To educate, enable, and support people to manage dance competitions from start to finish using the Danceplace platform and certify them as a “competition coordinator” that can be hired by events to run their competitions.

The goal is to have a limited number of highly trained and skilled competition coordinators in each geographical area around the world to support their local communities and events.

This program is designed for individuals who would like to step into the dance event management profession with a specific focus on running dance competitions.

The best candidates for this program are:

• Dance instructors & organizers
• Social dancers
• Project managers with a special interest in dance

A successful candidate will have the following skills:

• Detail and process oriented
• Good with logical reasoning
• Highly disciplined and motivated to work under tight deadlines and pressure

This program will teach you about:

• Different types of dance competitions
• Popular competition scoring methods including relative placement
• Orientation to sanctioned contests by BZDC and WSDC
• General workflow and activities of a dance competition
• Pre-event coordination and setup
• On-site coordination and workflow
• Post-event wrap-up and closing

Teaching how to judge is beyond the scope of this program.

1. Module 1: Fundamentals of Dance Competition Scoring
2. Module 2: Competition Scoring (Jack & Jill )
3. Module 3: Digital Scoring (Jack & Jill)
4. Module 4: Competition Variations (Strictly, Solo, Routines, Teams, Multi-Criteria Scoring)

Participants must complete modules sequentially.

The course is offered online through the Danceplace platform. Participants can apply and once approved, they can register and go through the following learning phases:

1. Self Learning: Read the materials and watch the videos
2. Webinars: Participate in training webinars
3. Practical: Hands on experience in working with the software to run a contest
4. Evaluation: Pass a written and practical examination

Candidates will complete an online application form and provide their background in dance and other relevant skills. An important component of the application focuses on the motivation behind taking the program and evidence of commitment to complete it.

Danceplace will evaluate applications within two weeks of submission. Once approved, the candidate will be enrolled in one of the two annual cohorts staring in February or July of each year.

There is a demand for limited numbers of candidates in each geographical area in the world. Danceplace will enroll the candidates that best match the selection criteria. Candidates can apply only once in a calendar year.

After the completion of the learning phase, participant’s knowledge and skills will be evaluated. Danceplace will offer necessary coaching and feedback to ensure candidates obtain required skills to pass the evaluation phase.

After completing the program, each candidate will be carefully coached and shadowed for their first two competitions to ensure the knowledge gained is put in place correctly for a successful result.

Participants that successfully complete the program will become a Certified Competition Coordinator. They will:

• Be listed on the Danceplace official Certified Competition Coordinators’ page
• Receive support from Danceplace to manage competitions, as needed
• Receive a Danceplace t-shirt
• Get referred to Danceplace customers looking to hire competition coordinators
• Have access to online material to refresh their knowledge and stay current
• Be able to re-take any of the modules and webinars as needed

Danceplace has three levels of Competition Coordinator Certification:

1. Bronze: After completing Modules 1 & 2, you are eligible to run paper-based Jack & Jill competitions
2. Silver: After completing Modules 1 to 3, you are eligible to run digital or paper-based Jack & Jill competitions
3. Gold: After completing all modules, you can run all Danceplace-compatible competition types.

The certification is initially valid for 18 months. After that, the participants need to take a refresher course annually to learn about the evolution of the industry, new software features, and new rules. Beyond that, the Danceplace Team will monitor your success in running the contests and give you personalized feedback to ensure you excel.

Danceplace has an official code of conduct and set of best practices for certified competition coordinator to follow. Any reported misconduct and poor performance can be considered cause for probation or cancellation of the certificate.

A Danceplace competition coordinator can earn between $300 to $1,000 per competition depending on the event size and number of participants. You can also negotiate expense coverage (such as travel, food and accommodation).

Getting certified will make you marketable to event directors because they will know you have the training and support of the Danceplace team to run a successful contest.

You will need up to 30 hours to study and complete the program. After getting certified, you may need to spend 4 hours monthly on continuous learning and improving your skills.

Program prices are in $ USD. In certain countries like Brazil, Danceplace may offer a localized price.