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The Competition Committee agreed that:
\n\nAll references to Ceroc classes and workshops are to be removed from the current competition criteria.
\n\nOn the 12th of January the Committee announced to branch owners that as of 1st January 2015 class levels would no longer impact competition levels. This is to allow competitors to progress by merit and not be affected by which social dance class they attend.
\n\nAny dancer may attend any level of class or workshop for any length of time without affecting their competition level.
\n\nor put another way:
\n\nCeroc classes and workshops do not affect competition category entry criteria.
\n\nIn brief, here's how this change affects competitors at different levels.
\n\nBeginner competitors may attend intermediate and higher classes and still compete at beginner level.
\n\tIntermediate B competitors no longer automatically move up to Intermediate A after one year.
\n\tIntermediate A and B competitors may attend advanced classes and still compete at their respective competition level.
\n\tThere is the possibility that competitors currently above beginner level may drop to a lower level depending on criteria yet to be confirmed. This is because the above change gives rise to the following examples that you may identify with:
\n\nI moved up to Intermediate last year (or earlier) but have never competed.
\n\tI have attended some Advanced classes but have never competed because I'm nowhere near advanced!
\n\tI had to move up to Intermediate A because of the one year rule, I competed once but not surprisingly got knocked out in the first round because really I'm an Intermediate B dancer.
\n\tI'm sure you'll have a few more comments and questions but please bear with us. The Committee will be addressing these situations (aiming for Waikato 2015) but for the time being we wanted to make sure that people got the message that they can at least attend any class from now on without affecting their competition level.
\n\nThis change now means that social dance levels and competition dance levels are not the same. There is some variation in the content of Ceroc Beginner and Intermediate classes around the country, also some branches run Intromediate classes and Improver classes. This allows branches to tweak and tailor classes to suit their particular demographic such as low populations or high proportion of a particular age group etc.
\n\nBy removing the link between social dance classes and competition levels we are now unaffected by these variations and moving up competition levels is achieved solely by performance.
\n\nHowever we now need to be more specific. For example, the term beginner is now ambiguous and shouldn't be used on its own as we could be referring to either a beginner social dancer or a beginner competitor. A beginner competitor can also be an intermediate or even advanced social dancer.
\n\nUsing the 2014 moving up criteria (which may change to a points system) there are now fewer overall criteria than before to work out your competition level.
\n\nFor example, to qualify for Beginner Freestyle (as shown on the Ceroc Events website):
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You meet all of the following criteria:
\n\nYou have not attended any Ceroc classes, workshops or training higher than Beginner level prior to this competition. (Beginner Plus classes and Beginner moving up workshops are considered to be Beginner level.)
\n\tHave been dancing Ceroc for less than 12 months since your first Ceroc class.
\n\tHave never placed in any competition for any other style of Modern Jive partner dance competition.
\n\tYou also need to meet the Moving Up criteria:
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If you have placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in a graded event higher than your current level, then you will be elevated immediately to that higher level and subject to the remaining moving up criteria.
\n\tIf you have placed 1st in any graded event at a national competition then you must elevate to the next level immediately.
\n\tIf you have placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in any graded event at a regional competition then you may stay at your current level for up to 12 months.
\n\t[If you have placed 2nd or 3rd in any graded event at a national competition then you may stay at your current level for up to 12 months.]
\n\tNote that the last criteria is not shown on the website, this is an errata carried over from previous rules which is why its been added here in squared brackets here.
\n\nAs a result of the rule change for 2015, ONLY the moving up criteria apply. Fewer criteria=simpler!
\n\nThe current rules will need to be updated as a result of this change. Please note that this is my example of proposed wording and is not the final rule!
\n\n2014: To Qualify: Team routines must be danced by Beginner dancers only. Teams must have six or more Beginner dancers that are coupled up.
\n\t2015: To Qualify: Team members must be Beginner Competition dancers. Teams must have at least three couples.
\n\tCompetition Committee Members
\n\nAdam Nathanson (Wellington)
\n\tClaire Andrews (Rotorua)
\n\tMatt Robinson (Christchurch)
\n\tNikita Grindle (NorWest)
\n\tRoss Craigie (Ceroc NZ)
\n\tRoyce Lovelock (Kapiti Hutt)
\n\tTina Karl (Hamilton / Tamahere)
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