A dance competition syllabus doesn’t score every class the same way. Walk into a typical private dance challenge — the kind run by an independent competition organiser rather than a nonprofit eisteddfod society — and you’ll usually find two different scoring systems running in the same event, sometimes on the same day: some classes are marked against a fixed percentage scale with no ranking at all, others are purely placed first-to-last with no marks shown, and some produce both a placing and a separate medal grade from the same score. If you’re setting up a dance competition and wondering which model to copy, here’s how real syllabuses actually do it.
Two different “classes” of class: syllabus and open
Many dance competitions split their programme into two distinct kinds of class, and each is judged differently:
- Syllabus classes — tied to a recognised dance-exam level (a ballet grade, a tap or jazz level, a musical-theatre stage). A dancer may perform a routine from the level they’re currently studying, or any level below it, and the class carries a printed time limit or a fixed set dance. These classes are marked out of 100 against the examination syllabus and awarded a medal band — commonly something like 85–100 for a Gold Medal, 70–84 for a Silver Medal, and a Certificate below that — with no placings and no points for the band itself.
- Open classes — solos, duos/trios and group routines in named genres (contemporary, jazz, tap, hip-hop and so on) with no exam level attached. Many syllabuses print no mark bands, scoring criteria or percentages for these at all — just a result.
The organiser’s job is to know, class by class, which model applies — because “no scoresheet printed” doesn’t mean the competition forgot to publish one; for some classes it is the rule. A platform that forces every class into one scoring template will either invent bands nobody asked for, or fail to produce the medal certificate families expect.
Placings-only, with zero points
A second real-world pattern skips grading altogether: First, Second and Third receive an award (a medal, a trophy, a studio’s own custom prize) and a Highly Commended goes to the next placegetter, decided purely by how many dancers entered that class — with zero points attached to any of it. There’s no percentage, no band, nothing to tabulate except the order itself. It’s the simplest possible output a dance competition can produce, and it’s common at single-day, single-venue events run by an independent organiser rather than a multi-week society circuit.
Both at once: a placing and a medal band from the same score
The structurally interesting case is the competition that produces two outputs from one judged score. A dancer’s routine is marked out of 100 across a small set of weighted dimensions — technique, performance, musicality, choreography and overall impression are a typical five — and that single mark then feeds two separate results: a placing against the other dancers in the class (First, Second, Third, Highly Commended, with zero points) and a percentage recognition tier printed on the certificate, graded in narrow bands from the low‑90s down through several named tiers. Two dancers can tie on the medal tier while still placing differently, and a dancer can place without the top recognition tier, or vice versa. If your platform only knows how to output one ranked list, it will quietly drop whichever half of the result the organiser actually promised.
Age divisions that read as cumulative labels
One more detail trips up anyone building this from scratch: age divisions in these syllabuses are printed as cumulative labels, not independent bands — “6 & Under” literally means ages 5 and 6 once “4 & Under” has already claimed 3 and 4; “10 & Under” picks up only 9 and 10, and so on up to an “Open” or “15 & Over” band at the top. Read the label as everyone up to and including that age who hasn’t already been claimed by a younger band — install it correctly once, and every entry sorts itself. Entry types multiply the same way: Solo, Duo/Trio (sometimes folding Quad in with no separate time allowance), Small Group and Large Group each carry their own routine time limit, and a studio can enter several teams of the same type in the same class.
What this means for setting up your event
Before you build your class list, decide — per class, not per event — whether it is graded (medal band, no placing), placed (ranking, no points) or both. On eTalenter you set this per competition item: define the mark scheme and bands where a class is graded, turn placings on where a class is ranked, and let both run together where a routine needs to produce a medal certificate and a trophy from the same judged score. Age divisions, entry types (solo through large group) and per-class time limits are set the same way a kalolsavam or school arts fest sets its own groups and items — the underlying engine doesn’t care whether the event is a Kerala school festival or a private dance challenge. For the related — but genuinely different — problem of a nonprofit eisteddfod society running hundreds of fee-paying numbered classes across an experience ladder (Novice through Open to an Elite tier), see our dance eisteddfod software guide; for the broader mechanics of categories, styles and judging panels across any dance competition, see dance competition scoring software.
Frequently asked questions
Why do some dance classes have no points at all?
Because the syllabus doesn’t print any. Many open classes are decided purely by placing — First, Second, Third, Highly Commended — with no numeric score published anywhere; a few syllabus/graded classes go the other way, printing a medal band but no placing. Don’t invent points or ranks the rules never promised.
Can one routine earn both a placing and a medal grade?
Yes, in competitions that score every entry out of 100 on a fixed rubric. That single mark can drive a ranked placing against the rest of the class and a separate percentage-based recognition tier printed on the certificate — two outputs, one score.
How should “X & Under” age divisions be read?
As a cumulative label claimed only by the ages not already taken by a younger band — “8 & Under” usually means ages 7–8 once “6 & Under” exists, not every dancer aged 8 or below. Check the full division list before assuming a single age sits in the band its label suggests.
Set up your dance competition the right way
Whether your event grades, places, or does both, eTalenter’s competition management software lets you configure scoring per class instead of forcing one model on every routine. Open a live demo and log in as a coordinator or judge — no sign-up needed — or message us on WhatsApp or support@etalenter.com and we’ll help you set up your event.
