Terms & Definitions
Adjudicator: also referred to as "Judge"; someone that has received a certification
Age Classification: based on your birth year, you will be placed in a certain category level, Junior, Youth, Adult, Senior I, etc.
Call Back: You have received enough marks to come back and dance in the next round.
Chair of Officials: someone that is Certified to manage all aspects of the technical aspects of the competition.
Dance Style: International Latin, International Standard, American Smooth, American Rhythm, Theater Arts, Cabaret, etc.
Eligibility Class: a set or category of things having some property or attribute in common and differentiated from others by kind, type, or quality, for example Bronze, Mixed Proficiency, Age; etc.
Frame – Closed: Body contact is maintained. Open: Open or separate moves are used. There is little or no body contact.
Gender & Gender Neutral: Male or Female or someone that does not identify as male or female.
Heat: When a round is too large to fit on the floor it can be separated into heats. A quarter-final in normally danced in two heats, meaning 12-couples dance then the remaining 12 couples dance assuming 24-couples in the quarter-final.
Invigilator: someone who is Certified to monitor adherence to syllabus restrictions.
Master of Ceremonies: also known as an emcee or mc; is someone that serves as the host of the event; introducing key people, explain the sequence of program and keeps the audience engaged throughout the event.
Music Director: is the person responsible for the musical aspects of the event.
Mixed Proficiency: is a classification where one partner dances at a lower level and the partner at the lower level is scored.
On-Deck Area: Area just outside the ballroom floor where the couple's check-in with the On Deck Captain, and line up in the order that they’ll walk on to the floor for their event.
On-Deck Captain/Deck Captain: someone that helps instruct the competitors when it is time to line up and walk onto floor for their event.
Partnership Type Am-Am: A partnership where both partners are amateur.
Partnership Type Mixed Proficiency: A partnership where both partners are amateur, one is of a lower proficiency level than the other. The lower proficiency dancer is the only one judged. Partnership Type Pro-Am: A partnership where one partner is a professional and the other is an amateur. Partnership Type Pro-Pro: A partnership where both partners are professional.
Proficiency Level: the competent or skilled degree of dance ex: Newcomer, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Novice, Pre-Championship, Championship.
Registrar: an official responsible for keeping a record and organizing the events.
Registration: entering your name as a competitor in the competition. There are several registration processes. Initial Registration, to put one's name in the competition. Initial registration is not final until all monies have been received. Pre-Registration is upon arriving at the competition to receive your competitor packet. Final Registration when you are marked as present for the Scrutineer during the competition.
Round: the number of times a competitor has been called-back, when there are enough competitors in a single heat, in order to eliminate or select competitors to the size of the final determination couples.
Scrutineer: A certified dance official who tabulates the judges' marks from the competitive events.
Syllabus: is the outline of a course of study or teaching, to gain proficiency. There are several Syllabi for dance, some include, but not limited to, DVIDA, Fred Astaire, Arthur Murray, and Dance Vision.