Learn more about the different styles of competition at ISDC! Click each heading below to see the description.
Updated: May 13th, 2025
CHOREOGRAPHY
Battle of the Cities Team Division (All Styles)
Competitors will display their choreographed creativity Competitors will select their own music.Lifts, aerials, acrobatic moves, drops, slides, break-aways, switching of partners, and reverse lead/follow are all allowed, but not required. Minimum of 4 couples. Routines must be a minimum of two-minutes and a maximum of four minutes in length. Entry Fee: $100/ per team Prizes: 1st - $500 2nd – $300 3rd – $100
Open Showcase (All Styles)
This competition is open to all non-champion level dancers. This competition is for couples consisting of one Leader and one Follower performing one of the following partnered dances (Detroit Ballroom, DC Hand Dance, Lindy Hop, Bop, Zydeco, Chicago Stepping, Houston Two-Step or DFW Swingout) Routines must be a minimum of two-minutes and a maximum of four-minutes in length. Competitors select their own music. This is a SHOWCASE STYLE no-holds barred competition for above listed Partnered Swing Dances All lifts, drops, dips, aerials, airsteps and acrobatics are allowed, encouraged and expected. Limited to 12 couples. 1st – $500 2nd – $300 3rd – $200
Champions Swing Showcase
This competition is open to dancers who compete at a Chanmpions or Invitational level. Couples consisting of one Leader and one Follower performing one of the following partnered dances (Detroit Ballroom, DC Hand Dance, Lindy Hop, Bop, Zydeco, Chicago Stepping, Houston Two-Step or DFW Swingout) Routines must be a minimum of two-minutes and a maximum of four-minutes in length. Competitors select their own music. This is a SHOWCASE STYLE no-holds barred competition for above listed Partnered Swing Dances All lifts, drops, dips, aerials, airsteps and acrobatics are allowed, encouraged and expected. Limited to 15 couples. 1st – $300 2nd – $200 3rd – $100
PRO-AM STRICTLYS
Pro-Am Strictly (All Styles) Except Houston Two-Step and DFW Swingout
Instructors, Champions and Pros dance with their students. Leaders will dance with their Amateur follows. Follows will dance with their amateur Leaders. Amateurs are defined as someone with less than 3 years dance experience, has not won or placed in Pro-Am or any other ISDC category, does not compete at the Invitational level, and who does not teach dancing on a regular ongoing basis or make a significant amount of income from teaching. Only the amateur will be judged. This division is designed to highlight social dancing skills at a performance level with an emphasis on lead/follow technique. Just Dance rules apply. Music to be selected by ISDC. Entry Fee: $30/couple Prizes: 1st – $200 2nd – $100 3rd – $50
Pro-Am Strictly (Houston Two-Step)
Instructors, Champions and Pros dance with their students. Leaders will dance with their Amateur follows. Follows will dance with their amateur Leaders. Amateurs are defined as someone with less than 3 years dance experience, has not won or placed in Pro-Am or any other ISDC category, does not compete at the Invitational level, and who does not teach dancing on a regular ongoing basis or make a significant amount of income from teaching. Only the amateur will be judged. This division is designed to highlight social dancing skills at a performance level with an emphasis on lead/follow technique. Just Dance rules apply. Music to be selected by ISDC. Entry Fee: $30/couple Prizes: 1st – $200 2nd – $100 3rd – $50
Pro-Am Strictly (DFW Swingout)
Instructors, Champions and Pros dance with their students. Leaders will dance with their Amateur follows. Follows will dance with their amateur Leaders. Amateurs are defined as someone with less than 3 years dance experience, has not won or placed in Pro-Am or any other ISDC category, does not compete at the Invitational level, and who does not teach dancing on a regular ongoing basis or make a significant amount of income from teaching. Only the amateur will be judged. This division is designed to highlight social dancing skills at a performance level with an emphasis on lead/follow technique. Just Dance rules apply. Music to be selected by ISDC. Entry Fee: $30/couple Prizes: 1st – $200 2nd – $100 3rd – $50
JUST DANCE STRICTLYS
Open DFW Swingout Strictly
This will be a social dance competition open to all levels, EXCEPT inviational dancers. Dancers register as couples and will dance to music selected by ISDC. Couples will dance spotlights for 1 minute 30 seconds. Competitors will not know the music prior to the competition. This is your opportunity to show your creativity and JUST DANCE! Expected DFW Swingout content is 75%. It is at the judges’ discretion to determine that the content requirement has been met. Entry Fee: $30/couple Prizes: 1st – $200 2nd – $100 3rd – $50
Advanced DFW Swingout Strictly
This will be a social dance competition open to Advanced dancers (no invitational dancers). Dancers register as couples and will dance to music selected by ISDC. Couples will dance spotlights for 1 minute 30 seconds. Competitors will not know the music prior to the competition. This is your opportunity to show your creativity and JUST DANCE! Expected DFW Swingout content is 75%. It is at the judges’ discretion to determine that the content requirement has been met. Entry Fee: $30/couple Prizes: 1st – $200 2nd – $100 3rd – $50
Open Houston Two-Step Strictly
This will be a social dance competition open to all levels. Dancers register as couples and will dance to music selected by ISDC. Couples will dance spotlights for 1 minute 30 seconds. Competitors will not know the music prior to the competition. This is your opportunity to show your creativity and JUST DANCE! Expected Houston Two-Step content is 75%. It is at the judges’ discretion to determine that the content requirement has been met. Entry Fee: $30/couple Prizes: 1st – $200 2nd – $100 3rd – $50
Open Chicago Stepping Strictly
This will be a social dance competition open to all levels. Dancers register as couples and will dance to music selected by ISDC. Couples will dance spotlights for 1 minute 30 seconds. Competitors will not know the music prior to the competition.This is your opportunity to show your creativity and JUST DANCE! Expected Chicago-Stepping content is 75%. It is at the judges’ discretion to determine that the content requirement has been met. Entry Fee: $30/couple Prizes: 1st – $200 2nd – $100 3rd – $50
JACK AND JILL (OPEN CATEGORY)
J&J (Chicago Stepping) Open
This will be a social dance competition open to everyone except Invitational dancers. Leaders and followers will be randomly drawn to dance together to several songs of varying styles and tempos, but will be judged as individuals in the preliminary rounds. Dancers selected to dance in the finals will be randomly assigned a partner again, but will be judged as a couple as they dance in a spotlight format. Entry Fee: $20/individual Prizes: 1st – $250 2nd – $150 3rd – $100
J&J Houston (Two-Step) Open
This will be a social dance competition open to everyone except Invitational dancers. Leaders and followers will be randomly drawn to dance together to several songs of varying styles and tempos, but will be judged as individuals in the preliminary rounds. Dancers selected to dance in the finals will be randomly assigned a partner again, but will be judged as a couple as they dance in a spotlight format. Entry Fee: $20/individual Prizes: 1st – $250 2nd – $150 3rd – $100
J&J (DFW Swingout) Open
This will be a social dance competition open to everyone except Invitational dancers. Leaders and followers will be randomly drawn to dance together to several songs of varying styles and tempos, but will be judged as individuals in the preliminary rounds. Dancers selected to dance in the finals will be randomly assigned a partner again, but will be judged as a couple as they dance in a spotlight format. Entry Fee: $20/individual Prizes: 1st – $250 2nd – $150 3rd – $100
INVITATIONALS
INVITE ONLY COMPETITIONS WITH DANCERS SELECTED BY THE ORGANIZERS
Invitational Strictly Just Dance (DFW Swingout)
This will be a social dance competition for invitational dancers . Dancers register as couples and will dance to music selected by ISDC. Couples will dance spotlights for 1 minute 30 seconds. Competitors will not know the music prior to the competition. This is your opportunity to show your creativity and JUST DANCE! Expected DFW Swingout content is 75%. It is at the judges’ discretion to determine that the content requirement has been met. Prizes: 1st – $300 2nd – $200 3rd – $100
Invitational Strictly Just Dance (Houston Two-Step)
This will be a social dance competition for invitational dancers . Dancers register as couples and will dance to music selected by ISDC. Couples will dance spotlights for 1 minute 30 seconds. Competitors will not know the music prior to the competition. This is your opportunity to show your creativity and JUST DANCE! Expected DFW Swingout content is 75%. It is at the judges’ discretion to determine that the content requirement has been met. Prizes: 1st – $300 2nd – $200 3rd – $100
Invitational J&J (DFW Swingout)
This will be a fun Invitational social dance competition open to dancers selected by the organizers This will be a social dance competition open to dancers who are Lead Instructors and/or compete at a high level. Leaders and followers will be randomly drawn to dance together to several songs of varying styles and tempos and judged as a couple as they compete in spotlight format. Competitors are allowed to dance with “regular” partner (one that they dance and/or have competed with in a choreographed routine in the last 2years, Team routines do not count) if selected and will be considered “luck of the draw”. Entry Fee: Free to Invitees Prizes: 1st – $400 2nd – $200 3rd – $100
Invitational J&J (Houston Two-Step)
This will be a fun Invitational social dance competition open to dancers selected by the organizers This will be a social dance competition open to dancers who are Lead Instructors and/or compete at a high level. Leaders and followers will be randomly drawn to dance together to several songs of varying styles and tempos and judged as a couple as they compete in spotlight format. Competitors are allowed to dance with “regular” partner (one that they dance and/or have competed with in a choreographed routine in the last 2years, Team routines do not count) if selected and will be considered “luck of the draw”. Entry Fee: Free to Invitees Prizes: 1st – $400 2nd – $200 3rd – $100
Invitational J&J (Chicago Stepping)
This will be a fun Invitational social dance competition open to dancers selected by the organizers This will be a social dance competition open to dancers who are Lead Instructors and/or compete at a high level. Leaders and followers will be randomly drawn to dance together to several songs of varying styles and tempos and judged as a couple as they compete in spotlight format. Competitors are allowed to dance with “regular” partner (one that they dance and/or have competed with in a choreographed routine in the last 2years, Team routines do not count) if selected and will be considered “luck of the draw”. Entry Fee: Free to Invitees Prizes: 1st – $1000 2nd – $500 3rd – $300 (ISDC received Sponsorship for these special prizes!)