scoring
Performances will be adjudicated by a panel of three judges based on five key criteria. Each category is worth 20%, and the scores are averaged to determine the final routine score.
Technique & Foundation
Quality of movement and understanding of proper fundamentals specific to the dance style.
Creativity & Originality
Use of unique concepts, musicality, movement, transitions, formations, and costuming.
Staging & Dynamics
Overall use of stage space and levels (floor, mid, air), along with demonstration of power, control, and movement variety.
Execution & Difficulty
Precision of performance — control, speed, sharpness, body placement — and suitability of the choreography’s challenge for the classification.
Performance & Entertainment
Stage presence, showmanship, emotion, elegance, intensity, confidence and audience engagement.
Important Notes:
-
- Technique & Foundation will only be scored by judges qualified in that specific dance style.
- Each panel of judges is selected to ensure coverage across all dance disciplines.
- * For Ballet Variations, the Creativity & Originality category is adapted to reflect: Application of the variation’s stylistic elements, choreographed movement, transitions, musicality, formations, and costuming.
AWARDS
Diamond: 95+
Ruby: 93-94.99
Sapphire: 90-92.99
Gold: 85 – 89.99
Silver: 80 – 84.99
Bronze: 75 – 79.99
All entries will be given a score and a ribbon based on their score. Scores will be sent to the studio director upon the completion of competition.
Judges will also award specials for routines that piqued their interest each award session.
Placements
Entries with three or more entries in the category will also receive placements.
Solos/Duos/Trios
Dancers will receive a ribbon.
1st – 3rd will also be awarded a placement medallion.
Group (Small, Large, Line and Production)
Each dancer will receive a ribbon.
1st – 3rd will be awarded placement pins.
Judges will also award specials for stand out routines that piqued their interest each award session.
OVERALLS – First time Soloist
First-time Novice/Pre-Competitive Soloist (Petite/Mini/Junior)
Top three scores receive medals.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
First-time Novice/Pre-Competitive Soloist (Inter/Senior/Adult)
Top three scores receive medals.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
First-time Competitive Soloist (Petite/Mini/Junior)
Top three scores receive medals.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
First-time Competitive Soloist (Inter/Senior/Adult)
Top three scores receive medals.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
OVERALLS - Novice
Duo/Trio (Petite/Mini/Junior)
Top three scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Duo/Trio (Inter/Senior)
Top three scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Duo/Trio (Adult)
Top three scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Group/Line/Production (Petite/Mini/Junior)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Group/Line/Production (Inter/Senior)
Top five scores receive plaques.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Group/Line/Production (Adult)
Top five scores receive plaques.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
OVERALLS - Pre-Competitive
Solo (Petite/Mini/Junior)
Top three scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Solo (Inter/Senior)
Top three scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Solo (Adult)
Top three scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Duo/Trio (Petite/Mini/Junior)
Top three scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Duo/Trio (Inter/Senior)
Top three scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Duo/Trio (Adult)
Top three scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Small Group (Petite/Mini/Junior)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Large Group/Line/Production (Petite/Mini/Junior)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Small Group (Inter/Senior)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Small Group (Adult)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Large Group/Line/Production (Inter/Senior)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Large Group/Line/Production (Adult)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
OVERALLS - Competitive
Solo (for each division: Petite, Mini, Junior, Intermediate, Senior, Adult)
Top five scores receive medals in respective division
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Duo/Trio (Petite/Mini/Junior)
Top five scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Duo/Trio (Intermediate)
Top five scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Duo/Trio (Senior)
Top five scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Duo/Trio (Adult)
Top five scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Small Group (Petite/Mini/Junior)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Large Group/Line/Production (Petite/Mini/Junior)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Small Group (Intermediate)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Large Group/Line/Production (Intermediate)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Small Group (Senior)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Large Group/Line/Production (Senior)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Small Group (Adult)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Large Group/Line/Production (Adult)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
OVERALLS - Elite
Solo (for each division: Petite, Mini, Junior, Intermediate, Senior, Adult)
Top five scores receive medals in respective division
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Duo/Trio (Petite/Mini/Junior)
Top five scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Duo/Trio (Intermediate)
Top five scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Duo/Trio (Senior)
Top five scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Duo/Trio (Adult)
Top five scores receive medals
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Small Group (Petite/Mini/Junior)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Large Group/Line/Production (Petite/Mini/Junior)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Small Group (Intermediate)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Large Group/Line/Production (Intermediate)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Small Group (Senior)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Large Group/Line/Production (Senior)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Small Group (Adult)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
Large Group/Line/Production (Adult)
Top five scores receive plaques or trophy.
First place receives cash or twice value in VSDC credits
deductions & disqualifications
Maintaining Fairness and Integrity in Every Performance
Versastyle Dance Competition is a fair and family-friendly event. Please ensure that all choreography, costuming, and music are age-appropriate and suitable for a dance competition audience. Music must not contain explicit language (in any language), references to violence, or other inappropriate content.
If the judges or competition director determine that any part of a routine—movement, lyrics, or costume—is too suggestive or otherwise unsuitable for our audience, deductions may be applied. In extreme cases, the routine may be disqualified.
Routines that violate these standards may still be scored but may not be eligible for awards or overall placements a the discretion of the VSDC director.
Deductions may be applied at the discretion of the judges or competition director.
Disqualifications are issued solely at the discretion of the competition director.
Examples
Deductions (up to 3% per item)
-
- Inappropriate costumes for the age group
- Music with explicit or offensive language
- Incorrect category placement
- Choreography not age-appropriate
Disqualifications
-
- Unsportsmanlike conduct
- Unapproved dancer substitutions or addition
- Unauthorized photo or video recording
- Violation of VSDC rules and regulations
additional notes
Overalls are awarded throughout the event after all eligible entries in each category have performed. Please refer to your program for the specific times of overall award presentations.
- Additional overall awards may be granted at the director’s discretion
- Overalls may be combined at the discretion of the director
- In order for an overall to be awarded, a minimum of three entries per category is required
- Soloists may enter multiple routines, but only their highest-scoring solo will be considered for the highest solo overall awards
- Entries with special tags qualify for special tag overalls and regular overalls
grand awards & unique prizes
Top Divisions
Top Pre-Competitive Score
Top three scores receive trophies
Top three scores receive cash prize or twice value in VSDC credits
Top Competitive Score
Top three scores receive trophies
Top three scores receive cash prize or twice value in VSDC credits
Top Elite Score
Top three scores receive trophies
Top three scores receive cash prize or twice value in VSDC credits
Top Genre
Top Jazz
Top score receives a trophy
Invitation and free entry to return and defend title
Top Lyrical/Contemporary/Modern
Top score receives a trophy
Invitation and free entry to return and defend title
Top Hip Hop
Top score receives a trophy
Invitation and free entry to return and defend title
Top Tap
Top score receives a trophy
Invitation and free entry to return and defend title
Top Acro
Top score receives a trophy
Invitation and free entry to return and defend title
Top Open
Top score receives a trophy
Invitation and free entry to return and defend title
Top Musical Theatre/Song & Dance
Top score receives a trophy
Invitation and free entry to return and defend title
Top Ballet/Pointe
Top score receives a trophy
Invitation and free entry to return and defend title
Top Street Styles
Top score receives a trophy
Invitation and free entry to return and defend title
Top Specials (Choreography, Stand Out, Adult)
Top Mini/Jr. Choreography
Judges’ choice award
Gift card
Top Intermediate/Sr. Choreography
Judges’ choice award
Choreographer receives a paid invitation to choreograph for the Versastyle REMIX Category next season
Judges’ Stand Out Routine
Judges’ choice award
Invitation and free entry to return and defend title
Top Adult
Top score receives a trophy
Invitation and free entry to return and defend title
Top Student-Choreography
Top score receives a trophy
Invitation and free entry to return and defend title
Top Studio
Top Small Studio Award*
Top average score receives a trophy
Cash prize or twice value in VSDC credits
Top Large Studio Award*
Top average score receives a trophy
Cash prize or twice value in VSDC credits
*Score calculated based on studio’s top 10 scores with 4 of them being group/line/production.
impulse champions
IMPULSE Solo Champion
Champion will receive a Versastyle Varsity jacket
Paid photo/video opportunity
IMPULSE Duo Champions
Champions will receive Versastyle Varsity jackets
Paid photo/video opportunity
remix champions
Champions receives a REMIX banner
Each dancer will receive REMIX Rings
Cash prize or twice value in VSDC credits
Overtime champions
Champions receives a OVERTIME banner and FREE entry to return to defend their title
Cash prize or twice value in VSDC credits
One routine that applies the judges notes the best will also receive a banner and be the Transformation Champion
Versastyle National Champions
Top average score (based on 10 highest scoring entries) of the year across all our Canadian competitions receives their studio name etched on to the trophy and will have the honour of displaying the trophy at their studio until next season.
Champions receives a Versastyle National Champion banner.
They will also receive 5 free group entries to defend their title next season.
additional notes
- There must be at least 10 studios and at least 200 entries to award BOTH a Top Small & Top Large Studio
- If there are not enough small or large studios in respective categories, all studios will be combined.
- To qualify as a small studio, the studio must have under 60 entries.
- To qualify as a large studio, the studio must have 60+ entries.
- To qualify for Top Studio, a studio must register at least 20 routines with at least five groups in the competitions.
- Defending title awards expire if not used in the following season.
- Versastyle National Champion trophy will be displayed at the winner’s studio for the season, but must be returned before first comp of subsequent season.
- VSDC has the right to make changes to overall and grand awards.
