Fierce Title Competition: What It Is, Where It’s Run and How It’s Judged

A solo title award for dancers already entered in a studio dance competition, marked out of 100 on technique, entertainment value, stage presence, choreography and costume, with a separate award in each age division from 4 and under to Open Age.

A title award is a prize layered on top of a solo, not a section of its own. At the studio dance competition that carries this item, a dancer who is already entered in a solo can add the title as an extra, and the panel scores the title routine at the same time as the solo. The rules call the award a Miss or Mr title, depending on the dancer. Because eTalenter records gender on each entry and not in the item name, it is installed once as Fierce Title and open to boys and girls together.

What makes it different from an ordinary solo class is the emphasis. A normal routine in this competition is marked mostly on technique, with technique worth 40 of 100 points. The title is marked on a wider idea of the performer: technique drops to 30, and a heading for overall entertainment value is added at 20, alongside stage presence 20, execution of choreography 20 and costume 10. A dancer with a very clean routine can still lose the title to a performer who holds the room better.

A round looks the same as any solo on the day. The dancer is called in programme order, performs to recorded music, and the panel scores live. Nothing extra is staged: the title sits on top of the solo, which is why the rules treat it as an add-on registered with solos. The award is offered in nine age divisions, from 4 and under up to 19 and under, plus Open Age, so a young dancer competes for the title against dancers of a similar age and not against teenagers.

Organisers run a title award because it gives every age division a clear headline winner, which is easier to announce and to celebrate than a long list of section results. For a coordinator the practical points are how entries are linked, so that a title entry always has a solo behind it, how the extra fee is collected, and how the title scores are kept apart from the solo scores when both are marked in one performance.

Where Fierce Title is run

In the templates eTalenter holds, the Fierce Title is part of one Australian studio dance competition, which runs a regional series with twelve performance categories, three levels and age divisions for every entry size. It is one of three solo awards in that competition, next to Champion Dancer and Fierce Ultimate Dancer. Studio competitions elsewhere often offer a title, overall champion or entertainer award on top of their sections, but the name, the marking and the age bands differ from event to event, so always follow the syllabus of the competition you are entering.

• Australia

Key facts

• Individual: a solo performer, registered as an add-on to a solo entry and judged at the same time as that solo
• Open to boys and girls together; the source calls it a Miss or Mr title and eTalenter installs it as one gender-neutral item
• Nine award divisions by age: 4 and under, 6 and under, 8 and under, 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under, 16 and under, 19 and under, and Open Age
• Scored out of 100 per judge: technique 30, overall entertainment value 20, stage presence 20, execution of choreography 20, costume 10
• The source prints no time limit for the title routine, so none is set in the template; check the syllabus and the entry form for the running time
• Not the same as Champion Dancer or Fierce Ultimate Dancer, which are separate solo sections with their own entry and their own marking

On eTalenter, Fierce Title is filed under Dance and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.

Across the templates that use it, Fierce Title is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100.

What judges look at in Fierce Title

What a Fierce Title panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• The criteria below are as printed for this competition’s title award, out of 100 points per judge, scored by a panel. The advice under each heading is general guidance, so check the syllabus of your own event
• Technique, 30 marks: the largest heading but a smaller share than in a normal routine. Clean lines, balance, turns that finish on the beat and secure footwork still decide a close result, but technique alone will not win the title
• Overall entertainment value, 20 marks: the heading that separates the title from a standard solo. It rewards a routine that an audience would want to watch twice, with a clear idea, variety of pace and a moment that makes the room react
• Stage presence, 20 marks: eye line, confidence from the first step to the last pose, and the way a dancer enters, holds a pause and leaves. Marks are lost when the face goes blank after a missed step
• Execution of choreography, 20 marks: steps done as the choreographer intended, in time with the music and at the right size for the stage. Trimming a difficult trick that is not secure usually scores better than attempting it and falling
• Costume, 10 marks: a costume that suits the music and the character, fits, is in good order and stays in place through jumps and floor work. It is the smallest heading, but it is also the easiest to get fully right
• Because the panel scores the title routine and the solo in one performance, a stumble costs marks twice. Consistency from start to finish is worth more than one big highlight

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

How to prepare for Fierce Title

How entrants and their teachers usually get Fierce Title right on the day:

• Confirm in the syllabus that the title is an add-on, how the extra entry is made, and whether the title routine must be the same piece as the solo. Do this before registering, because the entry cannot always be added later
• Choose the solo you can perform best under pressure. The title is judged on the same performance, so a routine that is polished and a little simple usually beats an ambitious one that is only half secure
• Build in one clear entertainment moment, such as a change of pace, a strong accent or a surprise, rather than spreading small effects across the whole routine. Plan where the eye of the audience should go
• Practise the presence, not just the steps: rehearse the entrance, the first pose, the exit and the bow, and run the piece in full costume with the face and eye line you will use on the day
• Time the music with a stopwatch against the limit for your section. The rules print a deduction of 1 point for every 5 seconds over time, and a penalty for music with profanity, so check both before the track is submitted
• Film full run-throughs and watch them with the five printed headings in front of you. Score each one honestly, then spend the next week on the lowest heading
• After the event, ask for the written comments and compare them with the headings. Ideas, not rules: a story routine with a clear character, a light-hearted number built around one signature move, or a classical routine given a surprising finish

Frequently asked questions

Is Fierce Title judged individually or as a team?

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

What is a dance title award?

It is a special award for the best overall solo performer in an age division, scored on a wider set of headings than a normal section. In the competition that carries this item it is an add-on, registered with a solo and judged at the same time.

Can I enter the title without entering a solo?

No. The rules treat the title as an add-on registered with solos and judged at the same time, so it needs a solo behind it. Check the entry form of your own event for how the add-on is selected.

How is the title judged differently from a normal solo?

A normal routine puts 40 of 100 points on technique and 5 on overall appearance. The title lowers technique to 30, adds 20 for overall entertainment value and raises costume to 10, so showmanship counts for more than in a standard section.

Is it the same as Champion Dancer or Fierce Ultimate Dancer?

No. Both are separate solo sections with their own entry and their own age divisions. Champion Dancer is marked on the normal routine headings, and Fierce Ultimate Dancer uses its own set that puts technique and entertainment value at 25 each.

Is it for boys as well as girls?

Yes. The source names the award Miss or Mr, depending on the dancer, and eTalenter installs it as one item open to both so that a coordinator does not have to enter the same title twice.

How long can the routine be?

The source prints no time limit for the title, so none is set in the template. Follow the running time given for your solo section, and note that the rules deduct 1 point for every 5 seconds over time.

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