shall be final.

Competition Categories
AMATEUR DIVISION
* The Amateur Division at the SF BAY AREA INT’L SALSA CONGRESS Dance Competition is open to all dancers who want to have fun with competition. However, if either partner receives money for classes or shows and/or teaches Salsa as their main profession, the couple will be either disqualified or encouraged to compete in one of the Professional categories. There is no Pro/Am division.
* Costumes or Matching Outfits are allowed and encouraged for a clean, impressive presentation. Ladies must wear fishnet stockings with skirts or shorts.
* A choreographed routine to specific music is expected, vs. freestyle. MAX TIME ALLOWED: 2 minutes. Your routine will be turned off at the 2 minute mark. Music used must be 85% salsa, props are not encouraged.

PROFESSIONAL ON 1 / ON 2
* All Competitors will be judged by International panel of invited Judges.
* Per respective category, All couples will be introduced and dance on the floor together for a warm up, 1.5 minutes to music at DJ’s choice.
* Couples will then perform solo their choreographed routine to music of their choice, not to exceed 2 minutes. Your music will be stopped if it goes over the 2 minute mark.
* 3 couples per category will be selected to compete in the evening against the already qualified couples from the previous Hot Salsa Friday Competitions.
* Performance Order Of Competitors Will Be Determined by Lotto.
* All Competitors need to be registered and waivers signed by 4pm on the afternoon of the Preliminary Rounds, Sunday, November 23, 2008
* All dancers need to be present to draw a number. If you or your partner are not present you will be disqualified.
* Lifts and tricks in either category are allowed and only suggested if appropriate in keeping with the essence and theme of the routine.
* Props and music not considered in the genre of Salsa will be marked down. Chachacha music is allowed.
*** Rules of the Dance Competition are those of the SF BAY ARE INT’L SALSA CONGRESS. If selected as the 1st place winners in any category, you will need to adjust your routine to the WSC at your discretion.

TEAM COMPETITION and CABARET
We will be holding the Team competition and the Cabaret competition at CONGRESS ONLY. We will not have any qualifying rounds at Hot Salsa Friday. All qualifying rounds will be held Sunday, November 23, 2008, starting at 5pm, all categories.

Rules specifically for the Team competition and the Cabaret competition:
• Please refer to the WSC for complete rules and regulations. http://www.worldsalsachampionships.com/index2.htm
* MAX TIME ALLOWED: 2 minutes. Your routine will be turned off at the 2 minute mark. This applies to both couples and Teams.
* Teams must have a Minimum of 3 couples in Team category, and a maximum 10 couples.
* Those competing in the Team Category and Cabaret Division will register at Congress.

JUDGING CRITERIA (ALL DIVISIONS)
40% timing*
15% lead /follow (connection with partner)
15% presentation (costuming, overall professionalism)
15% originality
15% choreography / musicality

* for amatuers, they must continue on whatever beat they start on. Must be very clear that they are conscious of the timing.
* for pro division, obviously they have chosen which timing to compete on, so they must dance on the 1 or the 2

Additional Competitions
Open Level Jack & Jill Open to all levels of Dancers.
***Sunday, November 23, 2008, 12pm

Master’s Level Jack & Jill Competitors are by invitation only.
***Sunday, November 23, 2008 4pm

Jack & Jill Division
Definition - The Jack & Jill competitions are designed to highlight social dance skills in spontaneous Salsa dancing and the ability to dance well with a variety of partners. Luck-of-the-Draw will come into play with both partners and music.

General Information
* Competitors enter as individuals, are randomly assigned partners, and dance to music selected in advance by the Official Competition DJ
* Maximum of 30 couples.
* Each heat will be 5-10 couples depending on number of entries.
* Final heat will be 6 couples. To determine winner, each finalist will perform a spotlight dance on the floor alone for 1.5 minutes. Crowd reaction will be accounted for, but not the only determining factor in the final decision.

Registration: Those that wish to participate in the Open Level Jack & Jill Dance Competition will be free to those with a PAID FULL CONGRESS PASS.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PAID FULL CONGRESS PASS, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY A REGISTRATION FEE OF $75 - the equivalent of a Full Congress pass.

Dress Code for Competitors
All Categories of the SF BAY AREA INT’L SALSA CONGRESS Dance Competition:
Professional COSTUMES or Matching Outfits

All levels for JACK N JILL Dance Competition
No costume restrictions.

Shoe Policy
All shoes worn by competitors must not have the capacity to damage or alter fundamental characteristics of the floor. In particular, shoes should be non-marking and non-gouging. Shoes with suede soles (i.e. actual dance shoes) are naturally recommended but not required.
All competitors should please note that at no time are they allowed to apply powder, oil, or other dance aids to their shoes in an attempt to alter the coefficient of static and kinetic friction between their shoe’s soles and the floor. Dance aids on the shoes will transfer to the floor and over the course of a competition will seep and become ingrained into the floor, making it unsuitable for dancing and other activities. Please familiarize yourself with this policy to avoid the frustration of getting pulled from an event due to a shoe policy infraction.

Disclaimers
The SF BAY AREA INT’L SALSA CONGRESS is not liable for any injuries that may occur during the course of this event. All persons at this event compete/attend at their own risk.
The SF BAY AREA INT’L SALSA CONGRESS is not responsible for any property that is stolen or damaged during the course of this event. All participants/attendees are responsible for their own belongings.
The SF BAY AREA INT’L SALSA CONGRESS reserves the right to cancel any events and/or change the schedule at any time.
Competitors and spectators should be aware that during the course of competition, anyone in the Oakland Marriott Convention Center may be photographed or videotaped by any variety of people for private or public viewing. Everyone attending this competition hereby consents to be photographed or videotaped by their attendance at the competition.