COMPETITOR INFORMATION
COMPETITOR INFORMATION
Individual events are offered in American style, International style, and Nightclub dances. All events are open to leaders and followers of any gender. Two or more dances separated by a slash constitute a multi-dance event. Contestants in multi-dance events will be judged collectively in all listed dances. Contestants in International style categories must dance International style, and contestants in American style categories must dance American style.
Events are open to all amateur competitors. Although the event is collegiate in nature, competitors do not have to be students and there are no age restrictions for any events.
Competitors should be ready to dance at least 30 minutes before their scheduled event.
The decisions of the Invigilator and Head Judge shall be final.
Registration is open now for 2026. Register here: https://register.o2cm.com/?event=dts
Registration closes Sunday February 22 at midnight.
Registration is now open for 2026. Click Here!
Registration closes Sunday February 22 at midnight.
Registration notes:
To sign up for Nightclub Style events, select Beginner or Intermediate/Advanced as the Skill Level.
You can compete in the newcomer level only if both you and your partner started Ballroom Dancing less than one year ago (after March 1, 2025.)
Both partners must individually be eligible to dance at any given level. (For example, a bronze leader and silver follower can only dance together at silver level or above.)
We are a CDA Fair Level competition. If you have competed previously, please look up your points to determine what level you may compete at before signing up.
In the Standard, Smooth, Rhythm and Latin categories, you can sign up for the lowest level you and your partner are eligible for, and the next highest level. (For example, a Bronze level couple may also enter Silver level events.)
If you are unfamiliar with the O2CM system, here are step by step instructions:
Go to the registration site.
Create an O2CM account if you do not already have one.
Select or create a new competitor record for each leader and follower
Select Amateur as your Division, unless you are signing up for the Rookie/Veteran events. For Rookie/Veteran events, select Rookie Leader if the leader is the Rookie, and Rookie Follower if the follower is the Rookie.
Select the skill level you want to compete in (Nightclub dance skill levels are Beginner and Intermediate/Advanced)
Select the dances you want to dance at that skill level (use Ctrl to select multiple dances)
Click Add Couple To Events to register for those dances
Repeat for each skill level (two levels are allowed per style, except for Nightclub)
Reference our Fee section to complete your payment.
Please contact us at ucsddancesport.team@gmail.com if you have any difficulties with registration.
Fees can be paid via Zelle (preferred) to ucsddancesport.team@gmail.com or Cash/Check at the door. To keep events timely, we ask that you please pay ahead of time if you are able.
Should you pay via Zelle, please write "FirstName LastName DBTS Registration" in the description. Example: "John Smith DBTS Registration".
***If your team is paying as a group: please provide us with a list of competitors BEFORE the day of the competition.
Competition fees are as follows:
We strive to keep our competition accessible to college students while covering rising costs. Entry fees are per individual, not per couple, and are still significantly lower than standard amateur competitions.
You can choose to pay for unlimited entries or nightclub only.
Your price is set to the deadline at which you complete your O2CM registration; meaning so long as you complete O2CM registration by Feb 15, you can still pay $40 in cash or Zelle at the door.
Costumes are not allowed in Newcomer or Bronze level, but are allowed in Silver and above, Rookie/Veteran, and all nightclub events. For more information on costuming rules, please refer to the CDA Costume Guidelines.
The UCSD DanceSport Team shoe policy requires that all dancers wear shoes that will not mark or damage the floor. Suede-soled dance shoes are strongly encouraged. Heel protectors are required for high-heeled shoes. Competitors may not apply powder or oil to the floor or to the soles of their shoes.
If you have questions about a particular item of clothing, please dm our instagram @ucsddancesport your question along with photos of the clothing item.
American and International style events are offered in Newcomer through Open levels. Please read and understand the eligibility guidelines below and choose your level accordingly. Eligibility and syllabus restrictions will be enforced strictly in all levels; couples found breaking these rules will be warned of the infraction, and a second violation would face the possibility of disqualification from the associated dance round, as to be determined by the Invigilator.
Both dancers in a couple must individually be eligible to dance at any given level. In the Standard, Smooth, Rhythm and Latin categories, couples may enter the lowest level for which both dancers are eligible, and the next higher level. (For example, a Bronze level dancer may also enter Silver level events.) In the Nightclub category, couples may only enter one level (Newcomer/Beginner OR Intermediate/Advanced) for each dance.
As mentioned below, Newcomer, Bronze, Silver and Gold levels are closed syllabus events. For International style events, syllabus restrictions refer to the ISTD Specified Figures, at the Associate level for the Bronze, through the Fellow level for Gold. For American style events, any published syllabus (Fred Astaire, Arthur Murray, DVIDA, ISTD) may be used. ISTD step lists for International and American styles are available from http://www.usistd.org/. The chairman of judges will strictly invigilate syllabus events.
No lifts, drops, or aerials are allowed in any event at this competition.
Dance By The Shores is a CDA Fair Level competition and will use fair level points to determine when couples are entered in a level that is too low for their calculated proficiency. You can look up your fair level points using the Fair Level Point Lookup Tool Dancers who do not have fair level points should refer to the guidelines below to determine their appropriate level.
Newcomer events are open to couples where both partners started Ballroom Dancing less than a year ago (after March 1st, 2025.) Only Bronze syllabus choreography may be danced.
Bronze events are for beginning dancers relatively inexperienced with ballroom dance competitions. Only Bronze syllabus choreography may be danced.
Silver events are for dancers with competitive experience. Those taking intermediate level classes and dancing regularly should find this category appropriate. Bronze and Silver syllabus figures can be used.
Gold events are for more experienced competitors. Any syllabus choreography (Bronze, Silver, or Gold) may be used.
Novice, Pre-Champ, and Championship are advanced levels are for experienced competitors and are equivalent to the corresponding level at USADance/NDCA competitions. Competitors who have placed out of Gold or Pre-Novice level are only eligible for Novice or higher. There are no restrictions on choreography.
Nightclub events are open to all competitors and carry no restrictions on choreography. However, lifts, drops, and aerials are not permitted in any event.
Beginner
Beginner nightclub is applicable if both competitors have less than two years overall ballroom experience
Intermediate/Advanced
Intermediate/Advanced nightclub is applicable if both competitors have more than two years overall ballroom experience
Think of this level (also called Mixed Proficiency) as being similar to a Pro/Am event, but with an experienced Amateur instead of a Pro. The rules:
The Rookie partner must qualify as a newcomer dancer (less than a year of competitive experience and not pointed out of newcomer).
If the Rookie partner is also dancing in regular proficiency events in that style, it may only be at the newcomer, newcomer/bronze or bronze/silver level and cannot be with the same partner as Rookie/Veteran.
The Veteran must be a silver level dancer or higher in that style.
Both partners must be amateur dancers.
Choreography is strictly restricted to Bronze syllabus only
Only the Rookie dancer will be judged.
There are no costume restrictions.
The events will be held after the Gold level events in each style.
The events will be all single dance events (no multi-dance).
The Rookie/Veteran dances will be: