RULES & REGULATIONS

All persons attending the Rio Grande Dance Classic, whether as spectators, competitors, officials, or guests of the Organizer, by participating in this event agree to adhere to the following rules. No responsibility for loss or theft in changing rooms, ballrooms, hotel property, or hotel rooms shall be accepted by the Organizer, Nicolas Rael, or by employees, affiliates, associates, assigns, agents, and contractors, nor shall they be held liable for injury OR illness sustained by persons attending this event. Everyone attending does so at his/her own risk. All persons acknowledge that by participating in the Rio Grande Dance Classic they are also consenting to photography, videotaping and/or filming of the event. Everyone must sign a General Release Form.

HEALTH PROTOCOL

THE RIO GRANDE DANCE CLASSIC IS COMMITTED TO THE HEALTH & SAFETY OF THE DANCE COMMUNITY. PLEASE REGULARLY WASH AND/OR SANITIZE YOUR HANDS THROUGHOUT THE EVENT. IF ATTENDEES ARE EXHIBITING ANY SIGNS OF ILLNESS, THE RIO GRANDE DANCE CLASSIC URGES ATTENDEES TO STAY HOME OR IN THEIR HOTEL ROOMS. MASKS WILL BE AVAILABLE BUT ARE NOT REQUIRED.

RESERVED SEATING will be available to studios & individuals purchasing tickets in advance by April 6, 2023. Seating Plan for the Ballroom and tables assigned to studios will be available at the event.

ACDA COUNTRY WESTERN RULES AND REGULATIONS

FOR A COMPLETE COPY OF THE ACDA (AMERICAN COUNTRY DANCE ASSOCIATION) RULES & REGULATIONS, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

BALLROOM RULES AND REGULATIONS

Click here for a definition of dance styles

CHANGES MUST BE MADE ON OR BEFORE APRIL 6, 2023. AFTER THIS DATE REGISTRATION WILL BE CLOSED AND NO FURTHER CHANGES/ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED. Please make sure to check your confirmations when you receive them. PLEASE KEEP A COPY OF ALL FORMS! HEAT LISTS WILL BE AVAILABLE THE MONDAY PRIOR TO THE EVENT.

NO CANCELLATIONS (PRO/AM & AMATEUR COUPLES MAY CHANGE DANCES, NO PARTNER SUBSTITUTIONS)

ALL BALLROOM EVENTS ARE MIXED ROLE. In all categories and events, the Organizer reserves the right to combine, merge or cancel any events with less than 3 entries.

A teacher will not be permitted to compete with one of their students against another of their students in the same combined: style, dance, skill level, and age category.

The On Deck System will be used in all events. Competitors need to be in the ballroom at least ½ hour before their event, and check in with the on deck captain 2 heats before their event.

Competitors (Adults, Juniors, & Youth) dancing in syllabus events may only dance the Bronze, Silver, or Gold Syllabus from the approved Syllabus of a national dance organization.

All Closed Syllabus Events will be invigilated. Penalties may be given without warning for any syllabus infractions.

ALL BALLROOM COMPETITORS CAN DANCE IN THEIR OWN AGE CATEGORY & TWO AGE CATEGORIES DOWN (i.e., A student dancing in age category B1 may also dance in age category A2 AND A1.) ALL COMPETITORS CAN DANCE IN THEIR OWN DANCE LEVEL AND DANCE TWO ADJACENT DANCE LEVELS UP (i.e., A student dancing in Newcomer may also dance in Pre-Bronze & Intermediate Bronze).

ARGENTINE TANGO PRO/AM & AMATEUR SINGLE DANCE ENTRIES CAN BE FOUND IN THE SMOOTH SECTION OF THE ENTRY FORMS AND WILL

BE DANCED DURING THE AMERICAN SMOOTH SESSION.

WEST COAST SWING & NIGHTCLUB PRO/AM & AMATEUR SINGLE DANCE ENTRIES CAN BE FOUND IN THE CLUB DANCE & COUNTRY WESTERN SECTION OF THE ENTRY FORMS AND WILL BE DANCED DURING THE CLUB DANCE SESSION AND COUNTRY WESTERN SESSIONS BASED ON WHICH ENTRY FORM IS USED TO ENTER.

SALSA & HUSTLE PRO/AM & AMATEUR SINGLE DANCE ENTRIES CAN BE FOUND IN CLUB DANCE SECTION OF THE ENTRY FORMS AND WILL BE DANCED DURING THE CLUB DANCE SESSION.

COMPETING PROFESSIONALS AND PRO/AM TEACHERS QUALIFY FOR AN ALL ACCESS PASS AT NO EXTRA CHARGE.

MIXED ROLE COMPETITORS: Please clarify on the entry forms who is the LEADER and who is the FOLLOWER when completing the entry forms. Leader/follower switching is permitted (provided only one number is worn per couple.)

Scholarships & Professional Events

ALL DANCES FOR EACH SCHOLARSHIP CATEGORY ARE REQUIRED. FAILURE TO DANCE EACH REQUIRED DANCE IN A CATEGORY WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE DISQUALIFICATION AND THERE WILL BE NO REFUNDS. For each Scholarship a student/couple enters, the student/couple must dance the same dances in single dance events. The Organizer reserves the right to cancel Scholarship & Professional events if there are less than 3 couples. In events with less than 3 couples, ½ of the prize money will be paid.

OVERALL SCORING SYSTEM

All Pro/Am & Amateur couples will receive an individual placement and an overall placement. One Placement for the event in which they are dancing (i.e. Pre-Bronze A1 American Cha Cha) and and Overall Placement for the cumulative scores that they receive in the Dance Style and Skill Level for which they enter (i.e. Pre-Bronze Rhythm) and must dance a MINIMUM of four dances in that style/skill level to qualify for an overall placement.

Dress Code

Costumes may be worn but are not required.

Cancellation/Refund Policy

Only WRITTEN requests for refunds will be honored until MARCH 20, 2023. A 20% processing charge per person will be applied to all refunds. No refunds will be given after this date. All refunds will be made in full or in part thirty (30) days after the event

minus any processing charges.

No REFUNDS or EXCHANGES on ADMISSION TICKETS. Acts of God, war, strikes, government regulations, disasters, civil unrest, labor disputes, transportation availability, shortage of materials or any other emergency making it inadvisable or impossible to provide the facility and/or services associated with the production of a dance event do not pose a refund situation.

All payments must be made by Money Order, Cashier's Check, or Credit/Debit Card. Cash will be accepted at the door for J&J contests, Spectator Passes, & Workshop Passes.

J&J (formerly Jack & Jill) Competitor Rules

*PROFESSIONALS AND AMATEURS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ALL J&J EVENTS* J&J is a format of competition in partner dancing, where the competing couples are the result of random matching of leaders and followers. Competitors for J&J events must enter by 3pm on Friday, April 14, 2023. ANYONE WHO WISHES TO PARTICIPATE IN J&J EVENTS MUCH PURCHASE A GENERAL WEEKEND PASS. The competitor can select only ONE role in the dance partnership per style & skill level, and the competitor must remain in that role for the remainder of the J&J Rounds in that style & skill level, but can switch roles in a different contest. (For example, a competitor entering as a Newcomer/Novice LEADER in J&J West Coast Swing must remain a Newcomer/Novice LEADER in all following J&J West Coast Swing rounds, but the same competitor can switch to an Intermediate/advanced FOLLOWER in J&J West Coast Swing rounds, but must remain an Intermediate/Advanced FOLLOWER in all following J&J West Coast Swing rounds.)