A group section for a rehearsed troupe whose routine does not fit a named dance style, judged on how well the concept, movement, timing and presentation hold together within a five-minute limit.
A miscellaneous troupe is the open class for group dance: a rehearsed act of at least four dancers whose style is not jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop or acrobatics. Typical entries are folk and cultural dance, character and novelty pieces, fusion routines that blend several styles, pom and cheer-style acts, props-led numbers and story dances. The common thread is that the troupe chooses its own idea and the panel judges how well that idea is carried out.
A routine usually starts with a clear opening picture that tells the audience what the piece is about, develops through two or three contrasting passages, and finishes on a final formation held for a clear count. Because there is no set technique to measure against, the strongest entries give each passage a purpose: a change of pace, a change of formation, a moment of unison followed by a moment of canon. Props, costume and music are part of the concept and are expected to support the dancing, not replace it.
On the entry form the act is a team in one age band. The Sydney template in the eTalenter catalogue that carries this section lists it as a team item open to boys and girls together, marked out of 100 under the label Marks, with a five-minute limit and seven age bands from 5 and under up to 15 and over. No marking criteria are printed with it, so the panel’s own sheet applies and the organiser’s notice is where to check how style, difficulty and originality are weighed.
Organisers keep a miscellaneous class so that entries that would otherwise be turned away still have a place to compete. For a coordinator the practical points are a clear programme description of each act, a firm rule on props and set-up time, and a decision on how acts that mix styles are placed if the troupe could equally enter another section.
Where Miscellaneous Troupe is run
In the eTalenter catalogue this section appears on one Australian dance template, a Sydney showcase competition with seven troupe age bands. Open or miscellaneous group classes are common in studio competitions, school dance showcases and variety festivals in several countries, usually listed beside the named-style troupe classes.
- Australia
Key facts
- Team entry for a troupe of at least four dancers, boys and girls together
- Seven age bands in the Sydney template: 5 and under, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and under, and 15 and over
- Time limit is five minutes
- Marked out of 100 (Marks); no criteria are printed in the template
- The troupe brings its own choreography, music and matching costume
- Open to styles outside the named troupe sections; whether a style is accepted is for the organiser to confirm
On eTalenter, Miscellaneous Troupe 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, Miscellaneous Troupe is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 5 minutes where a limit is set.
The scoring method the templates attach to this item, and what that scale means. The category this competition is filed under when a template is installed. Others in this category: Classical Dance, Folk Dance, Western Dance, Group Dance, Solo Dance, Cinematic Dance, Fusion Dance eTalenter matches an item to its criteria on the words in its name, and creates exactly these when the template is installed. No criteria match this name, so none are created automatically — judges score it on the event’s own criteria instead.How it is scored
Where it sits
Judging criteria installed for it
What judges look at in Miscellaneous Troupe
What a Miscellaneous Troupe panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Concept and clarity: the audience can tell what the piece is about from the opening picture to the final pose
- Execution of the chosen style: whatever the style, steps are clean, controlled and true to its character
- Unison and spacing: the troupe moves together where it should and formations stay even and well timed
- Choreography and variety: contrasting passages, clear transitions and good use of the whole stage
- Musicality: movement answers the music and the pace of the piece suits the track
- Presentation: costume, props and facial expression support the idea and the troupe commits to it from first count to last
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Miscellaneous Troupe under Scoring Setup, or start from our group dance judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Miscellaneous Troupe
How entrants and their teachers usually get Miscellaneous Troupe right on the day:
- Settle the idea in one sentence before choreographing, then test every passage against it
- Check with the organiser that the style is accepted in this section and not expected in a named troupe class
- Keep props simple and rehearse carrying them on and off so set-up fits the time the organiser allows
- Count the routine aloud so changes of formation and unison moments land together
- Film the troupe from the front to check spacing, lines and whether the idea reads from the audience
- Cut the music to finish inside five minutes with seconds to spare and rehearse the closing picture as carefully as the opening
- Choose costumes that move with the dancers and carry spares for fastenings and hair
- Confirm each dancer’s age against the cut-off date, because the troupe is placed in a band from its ages
Ready-made templates that already include this competition. Installing one sets it up for you.Events that run this (1)
Frequently asked questions
Is Miscellaneous Troupe 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.
What counts as a miscellaneous troupe?
It is the open group class for acts that are not one of the named styles such as jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop or acrobatics. Folk, character, fusion and novelty routines are typical, but the organiser decides what is accepted.
How long can a miscellaneous troupe routine be?
Five minutes in the template that carries it. The organiser’s notice for your event is the one that counts.
Can a troupe use props?
The template does not say. Rules on props, set-up time and stage safety vary between organisers, so read the notice for your event.
How many dancers make a troupe?
At least four, as printed for the troupe sections in the Sydney template. It is a team item open to boys and girls together.
Similar competitions
Items whose names share a word with this one — usually the same discipline in another form.
Want the full judging picture? Read our group dance judging criteria guide, or browse every dance competition item.
Try Miscellaneous Troupe in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Miscellaneous Troupe, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
