Please make sure you read through the "Must Read For All" tab, and the select which category you'd like to view the rules for.
Lucky Dip
Cost - £6 per person
Available Spaces - 120 (60 lead, 60 follow)
It’s the luck of the draw that could see you end up with a teacher, your regular dance partner or some random person who turns out to be your dancing soul mate. You just never know with this category so dip in and see what you get.
Competition Rules
1) This category is open to all, amateurs and professionals.
2) Only the leads dance with numbers. Follows will be given a pink slip on arrival, which when partnered will be taken from them and filled in with her partners number. This is then the couple for the entirety of the category, including heats, semi finals, finals and grand masters.
3) Partners will be allocated at random on the day.
4) Judges will award points for style, innovation, musical interpretation, quality of dancing and synchronisation of dancers rather than the number/difficulty of moves and links.
5) Judges will NOT award points for dress and presentation.
6) Airsteps, (lifts, jumps and acrobatic moves), will not be permitted. Disqualification from the competition will be automatic should a couple attempt these moves.
7) No extra points will be awarded for drops but they will be permitted provided that one of the lady's feet remains in contact with the ground. Otherwise the move will be defined as an airstep. Please agree beforehand with your partner if you agree to any kind of dip, drop or lean.
8) Must be at least 16 years old to compete in this category.
Extra notes
Ceroc Devon reserves the right to change the programme and competition if necessary without consultation.
The event will be recorded in full and photographed, these may be used by Ceroc for promotional purposes.
The organisers accept no responsibility for injury to person or possession in relation to this event.
There will be no refund for entrants who pull out of this category beforehand.
Newcomers
Cost - £23 per couple
Spaces available - 12 couples
The perfect introduction to competition awaits! In the Newcomers category, couples can be a mix of two complete Newcomers or a blend of one Newcomer paired with an intermediate dancer. Dive into the competitive spirit and discover the joy of dancing in this dynamic and supportive environment!
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Both partners must be amateurs.
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Couples can consist of either 2 newcomers or 1 newcomer paired with an intermediate dancer.
Newcomer Definition:
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A Newcomer is someone who has never competed in any major dance competition above Newcomer level (local and weekender competitions are allowed – see definition below).
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You have 1 calendar year from your first Ceroc Series competition to compete at Newcomer level, unless you place 1st at any of these. i.e. if you competed as a newcomer last year at Chill Out Champs you cannot compete as a newcomer a second time – you will therefore be classed as intermediate.
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Must not have placed 1st in any previous Newcomer category.
Intermediate Definition for this category:
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The Intermediate dancer must never have placed 1st in any Ceroc or Modern Jive competition at the Intermediate level or above (exceptions include categories like Lucky Dip and Pro Am).
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They may have placed in a Newcomers category previously.
Major Dance Competitions:
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Newcomers must not have competed in any major competitions (such as Welsh Champs, London/UK Champs, Midland Champs, Northern Champs, Scottish Champs, Pan Asia Champs, Crystal Blues, World Modern Jive Champs, Indie Champs) at Intermediate level (or equivalent) or above. Small local class night or freestyle competitions for fun do not count.
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Aerials (Lifts, Jumps, Major Aerials, Baby Aerials and Acrobatic Moves) are not permitted. Attempting these moves will result in penalisation or automatic disqualification.
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Drops: No extra points will be awarded for drops, but they are allowed provided that one of the follow’s feet remains in contact with the ground. Otherwise, the move will be defined as an aerial and will result in a penalisation or disqualification.
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All judging will be by a points system. Qualifying dancers will be asked back to the next heat/round. All judges decisions are final.
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Judges will award points based on the four lenses – move content, musicality, connection & conversation and dance quality.
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Partners must not break contact/handhold for more than 8 beats.
Extra notes
Ceroc Devon reserve the right to change the programme and competition if necessary without consultation.
The event will be recorded in full and photograph, these maybe used by Ceroc for promotional purposes.
The organisers accept no responsibility for injury to person or possession in relation to this event.
There will be no refund for entrants who pull out of this category beforehand.
ProAm Lead and Follow
Cost: £23 per couple
Available Spaces: 24 fixed couples (12 for ProAm Lead, and 12 for ProAm follow)
In this category couples will be made from one Pro and one Am. Pro's are professional dancers (see definitions in the FAQ). Am's are amateur dancers who have not received payment for teaching dance. Sparks can fly in this category as the best of the best and the best of the rest team up for some awesome partnerships that burn up the dance floor.
ProAm Lead - The Pro is an Follow and the Amateur is a Lead
ProAm Follow - The Pro is an Lead and the Amateur is a Follow
Competition Rules
1) This competition is open to couplings comprising of a dance professional* and a non-dance professional (an amateur) who compete together as a dance couple.
2) The Dance Professional and the Amateur will be judged as a couple.
3) Points in the ProAm category are awarded for style, musical interpretation, synchronisation of the couple, quality of dancing, and complexity of moves.
4) No points are awarded for dress/presentation, judges are looking purely at the quality of dancing.
5) Any competitor taking part in the Open Competition cannot participate as an amateur in the ProAm category.
6) This category is only open to partnerships consisting of one dance professional and one amateur.
7) There is no lower age limit for this category.
Extra Notes
Ceroc Devon reserve the right to change the programme and competition if necessary without consultation.
The event will be recorded in full and photograph, these maybe used by Ceroc for promotional purposes.
The organisers accept no responsibility for injury to person or possession in relation to this event.
There will be no refund for entrants who pull out of this category beforehand.
Top Cats Amateur and Pro
Cost: £12 per person
Available Spaces: Top Cat Amateur has 36 lead and 36 follows spaces, Top Cat Pro as 24 lead and 24 follows spaces
In this section no-one knows who their partner will be and partners are changed during each round. With this category we aim to discover the best overall individual dancers. The 'couple' who win first place lead and follow may not have danced together during the whole category! You can enter as either an Amateur or a Professional.
Competition Rules
1) Individuals are randomly paired in each round and individually judged on their dancing. Your individual numbers must be visible to the judges on your back (or front for backless outfits).
2) It is the individuals who go through to the next round, where they are again randomly paired for the next heat. This means that each entrant may have a different partner for each round and may even be allocated different partners for each track during the round.
3) Entry into this category may be limited due to gender balancing.
4) Traditional gender allocation only in this category. More specifically, males are leaders and females are followers.
5) Partners will be randomly allocated on the day.
6) Open to amateurs and professionals.
7) Everyone will be judged individually. Judges are looking for style, innovation, musical interpretation, quality of dancing and synchronization of dancers rather than the number/difficulty of moves.
8) Judges will also award points for dress and presentation of each person.
9) Must be at least 16 years old to compete in this category.
10) You cannot enter Top Cat Amatuer if you are competing elsewhere as Pro, and vice versa.
Extra Notes
Ceroc Devon reserve the right to change the programme and competition if necessary without consultation.
The event will be recorded in full and photograph, these maybe used by Ceroc for promotional purposes.
The organisers accept no responsibility for injury to person or possession in relation to this event.
There will be no refund for entrants who pull out of this category beforehand.
Intermediate and Chill Out Intermediate
Cost : £23 per couple
Spaces available : 36 fixed couples
Want to make a name for yourself on the amateur competition circuit? Then this is the gig for you.
Recommended for couples dancing 6 months or more who do not yet want to compete in the advanced version of this category.
Competition Rules
1) This category is open to amatuers ONLY, no open level dancers/partnerships and no advanced FreeAm dancers.
2) Both you and your partner must be amatuers.
3) Judges will award points for style, innovation, musical interpretation, quality of dancing and synchronisation of dancers rather than the number/difficulty of moves and links.
4) Judges will also be awarding points for dress and presentation.
5) Airsteps, (lifts, jumps and acrobatic moves), will not be permitted. Disqualification from the competition will be automatic should a couple attempt these moves.
6) No extra points will be awarded for drops but they will be permitted provided that one of the lady's feet remains in contact with the ground. Otherwise the move will be defined as an airstep. Please agree beforehand with your partner if you agree to any kind of dip, drop or lean.
7) Previous gold medalists in FreeAm/Allstars Freestyle categories must move up to Open level by the time of the next event at the same champs. They cannot compete at AllStars/FreeAm level with the same or different partner.
Extra notes
Ceroc Devon reserves the right to change the programme and competition if necessary without consultation.
The event will be recorded in full and photographed, these may be used by Ceroc for promotional purposes.
The organisers accept no responsibility for injury to person or possession in relation to this event.
There will be no refund for entrants who pull out of this category beforehand.
Advanced and Chill Out Advanced
Cost : £23 per couple
Spaces available : 24 fixed couples
The Advanced Category is open to both professional and amateur dancers who have not placed in the Open/Champions category in the past 3 years.
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Both you and your partner must not have previously placed in the Open/Champions category in the past 3 years.
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Dance teachers/professionals may enter this section provided neither partner placed in the Open/Champions category in the past 3 years. Competitors who have previously placed in the Open/Champions level categories are not allowed to enter this section.
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If the judges believe entrants are of an Open standard, they will be asked to move up to the Open Freestyle category or be disqualified.
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Baby Aerials (any lift where one of the follow’s feet remains below the waist/belt line at all times) are permitted.
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Other Aerials (Lifts, Jumps, Major Aerials and Acrobatic Moves) are not permitted. Attempting these moves will result in penalisation or automatic disqualification.
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All judging will be by a points system. Qualifying dancers will be asked back to the next heat/round. All judges’ decisions are final.
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Judges will award points based on the four lenses – move content, musicality, connection & conversation and dance quality.
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Judges will also be awarding points for dress and presentation.
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Partners must not break contact/handhold for more than 8 beats.
Extra notes
Ceroc Devon reserves the right to change the programme and competition if necessary without consultation.
The event will be recorded in full and photographed, these may be used by Ceroc for promotional purposes.
The organisers accept no responsibility for injury to person or possession in relation to this event.
There will be no refund for entrants who pull out of this category beforehand.
Open and Chill Out Open
Cost - £23 per couple
Number of places available - 24 fixed couples
Going head to head with some of the best dancers on the competition circuit will certainly raise your game. This eagerly anticipated category will bring out your best performance. The Open category is recommended for those dancers who want to dance Ceroc with no holds barred!
Competition Rules
1) Participants (couples or individuals) in the Open Category cannot compete in the Intermeidtae or Advanced categories, or partner a Pro in the ProAm category.
2) Both professional and amateur dancers may participate for the Open Trophy. Teachers and previous winners are Pro, but amateur dancers can 'self seed' into the Open if they wish.
3) Couples will dance to up tempo music chosen by the organisers. This could be anything from 40's to current day chart music. In the Open Category tracks will have a minimum of 100 beats per minute.
4) All judging will be by points system. Dancers are encouraged to dance to all tracks in their round. Qualifying dancers will be asked back to the next heat/round. All judges decisions are final.
5) Points in the Open category are awarded for style, musical interpretation, synchronisation of the couple, quality of dancing, complexity of moves, dress and presentation of the couple.
6) One major airstep or inverted move per track is permitted lasting a maximum of 7 seconds.
7) Partners must not break contact/handhold for more than 8 beats.
8) As many dips, drops, leans and baby aerials of any kind as you wish.
Extra notes
Ceroc Devon reserve the right to change the programme and competition if necessary without consultation.
The event will be recorded in full and photograph, these maybe used by Ceroc for promotional purposes.
The organisers accept no responsibility for injury to person or possession in relation to this event.
There will be no refund for entrants who pull out of this category beforehand.
W.T.F (Intermediate, Advanced and Open)
Cost - £23 per fixed couple
Number of places - 12 fixed couples in each rank (12 intermediate, 12 advanced, 12 open)
Want to dance to the music that you don't normally hear at comps? Then this is for you - it will contain songs that are normally deemed to fast, or too slow for regular dancing, and include genres normally not played like Rock, Accapella, Disney, Classical etc...
Competition Rules
1) This category is split into 3 levels, intermediate, advanced, and open. You must compete as a fixed couple where both dancers are in the same rank - for example, you cannot have 1 intermediate and 1 advanced dancer as a couple.
2) This will be a fixed partner category, who you enter with is who you will dance with to all tracks
3) Couples will dance to music chosen by the organisers. There is no restriction on BPM or Genre.
4) All judging will be by points system. Dancers are encouraged to dance to all tracks in their round. Qualifying dancers will be asked back to the next heat/round. All judges decisions are final.
5) Points in the WTF are awarded for musical interpretation, synchronisation of the couple, quality of dancing and originality.
6) Each couple entering WTF are permitted to perform 1 major airstep/aerial per track. As many baby aerials, dips and drops as you like per track are permitted.
7) Please understand that this category is dangerous and all parties are accepting liability at the point of entering this category.
Extra notes
Ceroc Devon reserve the right to change the programme and competition if necessary without consultation.
The event will be recorded in full and photograph, these maybe used by Ceroc for promotional purposes.
The organisers accept no responsibility for injury to person or possession in relation to this event.
There will be no refund for entrants who pull out of this category beforehand.
Restorative Yoga
Restorative yoga focuses on holding passive poses for extended periods, promoting relaxation and reducing stress by engaging the parasympathetic nervous system.
Duration: 45 minutes
Restorative Yoga
Restorative yoga focuses on holding passive poses for extended periods, promoting relaxation and reducing stress by engaging the parasympathetic nervous system.
Duration: 45 minutes
Restorative Yoga
Restorative yoga focuses on holding passive poses for extended periods, promoting relaxation and reducing stress by engaging the parasympathetic nervous system.
Duration: 45 minutes
Veterans
Cost - £23 per couple
Number of places available - 24 fixed couples
Completely levelling out the playing field, this category is THE ONE to sign up for if you’re fed up with the youngsters stealing the lime light. It gets highly competitive and is a great showcase for the age group.
This category is for couples where BOTH participants in the partnership are 50 years of age or older (if you are within days of turning 50 before the event, we maybe able to make an exception, please contact us).
Proof of age may be required.
Competition Rules
1) Only Amateurs may participate in Veterans, no professionals.
2) Couples will dance to music chosen by the organisers. This could be anything from 40's to current day chart music.
3) All judging will be by points system. Dancers are encouraged to dance to all tracks in their round. Qualifying dancers will be asked back to the next heat/round. All judges decisions are final.
4) Points in the Veterans category are awarded for style, musical interpretation, synchronisation of the couple, quality of dancing and dress of the couple rather than the complexity of the movements and links.
5) No Aerials or airsteps of any kind are permitted in the category. Attempting these moves will mean instant disqualification.
6) Couples are permitted to perform dips, leans and drops (although no points are awarded for them), so long as one of the ladies feet stays in contact with the floor at all times, otherwise it will be counted as an airstep.
9) Partners must not break contact/handhold for more than 8 beats.
Extra notes
Ceroc Devon reserve the right to change the programme and competition if necessary without consultation.
The event will be recorded in full and photograph, these maybe used by Ceroc for promotional purposes.
The organisers accept no responsibility for injury to person or possession in relation to this event.
There will be no refund for entrants who pull out of this category beforehand.
Restorative Yoga
Restorative yoga focuses on holding passive poses for extended periods, promoting relaxation and reducing stress by engaging the parasympathetic nervous system.
Duration: 45 minutes
Dance Battle
Maximum 12 Fixed Couples in each rank (12 intermediate, 12 advanced, 12 open)
Price per couple - £8
Enter as a couple, and dance battle against another couple. Selected in a random order, 2 couples will have 30 seconds to show their best to the judges, at the end of 30 seconds, the judges will send off 1 couple, the remaining couple will dance again against the next in line. Last couple standing WINS!
Competition Rules
1) Intermediates, Advanced and Open have their own categories, therefor each couple must be made of 2 people in those categories.
2) Judges will award points for style, innovation, musical interpretation, quality of dancing and synchronisation of dancers rather than the number/difficulty of moves and links.
3) Airsteps/Aerials (lifts, jumps and acrobatic moves), will not be permitted at all in any rank.
4) Couples will be randomly selected and lined up at the start of the heat, the first 2 couples will dance. The judges will send off 1 couple, the remaining couple dances again with the next couple in-line. The last remaining couple WINS!
5) Judges decisions are final and immediate, by show of handheld scorecards for Couple 1, or Couple 2.
6) Couples entering may only get to dance for 30 seconds if they are sent off straight away. Only 2 couples will be dancing at a time!
Extra notes
Ceroc Devon reserve the right to change the programme and competition if necessary without consultation.
The event will be recorded in full and photograph, these maybe used by Ceroc for promotional purposes.
The organisers accept no responsibility for injury to person or possession in relation to this event.
There will be no refund for entrants who pull out of this category beforehand.
People's Choice Award
Cost - FREE
Available Spaces - unlimited within sensible reason
This competition takes place at 10pm on the Friday night Warm Up Freestyle. Anyone who wishes to enter will come onto the floor with their fixed partner when Ivan announces so. We will have a selection of random dancers picked to judge who will then each pick 1 couple who will go through to the final. The chosen couples then dance in the finals and the winning couple will be those who get the loudest cheer from the crowds (measured via decibels).
1 round, 1 final, 1 winning couple
Competition Rules
1) This category is open to all, amateurs and professionals.
2) Any couple goes, but no threesomes (tag or double trouble).
3) No dance numbers needed.
4) Judges will be picked at random from the crowd.
5) Judges will NOT award points for dress and presentation.
6) Airsteps, (lifts, jumps and acrobatic moves), will not be permitted. Disqualification from the competition will be automatic should a couple attempt these moves.
7) No extra points will be awarded for drops but they will be permitted provided that one of the lady's feet remains in contact with the ground. Otherwise the move will be defined as an airstep. Please agree beforehand with your partner if you agree to any kind of dip, drop or lean.
8) There is no age limit in this category.
Extra notes
Ceroc Devon reserves the right to change the programme and competition if necessary without consultation.
The event will be recorded in full and photographed, these may be used by Ceroc for promotional purposes.
The organisers accept no responsibility for injury to person or possession in relation to this event.
There will be no refund for entrants who pull out of this category beforehand.
Dancer's of the Day
In 2023 we are changing Grand Masters to 'Dancer of the Day. This will be the lead and follow who reaches the most finals through out the day and has shown great competition spirit across all their dances!
Competition Rules
1) The Lead and Follow who reach the most finals of the day will be crowned Lead and Follow of the Day.
2) If there are most than 1 dancer with the highest number of finals, then the shortlist will be given to the judges to decide, if a tie still happens the decision is made finally by the head judge.
3) All categories with a final are eligible (this means Team Cabaret and Showcase are omitted)
4) Judges decisions are final
5) Winners will receive a medal, trophy, and have their names on the SWCC Plaque
Ceroc Devon reserve the right to change the programme and competition if necessary without consultation.
The event will be recorded in full and photograph, these maybe used by Ceroc for promotional purposes.
The organisers accept no responsibility for injury to person or possession in relation to this event.
There will be no refund for entrants who pull out of this category beforehand.
A must read for all competitors
Last Chance To Dance - By Jen Eddy
Cost - FREE
Anyone can enter - limited spaces on the day - drawn at random
Jen Eddy is the only judge who has judged at ALL 10 South West Ceroc Champs, we always joked that if she made it the 10th then we'd give Jen her very own category and here it is!
Didn't make it to the final? Don't hang up your dance shoes yet! You can still be in with a chance to make it onto the floor with your "Last Chance To Dance".
When entering online tick the "I want to be entered" then if it happens that you do not make it to a final in any of your entered categories, then you'll be in with a "Last Chance To Dance".
Picked at random, you'll be paired with a judge for 1 last final. If selected at random, you and the judge you've been paired with take to the floor with all the other judge/last chancers couples to dance one last dance!
There's no pressure, no judging and no points awarded - just an added bonus on your day!
Music is selected by Jen herself!
Ceroc Devon reserves the right to change the programme and competition if necessary without consultation.
The event will be recorded in full and photographed, these may be used by Ceroc for promotional purposes.
The organisers accept no responsibility for injury to person or possession in relation to this event.
There will be no refund for entrants who pull out of this category beforehand.
Charity Entry
Cost - £2 per couple - and donations on the day
Open to all couples
To help celebrate our 10th year, we've added in a charity category. It's open to any couple, and only costs £2 per couple - although we will also be fundraising on the day.
Remember Musical Statues? That's what this round is...couples will enter the dance floor, and start dancing, judges will be walking around trying to catch couples who don't stop when the music does. When the DJ stops the music, you have to stop dancing. If you're tapped by a judge, you're out. Last couple standing wins!
Read more about our chosen Charities HERE!
Ceroc Devon reserves the right to change the programme and competition if necessary without consultation. The event will be recorded in full and photographed, these may be used by Ceroc for promotional purposes. The organisers accept no responsibility for injury to person or possession in relation to this event. There will be no refund for entrants who pull out of this category beforehand.
Champions and Chill Out Champions
Cost - No extra cost, just Open entry fees as normal
Number of places available - 6
We are looking to open up a new 5th tier at the South West Ceroc Champs above the Open level we currently have. The aim of the new Champions category would be to free up the Open for couples who are Open level but have not been able to place, or make finals. By creating the Champions for couple who consistently do well in Open, we would be pitting the best against the best and creating opportunity and space for more couples to progress through Open.
Competition Rules
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The Champions and Chill Out Champions Category is open to professionals and Open level dancers.
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Competitors or partnerships from the Intermediate & Advanced level categories, will not be eligible for this catgeory.
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Drops are permitted.
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Each track will allow up to 2 major aerials or inverted moves, in addition to drops, leans, and baby aerials of any kind. (Please refer to the FAQ subsection for definitions.) Major aerials or inverted moves should not exceed 7 seconds in duration, meaning the lady’s feet should not be off the floor for more than 7 seconds from the start to the end of the move.
About the Open vs. Champions Split:
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If there are 16 or more Open-level competitors, the Open category will be split into two divisions: Open and Champions (and Chill Out Open and Chill Out Champions)
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If there are 15 or fewer competitors, we will run a single division: Open and Chill Out Open.
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Champions will consist of the top six couples, based on cumulative points at the time bookings close, this will be the lead and follow points added together to form a 'couples score' (see the points system, coming soon). The top 6 couples will be invited to join Champions.
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If a top 6 couple changes, or drops out, then the 7th couple will be invited.
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Any Open entries received after bookings close will remain in Open, regardless of points.
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Open and Chill Out Open will be run on a knockout basis as normal: your score in each round determines whether you progress.
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Champions will be judged over three rounds with NO knockout, contributing to your final score as follows:
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Round 1: 25%
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Semi Final 25%
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Spotlight (and All Skate): 50%
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Extra notes
Ceroc Devon reserve the right to change the programme and competition if necessary without consultation.
The event will be recorded in full and photograph, these maybe used by Ceroc for promotional purposes.
The organisers accept no responsibility for injury to person or possession in relation to this event.
There will be no refund for entrants who pull out of this category beforehand.
Over the past few years the Ceroc Champs Series has continued to grow, with some Open divisions attracting very large numbers of couples. While this is fantastic for the competition scene, it can also create challenges in ensuring that competitions remain fair and enjoyable for dancers at all levels.
To help manage this growth, we are introducing a Champions division within the Ceroc Champs Series.
To support this, we have introduced a ranking points system based on results from Ceroc Open and Ceroc Open Chill-Out competitions over the past three years. Points are awarded based on competition placement and the size of the category creating an overall ranking for Open competitors. These rankings are then used to determine which couples will move into the Champions division when an Open category becomes large enough to require it. By taking each individual score and adding the couples score together - you have your couples score.
The system is designed to reward consistent performance across multiple events, while keeping the pathway between Open and Champions levels clear and transparent.
Most competitors will continue to compete in Open exactly as before. The Champions division will only apply to the small number of couples who have consistently placed highly in Open competitions.
Chill Out and Regular Open points are different, and while you may make one you may not qualify in the other.
The latest points relevant to the next competition will be displayed here.
