HS Dance 101

High school competitive dance is a sport like no other- and very different from what you may have experienced in Just for Kix or studio dance! Below you will find the rules and scoring guidelines used by teams from the Minnesota State High School League.

Official MSHL Dance Team Rule Book 22-24

Skill and Techniques

Click Here to view demonstrations of different HS Dance required skills

Turns

Posture: Body lines correct

Upper Body Placement: Carriage lifted, shoulders down, correct arm placement, accurate spotting

Lower Body Placement: Hip and leg placement, passes connected, releves lifted, extension through the foot

Leaps/ Jumps

Height

Extension: Extension through the foot

Alignment: Body lines correct

Difficulty of Skills

Combinations: of turns, leaps, jumps, flexibility, movements

Variety and Distribution: Uses ambidexterity, distribution of skills throughout the routine

Pace: Rate and tempo composition of skills (ie: faster turns)

Kicks

Posture: Body lines correct- no hunching, correct technique used for each type of kick

Upper Body Placement: Carriage lifted, shoulders down, strong arrm connections, consistent head placement

Lower Body Placement: Hip and leg placement, extension through the foot

Kick Height: Kicks above the waist, uniformity and consistency throughout the routine

Difficulty of Kicks

Combinations: Of kicks, preps and linking styles

Variety and Distribution: Uses ambidexterity, distribution of kicks throughout the routine

Pace: Rate and tempo composition of kicks

Choreography

Creativity

Musicality: Use of music to enhance choreography through tempo variations, vocal and instrumental interpretations, blending of music and movement

Originality: Not easily transposed, connection of choreography to music, unique movements and choreography

Variety: Movements and choreography not repeated

Difficulty of Routine

Quality of Movement: Variety and type of movements used: percussive (sharp/staccato), sustained (keeps moving/ smooth), swinging (uses gravity/pendulum), vibratory (shakes), suspending (holds balance), collapsing (falls to the earth)

Complexity: High level of content, use of layering and dynamic choreography, intricate use of music and counts, pace of choreo, number of dancers performing difficult choreography

Distribution of Movement: Incorporation of multiple qualities of movements, continuity of movement throughout the routine

Visual Effectiveness

Levels: Use of different levels, directions and planes

Groups: Use of groupwork or geatureing/highlighting enhances visual appeal

Use of floor: Routine covers different zones of floor space

Difficulty of Formations and Transitions

Variety: Transitions and formations not repeated, variety and complexity of movements used to transition

Distribution: Number of formations and transitions distributed consistently through routine

Intricacy, Planning and Achievement: Build of routine from section to section, use of patterns, clear pathways, spatial awareness, formations achieved by all dancers

Routine Effectiveness

Overall Impression: Connection to routine, authenticity, attention not drawn to any particular dancer

Stamina: Dancers properly conditioned to execute routine

Confidence and Expression: Natural spirit, projection, enjoyment of dancers

Execution of routine

Placement: Awareness of body, movements positioned correctly

Control: Articulation of movement, strength of movement

Memory: Lack of hesitations, personal knowledge

Timing and Unity: Synchronization of movements within dancers

Spacing: Accurate and even spacing of dancers within formations and during transitions, symmetry or asymmetry of formations

Official MSHL Scoring Sheets

Deductions

There are many ways that a team can lose points, some less obvious than others- see the official scoring sheets for more information:

Kick Requirements: High kick performance must contain 35-55 kicks above the waist, performed by all team members. Jazz can not contain more than 5 kicks above the waist performed by the entire team while linked.

Jazz Requirements: At least 1 pirouette must be performed in a jazz routine by the entire team at the same time. At least one leap or jump must be performed by the entire team at the same time.

Time Requirements: High kick 2:15- 2:45 minutes, Jazz 2- 2 1/2 minutes long (1st beat to last beat of the music)

Falls: An uncontrolled or un-choreographed drop to the floor wherein any part of the dancer's body, other than hands, hits or contacts the floor.

Lifts and Mounts: Lifts and mounts above the waist are illegal. Lowest part of the dancer's body being lifted cannot be above the standing waist of the person doing the lift.

Drops: Drops which require dropping to the knee(s), seat or thighs with out first bearing the all dancers weight on the hands or feet which breaks the impact of the drop are illegal. Front drops from an airborne position to a horizontal or face-down position are illegal. Splits from a jump or leap are illegal (more split requirements in official rules).

Conduct Deductions: Not ready to perform when team is announced. Performing to the wrong side of judges at a dual sided meet. Delay of meet. Deliberate disruptive behaviour, including taunting. Use of profanity. Verbally abusing or disrespecting a meet official.

uniform requirements

Uniform must cover the body- shoulders, trunk and briefs
Fabrics used directly on the body must be opaque, but may be any color
Sports bras must be worn and cannot be sewn or built into the uniform
All parts of the sports bra must be covered by opaque fabric, bra must not be visible
Necklines must be modest and cannot reveal skin 2" below the sternal notch
Keyhole back may be used if bras are not visible- full shoulder blades can not be exposed
All parts of uniform should stay attached during the performance
Tattoos must be covered
Fingernails must be kept short
No jewelry or piercings or spacers are allowed to be worn during competition (expeptions for medical and religious medals which shall be taped to the body)
Hard braces for the body must be padded for safety
No loose or spray glitter of any kind is allowed
Manufactures logo/ trademark must be smaller than 1 1/2" x 1 1/2"
An American flag on a uniform must be smaller than 2"x 3"
School logos are allowed, but no names or images other than school logos or names on uniforms are allowed

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