ALL ENTRIES TO THE 2021 FESTIVAL WILL BE MADE BY POST OR EMAIL.
Entries will not be accepted before 15th January and will close on 15th February (or before if the scheduled dance time is filled). Regular entrants to the Southampton Stage Dance Festival will be given priority in the first week.
Please be realistic with your entries – last year we experienced a “no-show” rate of 20% which meant that we could have accepted at least 200 of the entries we disappointed by having to turn them away. Accepted entries will be acknowledged by a checklist – please study this carefully as programme changes will not be possible after 1st March. We aim to publish a class timetable by mid-March and the complete programme early in April.
The class timetable will depend on the number of entries received, but our plan is build around the following franmework:
MUSIC must be recorded on a good quality CD-R (not CD-RW or DVD) in "audio" format (not MP3 or any other format). The disk should have no scratches on the playing surface. The required music must be the FIRST or ONLY track and it is recommended that you test the CD on a simple playback machine (not on a computer). All CDs must be labelled with the school name and the name and dance sequence number of the competitor/group (any missing information will be added at the Music Collection Desk). It is highly recommended that you have a backup CD, ideally recorded and tested on different equipment. Music must be delivered to the Music Collection Desk at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start of the class.
Please note the following recommendations from the Federation:
At the Festival:
Entries will not be accepted before 15th January and will close on 15th February (or before if the scheduled dance time is filled). Regular entrants to the Southampton Stage Dance Festival will be given priority in the first week.
Please be realistic with your entries – last year we experienced a “no-show” rate of 20% which meant that we could have accepted at least 200 of the entries we disappointed by having to turn them away. Accepted entries will be acknowledged by a checklist – please study this carefully as programme changes will not be possible after 1st March. We aim to publish a class timetable by mid-March and the complete programme early in April.
The class timetable will depend on the number of entries received, but our plan is build around the following franmework:
- mornings: 09:15-13:00
- afternoons: 14:00-17:00
- evenings: 17:30-20:00 (younger performers will not be asked to dance in theevenings)
MUSIC must be recorded on a good quality CD-R (not CD-RW or DVD) in "audio" format (not MP3 or any other format). The disk should have no scratches on the playing surface. The required music must be the FIRST or ONLY track and it is recommended that you test the CD on a simple playback machine (not on a computer). All CDs must be labelled with the school name and the name and dance sequence number of the competitor/group (any missing information will be added at the Music Collection Desk). It is highly recommended that you have a backup CD, ideally recorded and tested on different equipment. Music must be delivered to the Music Collection Desk at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start of the class.
Please note the following recommendations from the Federation:
- In all dance categories costume, movement, music and words must be appropriate to
the age of the performers. Bad language will not be accepted in any class. - The song/dance content of an entry in the "Song and Dance" class does not
necessarily have to be a 50/50 split but must be a balanced performance combining
song and movement to create a good characterisation.
For further guidance refer to the current All England Dance syllabus which stipulates, amongst many other things, that gymastics and acrobatic work are unacceptable.
The following must be notified to the Festival at southamptondancefestival@gmail.com by 1st March 2021:
- For all National class entries the country/region of the dance
- For all Groups the number of performers (note that we are unable to accept more than
one group from each school in each class due to limitation in changing space)
At the Festival:
- Teachers are requested to draw the attention of parents/guardians to our
Safeguarding Policy (in the Syllabus and on our website) and to remind them that they are responsible for the safety of their children and should accompany them throughout the Festival. - We strongly advise that dancers do not wear revealing costumes in the Foyer and Atrium of the theatre as these areas are open to the public – dress modestly or wear a wrap.
- A maximum of two teacher’s tickets will be issued to each recognised school and can only be used by teachers. Eligible teacher names must be provided to southamptondancefestival@gmail.com prior to the Festival (no names no tickets).
- The Festival can currently only accept CASH at The Point - there are ATM's in the town.
- Please keep the Foyer and Café areas clear – these are open to members of the general public and must not be used for make-up, rehearsals or picnics. Food and drink (except bottled water) are not allowed in the Auditorium.
- The stage will NOT be available for rehearsals during breaks.
- Please ensure that entrants are at the stage door and ready to dance at least 15 minutes
prior to the start of their class. Competitors will only be able to dance in the section
for which they are entered and eligible. - For Character and Greek entries a title and a short synopsis not exceeding 30
words may be submitted at the Music Collection Desk to be announced prior to the
performance. - There will be no re-dances except in the case of technical failure. If a CD does
fail, take the backup to a steward at the rear of the auditorium who will ensure that it
gets to the sound engineer. - Our Festival is dependent on volunteers for its continued existence. Some of you
already assist in many ways but it would be most helpful if schools could put forward volunteers for ushering duties in the auditorium. Commitment to a complete session (morning, afternoon or evening) will entitle the individual to free admission for that session. Contact the ticket desk during the Festival. Thank you.
All persons participating in the Festival do so at their own risk. The Festival will not be liable for personal injury, theft or loss of personal possessions or damage thereto.