Para dance sport words · Intermediate

The words that make the commentary make sense. They build on the beginner words.

I · Intermediate · 51 words · Step 2 of 2

General terms

Chairperson of Adjudicators

The official in charge of the adjudicators. The chairperson can disqualify competitors, is responsible for deductions in the final, checks the music length and the dress code, and decides ties in the number going to the next round.

See also: Music length, Final, Ties, Deductions

Technical Delegate

The person appointed by World Para Dance Sport to monitor and oversee a competition, make sure the rules are followed, and receive protests.

Scrutineer

A person approved by World Para Dance Sport to support the judging process.

Events and participants

Partners

Combi and duo dancers must dance with the same partner in standard, Latin and freestyle throughout a season (1 January to 31 December). Partners can differ only between duo and combi. A standing dancer may partner a visually impaired dancer and a wheelchair user in the same season and at the same competition.

See also: Combi

Powerchair events

Events for regular power chair users in singles, combi Latin, duo freestyle and combi freestyle, run as a temporary measure until a power chair class is finalised. They race as class 1 (category zero in the data system), and a power chair athlete cannot also compete in manual chair events. In duo events both dancers must use power chairs.

See also: Combi

Visually impaired dancers

Dancers registered as visually impaired in their country who submit a medical diagnosis form. They compete in combi Latin, combi standard and combi freestyle, must always wear an eye mask that the chairperson checks lets in no light, and are judged by the skating system in standard and Latin and absolute points in freestyle.

See also: Combi

Pilot events

Two pilot groups in the rules: ambulant dancers (who meet the minimum impairment criterion and may be judged in singles freestyle) and dancers with an intellectual impairment (certified for Virtus eligibility, who dance three dances in standard and Latin, and may use small props in freestyle).

Age and eligibility

A dancer must be at least 13 by 31 December of the competition year (junior disciplines 13 to 20), hold a World Para Dance Sport licence, be entered by a national federation in good standing, be classified (or meet the visual impairment criterion), not be a national coach, team leader or international adjudicator, and not be suspended.

Sport classes

SC1 and SC2

Combi standard. SC1 athletes have lower trunk control, cannot actively straighten the trunk or cannot keep the arm frame with the partner during movements. SC2 athletes have limited upper-body impairment and can keep the trunk straight and the arm frame.

See also: Combi

SD1 and SD2

Duo standard. SD1 athletes have impairment involving the trunk and arms, with difficulty keeping trunk stability, controlling the wheel or reaching out of the base of support. SD2 athletes have full or near full function of the trunk and legs.

L&F1 and L&F2

Combi Latin, duo Latin, single and freestyle. L&F1 athletes have impairments of the trunk and arms, generally no pelvis movement, poor trunk control and cannot reach out of their centre of gravity unless supported. L&F2 athletes have no or minimal trunk and pelvis impairment, good trunk control and wheel control.

Duo competition class

A duo couple's class is set by adding both athletes' scores from the Technical Assessment: under 50 means competition class 1 (Duo SD1 or Duo L&F1) and 50 or more means class 2. A couple also goes in class 1 if both are SD1 or L&F1 athletes, and class 2 if both are SD2 or L&F2.

Classes in the competition

If there are only one or two couples or athletes in class 1, they may compete together with class 2, and each still gets ranking points in their own class.

Eligible impairments (para dance)

Impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, athetosis, hypertonia and ataxia. An athlete needs at least one of them at the minimum impairment criteria.

Conventional events

Closed hold

In combi standard dances the couple must stay in closed hold throughout. A couple that ignores this gets the lowest judging for the dance, and a gap in the hold is a one-point deduction unless the hold is broken to avoid a collision. The exception is class 1 athletes in an electric wheelchair, for whom a closed hold is impossible.

Line of dance

The anticlockwise direction around the floor. Dancing against it is not allowed in conventional events, and costs the lowest judging for the dance, except to avoid a collision. A couple is disqualified if the offence is repeated after a warning to the team leader.

Moving the wheelchair with the feet

In combi standard events the standing partner may not start or stop the movement of the wheelchair with their legs or feet. A competitor who does gets the lowest judging for that dance, and the standing partner's foot start or stop costs 3 points in standard or Latin.

Lift

Any movement in which one partner has no contact with the floor caused by the help or support of the partner or the wheelchair. Lifts are not permitted in conventional events, though lifting the front wheels or short jumps are allowed and a sitting partner may lift the chair by their own force. Freestyle allows at most three.

Dangerous movements

High back kicks, lying or sitting on the floor and uncontrolled wheelchair speed. They are prohibited in conventional events, and bring the lowest judging, and a disqualification if repeated after a warning.

Breaking off a dance

A competitor who stops dancing early gets the lowest judging, except for short interruptions from a collision, technical failure or something similar.

Music length

In every round the music lasts at most one and a half minutes for Waltz, Tango, Slow Foxtrot, Quickstep, Samba, Cha-Cha-Cha and Paso Doble (up to and including the second highlight), and at most one minute for Viennese Waltz and Jive. Only the chairperson can change the lengths.

Bars per minute

The tempo of the music, set for each dance and class. For example the Waltz is 28 to 30 bars a minute for every class, the Tango 31 to 33, the Rumba 24 to 25, and the Viennese Waltz is 56 to 58 for class 1 and 58 to 60 for class 2 and visually impaired dancers.

Dress code (conventional)

In Latin dances a two-piece dress is allowed if the upper part is decorated and does not look like a bra. Dress can be changed from round to round but never between heats, except for damage with the chairperson's approval.

Preliminary rounds

Rounds before the final, with at least two when the field is small, so each couple dances twice. In them the adjudicators mark by yes or no (one point or none), and at least 50 per cent of the couples go to the next round.

Re-dance

A round in the preliminary schedule in which couples dance again, used for larger fields. The number of rounds (first round, re-dance, second round, semi-final) depends on how many couples enter.

Freestyle events

Freestyle movement and content

Many styles are allowed (folk, hip-hop, breaking, Latin, standard, ballet, contemporary, street dance and more). The movements should suit all ages, and explicit violent or sexual acts are not allowed. A wheelchair dancer may leave the chair as a transition at the beginning or end, but must fulfil the technical skills in the chair, and a dancer on the floor outside the chair is marked down.

Freestyle lifts and acrobatics

At most three lifts are allowed in a programme, and each extra one from the fourth costs a deduction. Lifts and acrobatic movements must be part of the dance idea, and neither may be the main action of the dance.

Accessories and props

An accessory is a hat, glove, mask, glasses, fan, hair ribbon or feather that is part of the costume. Hats are at most 40 cm across and 30 cm high. A prop is any other movable object, and props are not permitted in freestyle, except for dancers with an intellectual impairment. Accessories must not be put on the floor or the chair or handed to another person.

Freestyle dress code

Any costume and make-up that suit the programme and age of the athletes are allowed if they cover the intimate areas. Costumes cannot be changed during the performance, religious symbols are not permitted as decoration, skin-colour underwear is not allowed, and bare feet are allowed.

Fall in freestyle

A dancer who falls and recovers at once may keep going. If help is needed the music is stopped and the dance restarts from the point of the fall, or in exceptional cases the chairperson may allow it to start from the beginning.

Freestyle admission

To enter the World or Regional Championships a couple must have scored at least 15,000 points in class 1, 18,000 in class 2, 13,000 for powerchair and 15,000 for visually impaired in one competition of the season.

Judging

Technical skills

The overall quality of wheelchair control: the flow over the floor, the clarity of the technique and the effortless use of power to accelerate and vary speed, including turns. It covers wheelchair dance skills and performance and execution.

Musicality, choreography and presentation

The intentional, developed or original movement, judged by proportion, unity, space, pattern, structure and phrasing. It covers choreography (purpose, content, phrasing, originality), interpretation of the music and timing.

Also called: choreography and musicality

Difficulty level

The variety and quality of wheel, foot and body work, positions, movements and holds that link all the elements, including entrances and exits. Variety of speeds, turns, positions and syncopated rhythms count.

Adjudicator panel

Seven to nine adjudicators plus the chairperson, each labelled by a letter. Each marks two of the three areas, according to a table: for example with seven adjudicators A, B, C, E and G mark technical skills, A, C, D, E and F mark musicality, choreography and presentation, and B, D, F and G mark difficulty.

Marking scales

Technical skills and musicality, choreography and presentation are marked from 5.0 to 9.9 in steps of 0.1, with the scale extendable down to 1.0 for weaker performers. Difficulty is a coefficient from 1.00 to 1.50 in steps of 0.05.

Result formula

For one dance, (technical skills value + musicality, choreography and presentation value) multiplied by the difficulty value, minus deductions. Each value is the average of its marks after the highest and lowest are ignored. The dance totals are added and the highest total wins.

Lowest judging

The penalty for a rule breach such as breaking off a dance, ignoring the closed hold or the line of dance, or dangerous movements: the competitor gets the lowest marks for that dance.

Ties

In freestyle, a tie is untied by counting all marks, without ignoring the highest and lowest. In conventional events a tie in total score is broken by adding the ranks in each dance, with the lowest sum ranked higher, and then by all marks accepted. The official results keep the tied total.

Deductions and disqualification

Deductions

Points taken off in the final under absolute points judging. The chairperson is responsible, and a deduction needs a collegial decision of the adjudicators: if the majority vote for it, it applies, and if they disagree the chairperson's decision is final.

Conventional deductions

Falling due to misbalance costs 1 point each, breaking off a dance 2, a gap in the closed hold 1, pushing the wheelchair with a foot or the standing partner's foot to start or stop it 3, a lift 1, dancing against the line of dance 2, dangerous movements 2 (except at the highlight of the Paso Doble), and rough behaviour 5 the first time with disqualification if repeated.

Freestyle deductions

Falling due to misbalance costs 1 point each, performing on the floor out of the wheelchair 5, using accessories or props 3, breaking the time limit 2, breaking the dress code 1, and each lift after the third 1.

Disqualification

The chairperson can disqualify (DSQ) a competitor for not meeting the eligibility rules, for not showing up without telling the organiser (and then being barred from the next recognised competition), or for breaking the rules. For dangerous movements, a lift, dancing against the line of dance or rough behaviour in the skating system, a repeat after a warning to the team leader leads to disqualification.

Competition and officials

Competition levels

Recognised competitions are the World Championship, Regional Championships and World Cup. Below them are approved competitions (the lowest level where ranking points can be earned, including Youth Games and the World Abilitysport Games) and endorsed competitions (national events). The championships follow a four-year cycle of regional and world championships.

Entries

Each national federation may enter at most three couples or athletes per event and class at the World and Regional Championships, with no limit at World Cups and approved competitions. A federation with fewer than two qualified athletes may ask for a wild card.

Dance floor

A wooden floor of at least 350 square metres at the World and Regional Championships, and at least 250 square metres with no side under 10 m elsewhere. Lighting is at least 200 lux ideally at about 4000 K, and the venue is kept at 18 to 21 degrees Celsius.

Start number

Worn on the back (on the backrest if it is high) and visible at all times, black on white or the reverse, in A5 size. Both partners wear it in duo and combi.

Medals

Gold, silver and bronze go to the first three of each event, and both partners of a couple get one. If a championship event ends with only three couples or athletes, only the first two get medals and the third a certificate.

Ranking

Athletes earn 1 to 100 points at a recognised competition, scaled by a coefficient for the level (the World Championships is highest). The ranking counts the best four results over a two-year cycle, at most two from any one year.

Protest

Only against a violation of the rules. The team leader files it within 30 minutes of the end of the heat or round, and no later than 30 minutes before the medal ceremony, with a fee of 100 euros (returned if upheld). There is no way to protest at an endorsed competition.

Technical meeting

A meeting before each recognised competition, with one or two representatives of each country and the organiser, run by the technical delegate or the chairperson of adjudicators.

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