SHOWDANCE

Show Dance in the broadest sense is based either on any Jazz/Lyrical, Ballet and/or Modern and Contemporary dance technique.    Other dance disciplines can also be incorporated but cannot dominate.   The dancer's personal interpretation should be clearly evident when using any of these disciplines or styles.   Show Dance allows the use of lifts (except for Children), acrobatics, props, lip-sync and other theatrical effects.   All Show Dance presentations shall be based on a concept, story, theme or idea. There must be a title of the Show. The concept, story, theme or idea must be fully understandable and will be expressed by means of dance movements that adhere to the piece being presented, along with being creative, imaginative and original. The piece must have Show Value and entertain the audience.   

Acrobatic movements are permitted as outlined in General Provisions of Performing Arts. Acrobatic movements will be evaluated under show criteria and must never dominate and must be in harmony with the idea or theme. Stage props are permitted as outlined under General Provisions of Performing Arts. Musicality, variety of dance and patterns, originality, total performance and individual choreography will be evaluated. It is very important to present harmony of idea, music, dance, choreography, costume and props in the presentation, as the entire image will be used in evaluating the performance.  

See an example HERE and HERE and HERE

The difference between Show Dance and Jazz is very difficult, but not impossible, to define. Jazz Dance styles range from the early 1920s to the present, and most Jazz Dance pieces are created using pure dance without consideration to theme or story. This is an ever-evolving Performing Art dance, and one could very readily argue the point that all of the Street dances contain some elements of Jazz. How do we draw the line between Jazz and Street Dance? Definitely the music. The music dictates the style. Does that mean that Hip-Hop or Break Dance music cannot be used in a Jazz piece? No, because the style of the dance dictates what discipline it actually is. Therefore, a Jazz Dance piece can be done to Hip-Hop, Break Dance or Electric Boogie music, but never a Hip-Hop, Break Dance or Electric Boogie to Jazz music. Since there is no specific style of music identifiable as Jazz Dance or Show Dance, music cannot be used to determine if the discipline is correct. However: the difference in styles can be used to make this determination. Although Show Dance pieces may be based on a theme or story, there are many variables that exist. A Show Dance piece can be based on emotions, color and design, or even one word, such as ‘devastation’ or ‘jubilation.’ Jazz Dance does not have to convey any of the above criteria, and may be done based on pure dance only. For instance, a piece danced to ‘Bolero’ might be based on movement formation, color and costume. Another piece danced to the same or different music might be built on a theme of floating dancers, be enhanced by costume de- sign and originality, and feature terrific use of the music. Would a piece danced to ‘Bolero’ do well in a Jazz Dance competition? The answer to that would be in the eyes of the beholder, but a strong Jazz Dance piece would certainly give such a piece a run for its money if the former was not based on true Jazz technique.

Lyric or Modern may be the base technique for either Show Dance or Jazz Dance. It all depends on how much of a ‘show’ the piece really is. A straight lyric piece, performed in a Show Dance division to Whitney Houston, without a theme or story line, would not do very well, because the show value of the 4-D system would receive a low mark. When judging an IDO competition where the 3-D system of separate evaluations is used for technique, composition and image, the show quality of the routine may enter into all three of these separate dimensions. The ability to use technique to enhance the theme or story being told is very important. The choreography and the way the dancer performs it must be of show quality, and the image that the dancer creates is also very important to the show value of a given piece. But Adjudicators should not be influenced by the show value of a Jazz Dance routine. Their marks for technique should be based purely on technique, choreography purely on choreography, and image marks should be based on the total look of the performer