Special Needs Solo Competition: What It Is, Where It’s Run and How It’s Judged

A short solo section for dancers with special needs, open to both age groups on the template, scored out of 100 and placed in a skill-level band.

Special Needs Solo is a dedicated class that lets a dancer with special needs perform on a competition stage in a section of their own, rather than being measured against dancers in the standard solo divisions. The performer appears alone, presents one short routine and receives a written critique and a score from the adjudicator, exactly as in any other solo.

On the Time to Shine Dance Competitions template, which this page is written from, the section is offered in two age groups, Juniors 12 and under and Seniors 13 and over, to boys and girls together, and is entered as an individual. The routine is limited to a maximum of two minutes, the same limit as My First Time Ever Onstage, Parent and Child and Student Choreography. The template prints no list of styles and no definition of who qualifies, so the organiser should state the eligibility wording and any accepted genres in the event information.

A round follows the usual solo pattern. The dancer is announced, the music starts and the adjudicator writes a critique while watching the full routine. The mark is out of 100 across the five lines shared by every item on the template: Technique 40, Stage Presence 25, Execution of Performance 20, Choreography 10 and Overall Appearance 5. The total places the entry in a skill-level band: Platinum Plus from 97, Platinum 93-96, Double Diamond 87-92, Diamond 80-86, Emerald 70-79 and Ruby 60-69. Several dancers can reach the same band, so the emphasis stays on personal achievement.

Organisers add a section like this so that every dancer in the community has a place on the programme. It is short, uses the same transparent score sheet as the rest of the event and gives families a written critique to keep. In eTalenter it is run like any other solo: register the dancer in the correct age group, record the adjudicator’s mark out of 100 and the band follows from the score. Whether any adjustments to stage access, music cues or helpers are allowed is not printed on the template, so the organiser should agree these with families beforehand.

Where Special Needs Solo is run

In eTalenter data Special Needs Solo appears on one template, Time to Shine Dance Competitions, an Australian multi-location dance competition series. Inclusive or open-ability classes exist in dance, music and speech festivals in many countries, but this page describes only what that template prints.

• Australia

Key facts

• Individual entry; boys and girls compete together; no language requirement is printed.
• Two age groups on this template: Juniors 12 and under and Seniors 13 and over.
• Time limit: a maximum of two minutes per routine.
• Scored out of 100: Technique 40, Stage Presence 25, Execution of Performance 20, Choreography 10, Overall Appearance 5.
• Result is a skill-level band (Ruby 60-69 up to Platinum Plus 97 and above) with a written critique, not a first, second and third placing.
• Routine ideas, not rules: a favourite-song jazz or lyrical piece, a simple tap sequence, a short character dance with a clear story, a ballet or modern routine built around movements the dancer enjoys.

On eTalenter, Special Needs 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, Special Needs Solo is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 2 minutes where a limit is set.

What judges look at in Special Needs Solo

What a Special Needs Solo panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• Technique (40): the dancer’s own best skills shown cleanly, such as balance, control, timing and line, judged against what the routine sets out to do rather than against difficult tricks.
• Stage Presence (25): confidence, connection with the audience, expression and a clear start and finish pose.
• Execution of Performance (20): staying with the music, completing the routine and recovering calmly from any slip.
• Choreography (10): a routine that suits the music and the dancer’s strengths, with a clear beginning, middle and end inside two minutes.
• Overall Appearance (5): a comfortable, neat costume that suits the style and lets the dancer move freely.

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

How to prepare for Special Needs Solo

How entrants and their teachers usually get Special Needs Solo right on the day:

• Build the routine around movements the dancer performs confidently and enjoys, then add a clear starting position and ending pose.
• Time the routine against a stopwatch and trim it to fit two minutes with a few seconds to spare.
• Practise the walk on, the start of the music and the finish so the dancer knows exactly what to expect on stage.
• Rehearse in the real costume and shoes at least once so nothing feels unfamiliar on the day.
• Ask the organiser in advance about stage access, music cues and whether a helper may wait at the side, since the template does not print these.
• Keep a labelled spare copy of the music on a second device.
• Read the written critique together afterwards and pick one thing to build on before the next event.

Frequently asked questions

Is Special Needs 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.

Who can enter Special Needs Solo?

On the Time to Shine template it is offered to Juniors 12 and under and Seniors 13 and over. The template does not print a definition of eligibility, so check the organiser’s own wording.

How long can the routine be?

A maximum of two minutes on the Time to Shine template. Other organisers set their own limit.

Do I get a placing or a band?

A band. The 100-mark total places the entry from Ruby up to Platinum Plus with a written critique, and several dancers can share a band.

Which dance style should be chosen?

The template prints no list of styles for this section, so the choice is the entrant’s. Choose the style the dancer enjoys most and ask the organiser if any style is not accepted.

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