GENERAL RULES
1. MDF (Moscow Dancing Festival) J&J 2025 is a competition for pair improvisation with a random partner to random music in bachata/salsa dance. This competition is held in three categories: beginners, amateurs, and professionals.
1.1 Beginners: individuals who have been dancing bachata/salsa for no more than one year;
1.2 Amateurs: individuals who have been dancing bachata/salsa for no more than three years and do not teach;
1.3 Professionals: individuals who teach or have extensive experience in bachata/salsa.
2. A participant in MDF J&J 2025 can register only in one category based on their dance experience, titles, and accolades.
3. The minimum age for participants is 18 years.
4. Registration for MDF J&J 2025 also takes place at the event venue. Registration for each category ends 30 minutes before the start of the draw for the chosen category.
5. If you fail to register within the allotted time, you will be automatically disqualified. Participation in other categories will also be prohibited.
6. Three styles of Bachata/Salsa are allowed for performance and evaluation: Traditional, Moderno, and Sensual.
7. The number of participants is limited. Each category may have up to 24 participants.
8. The competition is held among men and women dancing in a classical pairing format (man and woman).
9. The playlist featuring the songs that pairs will dance to will not be available until the MDF J&J takes place.
10. Participants accept the judges' and organizing committee's decisions as final and non-appealable. Expressions of hostility from dancers, coaches, and/or their relatives towards judges, organizers, the audience, sponsors, and/or any physical or legal entities associated with MDF are strictly prohibited. Violation of this rule will result in disqualification and removal from the MDF venue.
11. The results of voting and the jury's decision in the final are final. Once the judges have voted and conducted their final meeting, the result cannot be changed.
PROCEDURE FOR CONDUCTING THE COMPETITION:
1. Registration for MDF J&J 2025 also takes place at the event venue. You will be assigned a number under which you will perform. Registration for each category ends 30 minutes before the start of the draw for the chosen category.
2. The competition consists of three rounds: quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals;
3. In the qualifying rounds, all participants perform three dances. The duration of each performance is 1 minute and 30 seconds;
4. In the finals, each pair performs separately with a duration of 1 minute and 40 seconds;
5. In the qualifying rounds, judges give a score of 1 if they believe that a participant advances to the next round and a score of 0 if they do not. Scores are based on three criteria: technique, musicality, and artistry/image;
6. In the qualifying rounds, male judges evaluate male partners while female judges evaluate female partners. In the finals, all judges evaluate pairs by assigning places to each pair; both participants receive an overall score;
7. Partners in the finals are determined by live drawing;
EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR CATEGORIES
1. Presentation on the dance floor.
• Entrance and exit from the dance floor;
• Interaction with the audience;
• Artistry;
• Costume.
Explanation: Evaluates gracefulness of movement, emotional expression—how you stand while waiting for your turn or during composition changes—greeting the audience and judges, emotional interaction with your partner throughout the track.
2. Presentable appearance. Training attire is not allowed.
• Nice shoes: men should wear dress shoes or loafers; women should wear dance shoes;
• Presentable clothing;
• Well-groomed hairstyle; women should wear makeup.
3. Technique.
• Physical fitness;
• Quality of executed dance movements;
• Body lines and positions.
Explanation: Evaluates your physical preparedness in executing planned dance elements, endurance while maintaining "clean" movements until the end of the performance, as well as clarity and ease of execution, body positions at starting and ending points, body lines including arms and legs.
4. Bachata/Salsa Style.
The majority of movements must include the principles of Bachata/Salsa styling: principles of footwork, knees, hips, torso, and arms.
Explanation: Execution is evaluated with minimal deviation from basic techniques: gathering feet, engaged knees, pendulum and figure-eight movements of the hips and torso.
5. Interaction with Partner.
• Coordination of movements within the pair;
• Quality of leading and following by partners.
6. Musicality.
• Hitting the beat;
• Adhering to 1 and 5 in the face position;
• Correspondence between the energy of the music and the dance;
• Appropriateness of movement choices based on the theme of the music;
• Change of mood in the music;
• Hitting accents, breaks, and pauses;
• Timely and appropriate interpretation of rhythmic patterns;
• Suitability of performing movements on specific sounds;
• When the music ends, movements must also end: continuation of dancing after the track has stopped is not allowed.
Exception: Only for a logical completion of the previous element or for a bow.