Duo/Trio Competition: What It Is, Where It’s Run and How It’s Judged

A dance class for two or three dancers performing together, carried on two Australian dance templates with a three-minute limit and a mark out of 100 for each act.

A duo/trio is a short dance for two or three performers who share the stage as one act. It sits between the solo and the troupe: there is nowhere to hide, as in a solo, but the dancers also have to move together, share space and look like they belong in the same piece, as in a group. Because the act is so small, the adjudicator can see every dancer all of the time, so differences in timing, height of leg, finish of the foot or energy show up at once.

In eTalenter data the class appears on two Australian dance templates. On the first, a multi-location dance competition series, it runs as an age-based class with divisions for 6 and under, then each age from 7 to 18, plus Adult and Mature Age. The age of the act is set by its oldest dancer, there is no experience limit, and a piece may be up to three minutes. On the second, a regional eisteddfod, the duo/trio class runs by age section (3 and under up to 15 and over) with the same three-minute limit including tags, and levels that depend on earlier placings in that style.

On the series template every act is scored out of 100: Technique 40, Stage Presence 25, Execution of Performance 20, Choreography 10 and Overall Appearance 5. The series states that duo and trio dancers receive a critique, a score and a skill-level prize decided by the score band, so an act is measured against a standard rather than only against the other acts in the room. The eisteddfod template instead gives placings, with a trophy for first and medals for second and third at the end of each age section.

For organisers the class is a team item with boys and girls able to enter together and no language requirement. Register the act under its oldest dancer’s age division, record each adjudicator’s marks and let the ranking produce the result. Rules such as the experience level, what counts as a duo against a trio, or the use of props belong to the event you are running; the software records the marks and does not enforce those entry rules, so check eligibility at entry.

Where Duo/Trio is run

In eTalenter data Duo/Trio appears on two Australian templates: a multi-location dance competition series and a regional dance eisteddfod. Duo and trio classes are a regular feature of dance competitions and eisteddfods elsewhere, but this page describes only what those two templates carry.

• Australia

Key facts

• Team entry of two or three dancers; boys and girls may enter together; no language requirement.
• Time limit is three minutes on both templates; the eisteddfod counts the tags in that time.
• Series template: age divisions 6 and under, each age 7 to 18, Adult and Mature Age, set by the oldest dancer, with no experience limit.
• Series marking out of 100: Technique 40, Stage Presence 25, Execution of Performance 20, Choreography 10, Overall Appearance 5.
• Eisteddfod template: age sections from 3 and under to 15 and over, with placings (trophy for first, medals for second and third).
• Practice idea, not a rule: choose steps every dancer can do cleanly together, so the act looks matched rather than ambitious.

On eTalenter, Duo/Trio is filed under Dance and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 2 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.

Across the templates that use it, Duo/Trio is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 3 minutes where a limit is set.

What judges look at in Duo/Trio

What a Duo/Trio panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• Technique (40): the quality of each dancer’s own lines, balance, turns and footwork, since a panel can compare two or three dancers side by side at every moment.
• Stage presence (25): shared focus and energy, with all dancers committing to the same mood so no one fades into the background.
• Execution (20): unison where the steps are meant to match, and clean timing on the music; one early or late dancer is noticed immediately.
• Choreography (10): use of the space and clear relationships between the dancers (mirroring, canon, lifts of attention) so the act is more than solos performed side by side.
• Overall appearance (5): costumes that match or clearly complement each other, neat hair and grooming, and nothing that distracts from the dance.

Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Duo/Trio under Scoring Setup, or start from the full group dance judging criteria guide.

How to prepare for Duo/Trio

How entrants and their teachers usually get Duo/Trio right on the day:

• Pair dancers of similar ability and height where possible; a large gap in level makes an act look uneven whatever the choreography.
• Rehearse in a spacing line-up, then in a triangle or two-by-one, and mark the positions on the floor so the formation survives stage nerves.
• Count in with the music rather than watching each other; if every dancer knows the counts, unison does not depend on glances.
• Time the piece with the entrance, exit and any tags, and keep a margin under the three-minute limit on both templates.
• Practise recovering as a pair: agree what happens if one dancer slips so the others carry on rather than stopping.
• Film a run-through from the judges’ position and watch for dancers who drift out of line or lift their energy at different moments.
• Check the age division in advance: the oldest dancer sets it on the series template, so a trio with one older member may move up.

Frequently asked questions

Is Duo/Trio judged individually or as a team?

Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.

How long is the Duo/Trio?

On both templates that carry it the limit is three minutes. The eisteddfod template counts the tags in that time. Always check the organiser’s own rules for the event you are entering.

Which age division does a duo or trio enter?

On the series template the oldest dancer sets the division, so a duo of a nine-year-old and a twelve-year-old enters the twelve-year-old division. The eisteddfod template uses its own age sections.

How is it marked?

The series template prints a sheet out of 100: Technique 40, Stage Presence 25, Execution of Performance 20, Choreography 10 and Overall Appearance 5. The eisteddfod template awards placings.

Is it judged individually or as a team?

It is a team item: the act is scored as one performance, although the panel will notice each dancer’s technique within it.

Want the full judging picture? Read the full group dance judging criteria guide, or browse every dance competition item.