A 'Day Ticket' allow entry from '10.30am until 1am'. In other words... from the very start of the event to the very end. These are £25 each. If you are a competitor, then this is the ticket you require. If you want to spectate for the full 15+ hours, then this is the ticket you require. (You also are allowed in and out of the venue all day).

A 'Party Ticket' allows entry from ‘8pm until 1am'. These are £13 each. If you want to see the prize giving and/or want to join in the evening freestyle, then this is the ticket you require. You cannot enter any competitions if you have only purchased a Party Ticket. Note that if you purchase an evening ticket, you will not be allowed entry before 8pm.

Complete your purchase on line. Booking on line guarantees your place and is quick and easy. Decide how many tickets you require, whether you want to spectate or compete, and if competing in what categories. Then have you debit or credit card to hand and follow the booking wizard to complete your purchase. You will be finally transferred to BarclayCard Merchant Services ePDQ process for payment thereafter follow their instructions.

Whilst filling out the application form on the Ceroc Champs website you can either hit the Back button (top left hand corner of screen, green button with arrow in it) which takes you back to the previous page, or you can just close the connection. If you have been transfered to the epdq Website then a cancel button can be found when you go to the epdq website on the same page that actually makes the payment... there are two buttons - one to pay & one to cancel. The cancel button cancels the epdq transaction and returns the user to the front page of the Welsh Champs website.

If you are on line at work which goes through a server or you have your security setting too high on your computer at home you may experience problems carrying out the purchase transaction. This is because the secure connection is being blocked by the computer security. We have no control over this but advise reducing your security setting if at home and if at work trying again at home.

EPDQ who are on-line payment processing side of Barclays Merchant Services. Barclays Merchant Services are the business side of Barclays Bank which is the recognisable name of High Street Banking. Barclays Merchant Services are the organisation that provide the on-line payment infra structure for a wide range of on-line payment services, and are leaders in this field.

The on-line payment process is a secure process with Barclays Merchant Services on line service epdq. During the process the website you are directed to should have the prefix "https://www...". The 's' in https indicates that it is a secure server.

Your numbered wrist bands (and dance numbers if you are competing), will be posted to you prior to the event. If you have not received the wristbands by the date specified for receipt then please contact the Welsh Champs.

If you purchase your tickets late then you have to pick up your wristbands at the venue on the day. There will be a Pre Purchased Tickets pick up point in the front lobby when you arrive.

The numbered tickets you receive in the post are required for entry to the event. If you lose your tickets prior to the event please call the hotline and report the loss.

There is a cloakroom area downstairs below the changing room area and will be clearly signposted.  In addition both changing rooms are very large and suitable for storing a large number of coats and bags.  The cloakroom and changing rooms are NOT SECURE... repeat NOT SECURE, which means you leave your belongings at your own risk so we recommend NOT leaving any valuables here.

Bags and coats cannot be left around the venue as they represent a FIRE RISK. Any bags obstructing free passage around the venue, or piles of coats/and or clothes that may constitute a fire risk, will be removed and placed in a lost property section in the cloakrooms provided. It is possible to take your bags out of the Cloakrooms at any time which allows dancers to change before and after a competition heat. We request that everybody entering the venue leave their large bags and belongings in the cloakroom/changing rooms. We would appreciate your co-operation in this matter.

Male and female changing rooms are available. The location of these changing rooms will be indicated with signs on the day and stewards will be available to assist in locating the rooms. There will be mirrors, hanging rails and hangers so that costumes may be hung up and bags left for ease of access for competitors. These changing rooms are NOT SECURE... repeat NOT SECURE, which means you leave your belongings at your own risk so we recommend NOT leaving any valuables.

The management of the venue does not allow your own food and drink, including bottled water, to be brought into the venue. The venue management has security on the front doors and they will stop you if they think that you are bringing food and drink into the venue. A wide selection of Food and Drink is available all day at the venue and water will be provided free of charge. You can also leave and re-enter the venue at any time during the day which allows you to eat and drink in any of the many pubs, cafes and coffee shops within easy walking distance of the venue.

Your wristband will allow you to leave and come back into the event. You can do this as many times as you like during the day.

The numbers must be pinned with 4 safety pins to the back of your top. If you do not have a back to your top then they may go on the front. They must not be pinned to trousers or skirts or points may be deducted.

All Competitors taking part in the Lucky Dip need to be down on the main dance floor at 1100hrs (11.00am) where you will be allocated a partner! The first heat will start at approx. 1130hrs (11.30am). Please be there on time, men with your numbers pinned with 4 pins on your back... no numbers on front or on trousers please, and Ladies make sure you have your Pink Slip with your name filled out correctly. The Compare and Judges will sort you all into rows and into pairs, then move you around a random amount of times to mix you all up. Once you are allocated a final partner the Judges will take the pink slip from the Ladies and fill out her partner's number on it, thus confirming that partnership for this competition. Each row will then be allocated a Heat number and that will determine when you get on the dance floor to compete. You will then need to check the Results Board (which is on the back of the partitions on the ground floor at the back of the main auditorium by the double entrance to the foyer), so that you know at what time to be on the floor for your category heat.

Ladies are not allocated Dance Numbers for the Lucky Dip. They receive a pink slip with their name on it. Instructions on what to do with the pink slip are written on the back of it. Ladies need to line up on the floor with their pink slip in hand. Once they are lined up with their final partners the Judges will come around and collect the pink slips and write their partner's number on the slip. This is the partnership for the Lucky Dip. You cannot change partners. This slip is then kept safely and the couples in the final will be checked to ensure they have not swapped partners.

There are only 80 places for Ladies and 80 places for men available in the Lucky Dip Competition Category. Once the allocation for Lucky Dip is full, the next 5 applicants for Each sex are placed on the waiting list. These applicants are contacted by email or telephone to confirm their interest in going on the list. If they do not want to go on the list the Next applicant is given the opportunity. We do not guarantee a place will become available. What we do guarantee is that should a place become available then someone from The waiting list will fill it.

If you are on the Waiting List for the Lucky Dip you will need to go to the Information Point, where you will be met by a Judge who will look after you. The Information Point is situated in the foyer by the main entrance. We have a Lucky Dip Waiting list because there are invariably competitors who do not make it on time for the allocation of partners at 1130 hrs (11.30am), and we need to have even numbers of Ladies and Men in this competition category. The procedure for inclusion in the event from the Lucky Dip Waiting List is as follows:

The Waiting List normally consists of 5 men and 5 women. Each dancer on the List is given a place number in the List. Each dancer on the List is sent a slip with their name and place number on it. 'Ladies Lucky Dip Waiting List Competitor number 1', will be the first dancer to be included in the allocation of partners for the competition if there is a shortage of women, and so on. All dancers on the Waiting List must meet at the Information Point at 1115hrs. (11.15am) sharp to register with a judge. They should all have their numbered slip with them. The Ladies will be given their pink Lucky Dip slips with their names in full as required. The men must have their white dance number pinned to their backs. A judge will meet them there and take them to the side of the main stage. As the Compere requires dancers to make up the numbers in each row, he will ask the judge to provide someone from the Waiting List. The Judge will ask someone by name to join the competition. If you are not asked to join the competition then you are free to rejoin the audience. Your payment will be refunded after the event if you are not asked to join the competitors.

The rules have changed for this year. This was possible in the past but not now So you may NOT enter more than one freestyle category if you have different dance partners and you feel that your partnership suits one category better than another.

Sorry, both Partners have to be 45 years of age or over to be eligible for the ‘Over 45s' Category.

No, what you have done in other competitions has no relevance to this competition. BUT if you have been PLACED (1st, 2nd or 3rd) in the Intermediate category in any Previous Welsh Champs (2010 or 2011) then you do have to move up to the Advanced category.

Yes, if you have been PLACED (1st, 2nd or 3rd) in the Welsh Champs Intermediate competition then you are required to move up and compete in the Advanced or Open category. This applies to all the individuals that have been placed so even if you want to compete in the intermediate with another partner this is not allowed. If either partner has been placed then your coupling needs to apply for the Advanced category. Same applies to the Advanced Category. If you have been PLACED (1st, 2nd or 3rd) in the Welsh Champs Advanced Category then you have to move up to the Open Category.

Anyone who has taught more than 6 times in the previous 6 months.
Anyone who is intending to teach more than 6 times in the next 6 months.

Yes, each year a specific track will be chosen by the organisers for this category. The double trouble teams can then choreograph their routine to the music to make it more entertaining and more interesting so making it more of a spectacle for the spectators. Knowing the music prior to the event will also allow the competitors to concentrate developing the content to suit the musicality.

This synopsis is written for the competitors in a language that the ordinary dancer can understand rather than using too many technical expressions. It is meant to assist you in understanding the rules for each category by defining the criteria upon which you will be judged. It will help you to concentrate on specific aspects of the dance and hopefully pick up some tips that will give you a few more marks on the big day!!

Timing is the most important criteria in any competition. Every dancer should know what this means, and to good dancers it is a natural expression of the music. In any competition if a couple are dancing "off time" i.e. not in time with the music, then it does not matter how good everything else is, they will simply not get any marks. The music/movement synergy is the most important aspect of any form of dancing and being able to dance in time with the music is imperative. If the musical count changes within a record then the dancer needs to be able to adjust their footwork to fit in with the change in beat.

It is important to be able to listen to and dance to the particular track that is playing in your heat. "Light & Shade" is an important expression used in the dance world and is the way the dynamics of a dance can be altered to make it look more interesting, and to make a couple stand out on the dance floor. This expression in laymen’s terms means the ability to slow things down and speed them up in time with the character of the music – a freeze on a break is a good example of this.

Is very simple, has the couple made an effort with their outfits, their hair, and make-up, their overall appearance. Do they look like they are entering a competition or would they look equally as happy out for a Sunday afternoon walk in the park?

Floor presence is an important aspect of any competition if only when it makes the Judge notice you above all the other couples. Playing up to the judges, playing up to the audience, entertainment value, exuding confidence and passion, appearing to be enjoying yourselves, are all-important aspects of competing. Although at this point one must be reminded that the expressions displayed should look genuine and not forced, at the end of the day you are acting.

Not something you gain marks for, but you will undoubtedly not be marked well if you have no consideration of others on the floor. So be aware of other competitors, but still dance as if you are the only couple on the floor.

A dancer does not have to do a whole routine of the most complicated moves to look good and to gain points. Difficult moves will not win you points if the basis is scrappy. The quality of ones dancing is not only in the choreography but you must also consider its relationship to timing and technique. The way a simple turn is executed can look as good if not better than a triple spin if executed well (for example, if the ladies spare arm is used expressively; if the couple are looking up and not at the floor; if the couple are using the top of their bodies and their feet are using the floor), however a combination of more difficult moves executed fundamentally well will win you those valuable extra points.

The question to be asked is whether the couple dance as a couple, with consideration for each other, or do they dance as individuals? Does the man display the lady as a matador would his cape? Are the dancers in synchronisation with each other? Is there chemistry between them? Do they maintain good eye contact? Do you they look natural together? Are they joined by a passion for the dance? A couple that dance as if they are one will impress the judges more than to very good individuals dancing together.

This as a generic term to describe posture, framing, foot and leg action, hold and poise. Questions one can ask:
a. Are the lines created, well executed and attractive?
b. Do the dancers project themselves?
c. The using of the feet and the floor (No trotting or skipping for example; feet to be placed on the floor; all of the foot to be used, not dancing on ones toes, are all examples of use of the feet and the floor).
d. Are spare arms used and used expressively?

Innovative and difficult moves can also gain those all important extra marks, but again these moves must be danced well and must take all of the above factors into consideration, especially timing and musicality.

Lifts, Aerials and Airsteps
For the purposes of this definition Lifts, Aerials or Acrobatic moves are used as generic terms to describe partner weight-supported moves where both of one partners feet leave the dance floor due to the combined intention andwith the assistance of their partner. Any moves that the judges deem to be unsafe may earn a penalty or lead to disqualification. 'If in doubt - leave it out!'

Baby Airstep
A Baby Airstep is a lift, aerial or airstep where either one foot stays below the partner’s standing knee height, or both feet stay below the partner’s standing waist height.

Major Airstep
A Major Airstep is a lift, aerial or airstep when one foot is above the knee, and the other foot above the waist.

Inverted Moves
Any move where either dancer has their feet higher than their head will be classed as a Major Airstep.

Duration of an Airstep
A lift, aerial or airstep starts when both feet leave the ground. It finishes when at least one foot touches the ground again and supports the majority of the weight, without the intention of immediately doing another lift, aerial or airstep.

Airstep Notes
• A solo jump is not a lift, aerial or airstep as they are not partner assisted.
• Small unintentional jumps (e.g. from a drop-kick) should not be counted. (We will not disqualify someone for being enthusiastic!)
• Rebounds (where the lady lands from one lift, aerial or airstep and immediately goes into another) are not counted as separate moves. (Please note that there can be no dancing in between. The landing must be the preparation for the next lift, aerial or airstep.)
• Specific limitations are be placed on certain moves e.g. the ‘floor sweeper’ are excluded for safety reasons. If you are in doubt, contact us or leave it out.
•‘Standing knee height’ means the height of the knee when standing up straight. It does not change if you kneel down, or lift the knee in the air.

The judges are briefed on the judging criteria in each category prior to the competition heat, but one must remember that although all of the above will be taken into consideration it is the overall impression that a couple makes on the judges that will take them through to the next round.

No returns are not compulsory.

'Freezes' , or dancing at either half-time or double time is permitted providing the move still maintains the correct structure and content. For example, freezing in a Shoulderspring or adding a wiggle to the end of a Sling Shot will be permitted.

Yes the lead is allowed to spin. Even multiple spins are allowed.

No either direction is fine.

Yes multiple spins are allowed and is new for this year, as long as there is not a break in hand hold for more than 4 beats.

Yes but please refer to the Definitions section regarding Lifts and Aerials.

Yes the lead can go down on one leg.

Yes this is allowed.

Yes this is fine.

Yes single handed Basic is allowed.

1. High First and Sling shot: Can the right foot of the follow rondez out on beat 3 rather than stepping straight back?
4. Can the lead swap hands on the return?
5. Can a pause be added on beat two for the manspin and the shoulderspring?

All of the above are permitted in the Ceroc 'X' Category. Essentially as long as the move is one of the moves listed on the website and is not changed or varied in its basic form then freezes or dancing at either half-time or double time is permitted providing the move still maintains the correct structure and content.

 

Please refer to the Ceroc 'X' dropdown under the 'Categories' tab for details of which moves are included in the beginners list and also refer to the 'Definitions' dropdown for further pointers of what the judges will be looking for.

The lead and follow has to be 'demonstrated clearly' by whomever is leading and whomever is following. It does not matter who is leading as long as someone is and they are doing it clearly

"I imagined that whoever leads from the start is considered to be the lead throughout." No, this is not the case; the lead can change during the dance.