Performance Categories & Definitions Acrobatics A routine that blends gymnastics and dance technique throughout the choreography. Ballet A routine that incorporates classical ballet technique and steps. Ballet or soft shoe only. Character A routine portraying an easily recognizable character through music, costume, and movement. Clogging A routine that uses traditional clogging technique. Contemporary A routine that fuses jazz and lyrical styles with a strong emphasis on modern technique. Hip Hop A routine consisting of current street dance styles and movements. Jazz A routine utilizing jazz technique performed to up-tempo music. Lyrical A routine combining jazz and ballet techniques performed to slower music with an emphasis on emotion and storytelling. Modern A routine focusing on interpretive movement, balance, and control. Musical Theater A routine incorporating Broadway-style dance and theatrical performance. Open A routine that does not fall into a single defined category or combines multiple styles. Acrobatic passes are permitted. Pointe A routine incorporating classical ballet technique performed en pointe. Pointe shoes are required. Pompon A routine featuring sharp arm movements, kicks, leaps, jumps, and splits. Pompons must be used for at least 90% of the routine. Song and Dance A routine that includes both singing and dance. Accompaniment must be provided Backup vocals are permitted At least 50% of the routine must be dance Specialty A routine incorporating ethnic or cultural dance styles, including but not limited to Polka, Hawaiian, Ballroom, Bollywood, Russian, African, etc. Student A routine choreographed entirely by a student. May be entered as a solo, duo/trio, or group May also be registered in a standard category at the Studio Director’s discretion Tap A routine performed using tap technique. Vocal A vocal performance of any genre. Limited choreography permitted Must be 75% vocal No pre-recorded lead vocals allowed Backup vocals permitted Not eligible for Top 10 Overall Awards Category Enforcement & Restrictions Judges reserve the right to reassign a routine’s performance category if it is deemed incorrectly placed. Scores will not be affected by a category change. Routines containing more than three (3) gymnastic or acrobatic passes must be entered in the Open or Acrobatics category. Singing is permitted only in the Song and Dance and Vocal categories.