Competition Rules

General Rules

• Staff are allowed to compete.
• Children aged 16+ by April 16, 2026 are allowed to compete with signed permission from a parent/guardian.
• There will not be any competitor meetings.
• Petitions will follow the rules posted by the WSDC
• Anyone is free to video all performances and competitions for personal use unless otherwise advised.
• Results will be posted after awards are presented on Sunday.
• Competitions times will be posted on the event schedule. Start times are subject to change and will be announced in the ballroom and on social media, if possible. It is the competitor’s responsibility to pay attention to any schedule changes.
• There will be a minimum of five judges for all competitions, not including the Chief Judge.

Dress Code and Conduct

• Competitors may dress casually.
• Clothing must be respectful, cover areas normally covered by undergarments, and be free from offensive language or imagery.
• Competitors must wear footwear.
• Competitors must abide by the Swing in Bloom Code of Conduct. Violations of the Code of Conduct or behaviour that is deemed to be unsportslike may result in removal from any and all competitions with no refund.

Registering and Checking In

• Competitors must hold a full weekend pass to be eligible for competitions.
• Competitors must pre-register for competitions by the deadline posted (usually at least one hour in advance of the competition).
• Competitors will check in in the marshalling area approximately 15 minutes before the competition begins. Any competitor who does not check in will not be permitted to compete and will not be issued any refund.

Music

• Routines: Competitors are responsible for sending their music to the Head DJ prior to floor trials.
• All other competitions: Music is at the discretion of the DJ.

Jack and Jill Competitions (WSDC)

• Divisions: Newcomer, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, All-Star, Sophisticated, Masters
• These competitions will be run in accordance with the WSDC rules.
• Competitors register as individuals in the division that corresponds with their WSDC points.
• In preliminary and semi-final rounds dancers will be randomly paired with other dancers, will dance with several partners, and will be judged individually. In the final rounds, dancers will be randomly paired with another dancer and will stay as a couple for the duration of the final round. In the final round, dancers are judged as a couple.
• Dancers must maintain their chosen role (i.e., follower or leader) for the duration of the division. Switching roles is not permitted within a division. See WSDC rules for more details.
• Couples must improvise each dance. Pre-choreographed phrases are not permitted.
• Drops, leans, and other weight-supported moves are permitted only in the Intermediate, Advanced, All-Star, Sophisticated, and Master divisions and are only permitted if each dancer has at least one foot on the floor.
• Couples must maintain physical contact except for spins, turns, short break-a-ways, and recoveries.
• All-Star dancers must compete in the All-Star division in order to qualify for the discounted All-Star weekend pass.

Pro-Am Jack and Jill Competitions

• Dance to random songs with a random staff member or other highly skilled dancer. Register as an individual based on your WSDC points.
• Divisions: Newcomer/Novice, Intermediate
• This competition will only have one round per division where dancers will rotate to a new partner each song. Competitors are judged individually and scored against other dancers of the same role (amateur followers compete against other amateur followers, amateur leaders compete against other amateur leaders).

Strictly Swing Competitions

• Dance to random songs with a partner of your choice!
• Divisions: Newcomer/Novice, Intermediate, Advanced/All-Star
• Competitors register as couples in the division that corresponds with the WSDC points of the partner at the higher level. Competitors who do not have any WSDC points must register in the newcomer/novice division.
• Couples must maintain their chosen role (i.e., follower or leader) for the duration of the competition. Switching roles is not permitted.
• Couples must improvise each dance. Pre-choreographed phrases are not permitted.
• Couples must maintain physical contact except for spins, turns, short break-a-ways, and recoveries.
• Drops, leans, and other weight-supported moves are permitted as long as each dancer has at least one foot on the floor.
• Costumes are not permitted but matching or complimentary outfits are acceptable.

Routines

• Perform a choreographed dance with a partner of your choice!
• Amateur routines are encouraged to abide by the rules of the Rising Star Tour.
• Routines should range from two to three minutes. Time and judging (if applicable) begin at the first movement of the performance regardless of when the music begins and ends when the music ends.
• Costumes are encouraged but not required. Props are not permitted.
• Lifts, drops, tricks, and stunts are permitted but not required.

Greatest Of Our Swing Event (G.O.O.S.E.)

• This competition is made up of the top three couples in each of Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, and All-Star divisions of the Jack & Jill competitions. Fourth and fifth place in each division are the alternates for this competition.
• Dancers are paired based on role, division, and placement as shown in the diagram below.
• Dancers are judged as a couple in spotlighted dances.

Swing of the (Parliament) Hill

In the preliminary round, dance to random songs with random partners of all levels. In the final round, the top 8 ranked leaders and top 8 ranked followers (by WSDC points) will be paired with the top 8 leaders and top 8 followers as judged in the preliminary round. The final will be spotlighted head-to-head dance battles until only one couple remains.

• Competitors of all levels may enter this competition.
• The 8 leaders and 8 followers registered for this competition who have the most WSDC points will automatically make it to the final round. These dancers will not dance in the preliminary round.
• In the preliminary round,  dancers will be randomly paired with other dancers, will dance with several partners, and will be judged individually.
• In the final round, the 8 leaders and 8 followers who were automatically entered into the final round will be randomly paired with the 8 followers and 8 leaders with the highest scores in the preliminary round.
• The final round will be spotlighted head-to-head dance battles until only one couple remains.
• Competition will follow the Swing 16 format. The couples will be split up into two lines. The two couples at the front of the line will dance against each other.
• Once the round ends, three judges will vote for a winner. The couple with the most votes wins. The winners go to the back of one line, while the losers leave the floor. 
• The last couple standing wins.