HAVANA CLUB SALSA CONTEST RULES:

The following rules apply to both Couples and Jack n Jill salsa contests:

1. All contestants must be amateurs. No dance professionals are allowed to enter. Individuals who receive financial compensation for teaching dance or performing dance of any form are NOT permitted.

Students who help their instructors demonstrate and assist during lessons ARE permitted. Individuals on 'PRO' dance formation teams are not allowed to enter. Individuals on Semi-Pro teams are allowed only if they did not receive financial compensation from their team.

2. For Couples Contests, all contestants will register as a couple(bring your own partner).

For Jack-n-Jill contest, all contestants will register by themselves as either a leader or follower. Contestants will randomly assigned a dance partner and then judged as a couple.

No pre-registration is required. Contestants can register at the Havana Club on Feb.9th. Contest time is to be determined.

3.  Both contests are 'Just Dance' - lead/follow formats. Choreographed routines are discouraged for the Couples Contest. Side-by-side open floor work is not allowed.

4.  No lifts are permitted. Follower must support their own weight at all times. Leverage moves are permitted(Couples Contest only).

5. Costumes are not required but encouraged for the Couples Contest. All contestants must wear appropriate attire and adhere to the dress code of Havana Club.

6. All couples must maintain basic salsa timing throughout the dance(on1, on2 etc.)

7. In the Jack n Jill contest: In the event there is an uneven ratio of leaders to followers, contestants may be required to dance more than once with more than one partner(increasing their chance of placing and winning a prize). However, a contestant may only win 1st, 2nd, OR 3rd, whichever is the highest place.

8. All winners will be decided by audience applause.

 In the event, a contest has 6 or more couples, there may be a preliminary round and finals round. All couples will dance in the preliminary round and be judged by a panel of dance professionals (professional salsa instructors). Some couples will be 'called back ' (selected to return) to dance in the 'finals' round where the audience will determine the top three placements.