Lyrical/Contemporary Solo Competition: What It Is, Where It’s Run and How It’s Judged

A single dancer in the 6-and-under section performing one routine in a lyrical or contemporary style, run at three levels and placed 1st to 3rd by the adjudicator.

Lyrical/Contemporary Solo is a combined section for the youngest school-age soloists: one dancer, one piece of music, one routine that may lean towards the song-led flow of lyrical or the weight, floor work and release of contemporary. Because the two styles share so much, such as sustained lines, soft transitions, expressive faces and changes of level, the syllabus folds them into a single class at this age instead of asking a five-year-old to choose between them.

On the Dance Blitz Eisteddfod template, which this page is written from, the item is offered only in the 6 and under age section (ages 5 and 6). It is not split by style in the older sections, where Lyrical and Contemporary become two separate solo items. The section runs at three levels: Specially Restricted for dancers who have never been placed in the style, Restricted for those placed but never first in Restricted, and Open for those who have previously won Restricted. The level is a record of past results in this style, not of age.

A round is one performance of up to three minutes including tags. The dancer is announced, the music starts and the adjudicator watches the full routine before the section is placed: first place takes a trophy, second and third take a medal, given at the end of the age section. No marks or criteria are printed in the syllabus, so the template carries a default score out of 100 and does not claim a scoring breakdown. Prompting from the side is allowed at this age only, and the organiser’s other conditions apply.

For a coordinator using eTalenter the item is simple to run: register each child in the right level, order the three level groups, record the adjudicator’s mark and let the ranking give first, second and third. Boys and girls enter together and no language is needed.

Where Lyrical/Contemporary Solo is run

In eTalenter data this item appears on one template, Dance Blitz Eisteddfod, an Australian solos and duos/trios eisteddfod held in New South Wales. The combined Lyrical/Contemporary label is that organiser’s own way of grouping the two styles for the 6 and under section. A similar combined section can be seen on other Australian dance competitions, but this page claims only what the data shows.

• Australia

Key facts

• Individual entry; boys and girls compete together; no language requirement.
• Offered in the 6 and under age section only (ages 5 and 6), at three levels: Specially Restricted, Restricted and Open.
• Time limit: 3 minutes including tags.
• Placings: 1st receives a trophy, 2nd and 3rd a medal; no points are printed for placings.
• No marks or criteria are printed, so the template carries a default out of 100 and no scoring breakdown.
• Idea starters, not rules: a short routine built on one image such as a falling leaf or a wave, a piece that travels from a curled shape on the floor to a tall final pose, a gentle story told with one repeated arm phrase.

On eTalenter, Lyrical/Contemporary Solo 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, Lyrical/Contemporary Solo is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 3 minutes where a limit is set.

What judges look at in Lyrical/Contemporary Solo

What a Lyrical/Contemporary Solo panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• The syllabus prints no judging criteria for this item, so what follows is general guidance on what a lyrical or contemporary adjudicator at this age usually weighs, not a scoring table.
• Control of the line: arms, back and feet held with care, and balances and turns finished rather than abandoned half way.
• Musicality: movement that follows the phrasing and mood of the music rather than simply counting beats.
• Expression: a face and body that look connected to the piece, which is often what separates two technically similar young dancers.
• Confidence and finish: entering, performing and holding the final pose without needing to check the teacher at the side.
• Suitability: choreography and music that a five- or six-year-old can truly perform, rather than steps that look borrowed from an older section.

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

How to prepare for Lyrical/Contemporary Solo

How entrants and their teachers usually get Lyrical/Contemporary Solo right on the day:

• Check the level by past results in this style: Specially Restricted if never placed, Restricted if placed but never first in Restricted, Open if previously first in Restricted.
• Choose a piece of music with a clear, simple mood and keep the routine to one idea the child can explain in a sentence.
• Cut the music to finish inside three minutes including the entrance and tag; young dancers rarely need the full time.
• Practise the opening and closing poses as carefully as the middle, because those are the moments the adjudicator sees clearly.
• Since prompting is allowed in this age section, agree with the teacher where she or he will stand and rehearse with that set-up, but aim to need it less each time.
• Rehearse in the real costume and shoes at least twice before the day so nothing distracts the child on stage.
• Dance the routine on a large floor as well as in the studio, so the dancer learns to use the whole space.
• After the section, ask for the adjudicator’s feedback if the organiser gives it, and choose one thing to improve before the next event.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lyrical/Contemporary Solo 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.

Is Lyrical/Contemporary the same as Lyrical or Contemporary?

No. At 6 and under the organiser offers one combined Lyrical/Contemporary Solo. From 8 and under upwards the same styles are separate Lyrical Solo and Contemporary Solo items.

How long can the routine be?

Three minutes including tags, as printed for solos in the syllabus.

What are the three levels?

Specially Restricted is for dancers never placed in the style, Restricted for those placed but never first in Restricted, and Open for those who have previously been placed first in Restricted in that style.

Is there a scoring table I can prepare against?

No scoring criteria are printed. The result is first, second and third place within each level, with a trophy for first and medals for second and third.

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