Rules & Regulations

1. Scheduling & Performance Rules

• Events can run 1–4 days. Kick It Up reserves the right to add or subtract days due to entries received.

• Kick It Up reserves the right to move a competition location or date, or cancel an event due to unforeseen circumstances.

• Competitors must compete on their scheduled day and time.

• Competitors should be ready to perform 1 hour before their scheduled time.

• A competitor making a second attempt at a performance may be adjudicated, but will no longer be eligible for overalls. Novice and Playhouse classifications are excluded from this rule.

• No routine may dance more than 2 times, regardless of classification.

2. Backstage & Theatre Etiquette

• Only teachers and studio-approved prop assistants are allowed backstage. All others will be asked to sit in the auditorium.

• Dancers are only allowed backstage when their routine is performing within the next 3–4 numbers.

• Do not enter the theatre in the middle of a routine. Please wait until a routine is completed to find a seat, to minimize distractions for adjudicators, photographers/videographers, and performers.

• No smoking, drinking or eating is allowed in the competition area. Please keep debris to a minimum in change rooms, rehearsal halls, and audience areas.

3. Photography, Media & Privacy

• Photography and videography are strictly prohibited during performances. All Kick It Up events have an open-door policy, and the attendance of our audiences cannot be monitored.

  • To keep young performers photographically safe, this rule will be strictly enforced by all Kick It Up staff. Failure to comply may result in disqualification.

• All participants will receive professional photos and videos of their routine free of additional charge.

• By entering the competition, dancers, parents, teachers, and directors give permission to Kick It Up to use photos and videos for advertising or promotional materials.

4. Eligibility & Classification

• The general guideline for ‘Small Studios’ are studios with 80 entries or less. 

5. Content & Artistic Guidelines

• Family Friendly Policy: Kick It Up is dedicated to providing an environment that is family friendly. Movements, music, and costuming must be age-appropriate and suitable for family viewing. If a routine is considered too suggestive or inappropriate, mark deductions will be taken.

• Themes such as suicide, domestic violence, rape, murder, sex, and eating disorders presented without artistic discretion are considered inappropriate. Each instance will be assessed individually, as this is a sensitive and subjective matter.

6. Liability & Safety

• Kick It Up will not be held liable for any damages, loss, or personal injury that a competitor or spectator may sustain while participating in any activity connected with the competition or host facility.

• Teachers and studio directors are responsible for ensuring that all tricks and movements performed are technically appropriate for each dancer’s ability.

• Kick It Up and its host facilities will not be held responsible for any injury sustained during a performance. All dancers compete at their own risk.

• Studio directors must ensure that each dancer's parent/legal guardian completes the waiver form on the 'Dancer Waiver Form' tab of the website. Failure to do so may result in disqualification.

• Kick It Up makes every effort to align with reputable vendors at all events. However, Kick It Up is not responsible for unfulfilled vendor orders that result in financial loss.

7. General Policies

• All rules and regulations will be evaluated and enforced on an individual basis, based on what is deemed most appropriate for all parties involved.

• Rules and regulations are subject to change at any time without notice.