Celebrate Tango Week July 19th - 25th, 2010
4th USA Championship Rules

1. Contestants of the Salon AMATEUR Category can be any couple combination of gender & level who are over the age of 18 years at the commencement of the Championship and legally in the United States and meets the definition of an amateur. Amateur Definition: (Nonprofessional) One who engages in a pursuit, study, science or sport as a past-time rather than as a profession. An amateur may be a performer, an instructor, or a professional’s assistant who does not receive any cash payment or exchange. An instructor is an individual who provides dance education.
   Professional Definition: is an individual who has declared him or herself a professional in writing, and or verbally or one who has performed or instructed for a fee. One who uses his or her Tango dance skills in order to receive monetary gain as a full or part time occupation
2. Any contradiction in the data supplied shall result in a disqualification or a penalty by the Judging Panel or The Producer i.e. if any evidence or indication of professional status of either partner of the couple arises and proven to the Producers’ satisfaction their entry will automatically be transferred to the Open category. If they are already entered in the Open category they have a choice to transfer to the stage category or lose their entry.
3. Competitors must provide as part of their Official Entry a photocopy of valid documentation that certifies their legal presence in the USA at the time of the Championship
4. Official signed Entry Form of each of the participants shall signify their knowledge of, and agreement to the event & relevant category rules.
5. All contestants must be registered and ready before each of the Championship events begins. You will be given locations, times and dates after registration.
6. A minimum of 5 couples is necessary for an Official Salon AMATEUR Category. If less than 5 couples enter the AMATEUR Category will be at the discretion of the Producer
7. Official Salon Amateur first place couple shall be awarded a trophy, medal and the option to enter the Open Salon Category for Free. Second and third place winners will be awarded medals and fourth, fifth and sixth will receive ribbons. All competitors & semi-finalists will be awarded a certificate of participation or achievement.
8. The Judging Panel, composed of at least three judges or any odd number, one of whom will be the Head Judge, shall be appointed by the Producer.
9. All decisions by the Judging Panel are final and cannot be appealed. It is implicit and binding that participants have agreed to this condition when signing the official entry form.
10. Contestants will dance as many qualifying rounds (3 tangos per round) as decided by the judging panel based on the number of contestants,
11. The judging panel will then select the semi-finalists who will dance as many rounds (3 tangos) as decided by the judging panel to determine the finalists & the winners. See entry confirmation or Championship schedule for semi-final and final dates and times. (Scheduled to all occur Thursday evening). Subject to change.
12. Scores of each presentation are drawn from the sum of points allocated by each Judge on a 1 to 10 point scale according to the 6 points below.
13. The Judging Panel is judging 6 different areas:
    a) musicality
    b) circulation around the floor - Couples shall constantly move counterclockwise in the line of dance and shall avoid remaining in the same place or traveling against the line of dance in a clockwise direction in order to avoid interrupting the dance circulation.
    c) walking style
    d) consistency of the close embrace - The close embrace definition:  the leaders right forearm and hand are in contact with the followers ribcage and back. The followers left arm and hand are in contact with the leaders right arm and ribcage or shoulder. The followers’ right hand or fingers and the leaders left hand are in contact. The front of the leaders and followers bodies are close or in contact. The close embrace consistency is: once formed the spacing between the partners’ bodies must be consistent for the duration of the song. The embrace can adjust subtley to accommodate the movements by flexing or extending the elbows, and the leaders right arm and hand can slide no more than half the width of the followers back without losing contact. The followers may not move their hand or arm positions.
    e) harmony & connection between the couple
    f) dress & presentation (men are expected to wear a jacket and tie)
14. Both dancers must keep their feet in contact with the floor except for taps or boleos. In the case of a boleo no dancer may raise his/her foot above the knee line.
15. The couples score will be penalized for the use of Ganchos, leaps, Trepadas (lifts) and any other typical tango stage choreographic moves.
16. Dancers may perform any other figures commonly used, including Barridas, Sacadas, Volcadas, Colcadas & Enrosques as long as the distance between partners does not change, the embrace is not broken and the feet are not lifted from the floor.
17. The Judging Panel or the Producer shall be entitled to disqualify participants from the competition for any noncompliance with rules, loss of ethics or any improper act that causes physical harm or may tarnish the Judging Panel’s, Sponsors, The Producers or Championship image. Any disqualified Participant forfeits their entry fee and any prizes and titles.
18. Only theJudges and the coordinator shall have access to the judging marks until placements have been arrived at and results have been announced. Thereafter only the Final total score for each couple for that category event will be available to the contestants.
19. There is to be no communication between the contestants and the judges during the competition. Any questions by contestants for the judges regarding their scores must be addressed only to the Head Judge and only after the finalists or winners have been announced AND within 30 minutes of the end of the Championship Event. Any subsequent inquiry or challenge concerning the placements must be addressed in writing only directly to the head judge or the Producer.
20. Competitors shall conduct themselves in a Civil and sportsmanlike manner, competitors shall not harass or challenge any judge about their markings, during or after that event.  The final decision of any challenge is in the hands of the Head Judge.
21. Any derogatory, defamatory, liable or inflammatory statements in writing or verbally by any competitor at any time regarding the organizer, organization, a judge, judging or Sponsor of the Championship will be addressed in a legal manner. Any awarded titles, prizes can be withdrawn and future entries of said competitors declined at the discretion of The Producer or the Judging panel.