Demi Character Competition: What It Is, Where It’s Run and How It’s Judged

A ballet-based solo or group piece danced with the lightness and technique of classical ballet but the personality, story and expression of a character, such as a mischievous maid, a doll or a village girl.

Demi Character (from the French demi-caractère, “half character”) sits between pure classical ballet and full national character dance. The dancer uses ballet technique, usually in ballet shoes or soft shoes, but dresses and acts as a specific character: a doll that comes to life, a cheeky servant, a milkmaid, a toy soldier or a storybook figure. The steps stay recognisably balletic, while the mime, humour and attitude come from the part being played.

A round is a single performance on a stage floor. The dancer, pair or group is announced, the music starts, and the adjudicator watches the whole piece, writing comments and a mark as it unfolds. The piece is marked as much on whether the character is clear and consistent from entrance to final pose as on how clean the ballet technique is. Costume, props and facial expression all belong to the character, so a strong entry tells a small story in its allotted time.

In the Rise Up Dance Creative template in the eTalenter catalogue, Demi Character is the third printed genre, after Classical Ballet and National Character. It is entered as a solo in three levels (Specially Restricted, Restricted and Open) across the age divisions 6 and under to 16 and under plus 17 and over, and also as duo/trio, parent and child, troupe and school-group entries. Solos and duo/trio entries run three minutes, troupe and school sections four, boys and girls compete together, there is no language requirement, and entries are marked out of 100 under the label Marks. The syllabus it was built from prints no marking criteria, so none are installed here and the adjudicator’s own sheet applies.

Organisers keep Demi Character as its own section because the question the adjudicator asks is different from the one asked in Classical Ballet: does the dancer bring a believable character to the technique? For a coordinator using eTalenter it is entered like any other item: register each dancer or group in the right division and level, record the adjudicator’s mark out of 100, and ranking and placings follow within each division.

Where Demi Character is run

In eTalenter’s data this item appears on eighteen dance templates, among them Rise Up Dance Creative, Royale Performing Arts Challenge, The Menai Eisteddfod Dance, Tutus and Tapshoes Eisteddfod and several Australian dance challenges and eisteddfod dance sections. It is a standard section of ballet-school and eisteddfod dance syllabi in the English-speaking world, where it normally sits beside Classical Ballet and National Character.

• Australia
• United Kingdom

Key facts

• Solo, duo/trio, parent and child, troupe and school-group entries on the Rise Up template.
• Solos are split by level (Specially Restricted, Restricted, Open) and by age from 6 and under to 17 and over.
• Boys and girls compete together; no language requirement.
• Time limit in the template: 3 minutes for solos, duo/trio and parent and child, 4 minutes for troupe and school sections.
• Marks out of 100 under the label Marks; the syllabus prints no criteria, so the adjudicator’s sheet decides.
• Idea starters, not rules: a clockwork doll winding down, a market-day flower seller, a toy soldier on parade, a shy goose girl, a cheeky chimney sweep.

On eTalenter, Demi Character is filed under Dance and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 18 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.

Across the templates that use it, Demi Character is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to 2–4 minutes where a limit is set.

What judges look at in Demi Character

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

• Clarity of character: the audience can tell who the dancer is and what they want within the first few bars, and the attitude never slips.
• Ballet technique inside the role: turned-out lines, secure balance, clean footwork and control that do not disappear when the character takes over.
• Expression and storytelling: face, hands and small mime moments that carry the story without overacting.
• Musicality: movement that follows the phrasing and mood of the music, with accents landing where the character would place them.
• Costume and props: chosen to suit the character, tidy and safe to dance in, and used as part of the performance rather than carried for show.
• Stage use and finish: confident entrance, clear use of space and an ending that lands on the last note (for team entries, even patterns and everyone in the same character).

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

How to prepare for Demi Character

How entrants and their teachers usually get Demi Character right on the day:

• Choose one clear character and write one sentence about who they are and what they want; every step should serve that sentence.
• Pick music with a story or a strong mood, and edit it to the time limit so the final pose lands on the last note.
• Rehearse the ballet technique on its own first, then add the character, so neither is weakened by the other.
• Practise facial expression in a mirror and on film; the character must read from the back of the hall.
• Rehearse in the actual shoes, costume and props well before the day, including how props are carried on and off.
• Keep mime simple and purposeful; a few well-timed gestures beat constant acting.
• For duo, trio and troupe entries, give each dancer a clear role in the story and rehearse entrances and exits as carefully as the dance.

Frequently asked questions

Is Demi Character 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 the difference between Demi Character and Classical Ballet?

Classical Ballet is marked on pure technique and line. Demi Character uses ballet technique but adds a specific character with costume, mime and personality, so the performance is judged on the role as well as the steps.

Is Demi Character the same as National Character?

No. National Character is the folk or national dance of a particular country. Demi Character is a ballet-based character piece that is not tied to a nation. Check the syllabus wording for the section you are entering.

How long can a Demi Character entry be?

Three minutes for solos, duo/trio and parent and child in the Rise Up Dance Creative template, and four minutes for troupe and school sections. Your organiser’s notice is the one that counts.

Can I use props?

The template does not say. Props are common in this genre, but check your organiser’s rules and keep them safe and part of the character.

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