Rules & Regulations

Event Sanction

The Vancouver Open Dance Classic is sanctioned by the National Dance Council of Canada and is run in accordance with the rules and regulations of the NDCC. Everyone attending this event, whether as spectators, participants, officials, competitors, guests of the Organizer, shall be bound by NDCC and CDF rules and by participating in the Vancouver Open Dance Classic, automatically become obliged to adhere to them. Rules can be downloaded @ https://dancecouncil.ca/downloads/NDCC%20Rule%20Book.pdf

Professionals

All Canadian Professionals dancing in the Pro-am sessions must be currently registered with the CDF (Canadian Dancesport Federation), NDCA, or any other WDC Recognized organization.

Pro-Am Students

Pro-Am Students do not need to be registered with any Association. To be eligible for scholarship, the student must have a minimum of 10 Single dances in any style. Pro-Am single dance Ladies and Gentlemen students will be judged separately. Only the student is judged in single dance events. In Multi-Dance, Championships & Scholarship events, Ladies & Gentlemen students will be dancing against each other. In these competitions the student and teacher are judged as a couple. There will be no substituting of a student for another student. All CLOSED events will be invigilated.

Amateurs, Mixed-Am & Solo Individual

All Amateur Competitors must be registered with NDCC (National Dance Council of Canada) prior to the beginning of the event. All amateur competitors from out-of-country must provide proof of membership in a recognized World Dance Council (WDC) amateur DanceSport organization.

Solo, Mixed-Am, and Am-Am competitors need to enter at least 5 single dances to be eligible to participate in the Scholarship and Western Championships.

Solo Exhibition

These are individual performances choreographed to a specific piece of music. The routines are not judged against each other but are evaluated by a panel of judges are given a mark and written critique. A student may enter multiple solos with multiple teachers. Maximum 3 minutes in length including entrance and exit. All music must be provided to the organizers ahead of time. Drops, lifts and props are permitted.

Syllabus

Any recognized American style syllabus is allowed (CDF, NDCA, ARTHUR MURRAY, FRED ASTAIRE, DVIDA, CDTA, CPDDSQ, WDC, etc.). The International style syllabus should be based on the CDF, NDCA and ISTD approved syllabus. All Beginner, Bronze, Silver and Gold events are restricted to the appropriate syllabus figures as published by NDCC and CDF. All syllabus events are invigilated.

Schedule

All dancers must be ready to dance 30 minutes prior to your scheduled time. In any category with fewer than 3 entries, the organizer reserves the right to eliminate the age and sex divisions and merge competitors into one division. The organizer has the right to cancel any event.

Payments & Tickets

Please include payment with your entry. If using E-transfer please include the name of the participants in the description line. No entries will be accepted without payment. All ticket orders must be pre-paid. All competitors and teachers require an admission ticket to enter the ballroom. Late entries will only be accepted at the discretion of the organizer and are subject to a $25 late fee.

Refund Policy

There are no refunds for entry fees except for illness or physical injury. Cancellations made after October 31, 2025 will be given a credit equivalent to the amount paid toward entries for next year’s event. A service fee of $10 per event entry will be deducted. Absolutely NO REFUNDS at the event. **There are absolutely no refunds or exchanges on admission tickets**

Waiver & Liability

All professionals and students (if under the age of 18 a parent or legal guardian) must sign their entry forms to be eligible to compete. Everyone entering the event premises for Vancouver Open Dance Classic does so at their own risk. No responsibility for loss or theft of articles left in changing rooms, ballroom, or hotel room can be accepted by the organizer, or CDF/NDCC., neither can they be held liable for injury, including death, sustained by persons attending, participating, volunteering or working at the Vancouver Open Dance Classic. By entering, I agree to all of the above rules and regulations.