For anybody interested in competitive ballroom dancing, it’s important to know the levels. If you’re the one watching, then this can help you understand how the ballroom dancing levels are separated so that you can appreciated the dancers’ abilities on the floor. But if you’re the one competing, it’s even more important to know the ballroom dancing levels! You wouldn’t want to sign up for the wrong level accidentally, would you?
Competitive ballroom dancing levels are split into to main groups: syllabus, and open. Sometimes, we also call syllabus levels “closed”. The main different is that the syllabus levels are restricted to certain step lists and patterns, while open levels are allowed to choreography whatever steps and patterns they want. Of course, within reason. Even at the open level, ballroom dancing has rules disallowing some dangerous movements such as lifts.
Taking the time to actually work one’s way through each syllabus level is extremely important! Why? At each level, the technique required to dance the steps well effectively teach the students an important aspect of dancing. The founders of competitive ballroom dancing did an amazing job organizing the material in such a way that it builds on itself over time. Done right, syllabus give students a solid foundation on which to build a successful open level career.
In our lessons, we always use the following analogy: you would never build a house without first spending time to build a solid foundation. Syllabus is your foundation.
Ballroom Dancing Levels: Syllabus
The ballroom dancing levels at syllabus are subdivided into four main categories. The lowest level is called Newcomer, or “Student-Teacher”. This level has very few steps. For competitive dancing, this level was designed to help students get their first foot in the door. Students are only allowed to dance a Newcomer level competition twice. After that, they must move into the next level.
After Newcomer comes Bronze, or “Associate”. Students often spend a lot of time at Bronze level, and for good reason. At Bronze level, Standard students should start dancing with body contact. Latin students should take their time to develop their straight-legged actions and foot articulation. When the Latin figures speed up and the Standard figures become more complicated between the body positions at Silver level, the students who took their time perfecting their Bronze will be relieved they were so patient.
The third of our syllabus ballroom dancing levels is called Silver, or “Licentiate”. In the Standard, more body positions are introduced and figures with considerable amounts of turn are taught. This requires a much greater understanding of the foundations that were built at Bronze level. In Latin, the steps are considerably faster and more complicated. In the American Style Smooth and Rhythm, the increase in allowable figures at Silver level is astounding. American Style students should plan to remain at Silver level for a few years. It is simply impossible to master all of the allowed figures in a single year.
Last of all our syllabus ballroom dancing levels is Gold, or “Fellow”. Oftentimes, students skip this level and opt to jump directly to Open, but we think that is a huge mistake. Gold is the first time Standard students are introduced to landmark figures such as “Overturned Spin Turn and Turning Lock to the Right” or “Fallaway Reverse and Slip Pivot”. The same goes for Latin, with figures such as “Open Promenade and Open Counter Promenade Runs” in Samba or the “Sliding Doors” in Rumba. These are figures that dancers continue to dance and develop throughout Open and into the highest professional levels. Therefore, skipping the Gold level when dancers have the opportunity to develop them without over-rotations or syncopations is a terrible shame.
Ballroom Dancing Levels: Open
Even at Open levels, where the routines are unrestricted, there are different levels. Naturally, since judges assumed that all dancers made their ways through the syllabus levels to make it to Open, we are looking for a higher level of dancing. That said, Open level is split into smaller categories in order to ease the difficult transition from syllabus to Open.
The first of the Open levels is called “Novice”. Usually, the Novice category will only have two or three dances required in each style. Novice is organized like this in order to ease the transition into Open and make it easier on the students.
After Novice comes “Pre-Championship”. With three or four dances in each style, Pre-Championship is that middle ground. Here, we start to see dancers coming into their own. They are now beginning to develop their own personal styles and looks. The choreography is oftentimes just as difficult as that danced at the highest level.
And after Pre-Championships comes the highest amateur category, “Championship”. Besides turning Professional or simply increasing your ranking, ballroom dancing has no higher level than Championship. All 5 dances are performed in this category (4 for American Smooth), and dancers are required to show strength and stamina.