CLOUD9
ZOUK CHAMPIONSHIP

Cloud9 Zouk is excited to bring in a new idea to our Mid Year Ball weekend, which is designed with the intention of helping to take our scene to the next level, in an exciting and fun & encouraging way. ✨🥳💃🕺🔝

ABOUT

We recognise that we already have so many committed dancers, who just keep growing and evolving in their dance from year to year, and this is just another way to incentivise and encourage more of the dancers in our beautiful Zouk scene to keep growing, to practice more, to focus on their technique and creativity, and just to maybe get that little bit extra motivated to push beyond their comfort zones into showcasing their efforts to their fellow dancers in a positive and encouraging environment.

We would like to introduce this to our wonderful scene here in Aus & NZ as a dual format, including a Strictly/Freestyle Competition segment as well as a Choreography segment. We have been inspired by this idea by talking with some of our international artists and hearing about how it can be so beneficial to grow our wonderful scene further.
So, we are currently working hard to design something that is suitable for our dance community and that helps our dancers to take their Zouk to the next level!✨

Read about our 1st Championship and results here

Our aim and inspiration

Our aim in introducing this Strictly competitions to our event is to create a positive & encouraging environment that inspires dancers from different levels to partner up and work on their dance skills, Zouk movements & techniques that they have been learning in regular dance classes or festivals.

Positive environment means that we are working on our own skills and abilities to be better than before (in other words, you compare yourself to your ‘old self’ rather than against others).

It means we are super supportive of other competitors and our friends and are happy to see their improvements and achievements.

C9Z COMPETITION RULES & GUIDELINES PDF

There will be judges from the community who will then score you based on many elements such as, musicality, technique, partnership, execution ... etc. More info to come

🎚️DIVISIONS & LEVELS

1️⃣ Division 1: Zouk Championship and Showcases with 3 levels (A-C)

A. OPEN/PRO CHAMPIONSHIP - Showcase + Freestyle/Strictly: 🏆🏆🏆- Open category aimed at Upper levels dancers, including Professionals, to showcase a duet Choreography.- Performance length 2-3 minutes.- PLUS there will be a Freestyle dance component also required.- Weighting of Showcase and Freestyle components will this year be 50/50.- We will aim for all Showcases to be performed on Fri night and Freestyle/Strictly component on Sat afternoon.- This Zouk Championship (Showcase + Freestyle) category also has a major prize for 1st place. 🏆💰

B. PROFESSIONAL/ AMATEUR:

- A partnership between A Professional + An Amateur.
- Showcase ONLY - performing a duet Choreography.
- Performance length 1:45 - 2:15 minutes

C: AMATEUR Showcase :
- Any dancers from all levels. As long as they DO NOT get paid for dance (so some teaching assistants may still qualify as Amateur).
- Showcase ONLY - performing a duet Choreography.
- Performance length 1:45 - 2:15 minutes

💫💫💫💫💫💫

2️⃣ Division 2: Strictly/Freestyle Only, with 3 levels (A-C)

A. OPEN/PROFESSIONAL Strictly :
- Open category aimed at Upper levels dancers, including Professionals, to showcase a duet Choreography.
- Performance length 2-3 minutes.
- PLUS there will be a Freestyle dance component also required.
- Weighting of Showcase and Freestyle components will this year be 50/50.
- We will aim for all Showcases to be performed on Fri night and Freestyle/Strictly component on Sat afternoon.
- This Zouk Championship (Showcase + Freestyle) category also has a major prize for 1st place. 🏆💰

B. PRO/AM Strictly :
- A partnership between A Professional + An Amateur.
- Being a Strictly, competitors will again be dancing improvised, rather than choreographed, in groups of 2 - 4 (max 6) couples with 2 - 3 songs to rotate position.
- We will have 2 Heats over 2 days - Preliminary & Finals.

C: AMATEUR Strictly :
- Any dancers from all levels. As long as they DO NOT get paid for dance (so some teaching assistants may still qualify as Amateur).
- You choose your partner for this competition, and will be social dancing/improvised dance in groups of 2 - 6 couples with 2 - 3 songs to rotate position.
- We will have 2 Heats over 2 days - Preliminary & Finals
- We will have 2 Heats over 2 days - Preliminary & Finals.
The Open/Pros Strictly category also has a major prize for 1st place. 🏆💰

💰COMPETITION ENTRY & FEES

SRTICTLY FREE STYLE ONLY:

💰AMATEUR Freestyle Only … $50 per Couple online Early bird, $60 on the day (Must have full event pass)

💰Amateur / Professional Freestyle Only … $50 per Couple online Early bird, $60 on the day (Must have full event pass)

💰Open Freestyle Only… $50 per Couple online Early bird, $60 on the day (Must have full event pass)

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SHOWCASE ONLY & CHAMPIONSHIP:

💰Amateur Freestyle Only … $50 per Couple online Early Bird, $60 on the day (Must have full event pass)

💰Amateur / Professional Showcase ONLY: … $50 per Couple online Early Bird, $60 on the day (Must have full event pass)
💰Open Showcase & Freestyle Championship (including Advanced/Professional)… $100 per Couple (registrations closing date TBC), Must have full event pass

🏆PRIZES (details TBC)

🏆🏆SHOWCASE ONLY & CHAMPIONSHIP:🏆🏆

🎁 Championship - Open Showcase + Freestyle (including Professionals):
1️⃣1st Place …. $1000 Cash Prize + Trophy
🔥Plus a surprise
2️⃣2nd Place … $250 Cash Prize + Trophy
3️⃣3rd Place … Trophy

🎁Professional / Armature Showcase ONLY:
1️⃣1st Place … Medallion + 1 Festival Passes to Brisbane Zouk Festival 2024
2️⃣2nd Place …. Medallion
3️⃣3rd Place .... Medallion

🎁Armature Showcase ONLY:
1️⃣1st Place … Medallion + 2 Festival Passes to Zouk Central NZ 2025
2️⃣2nd Place …. Medallion
3️⃣3rd Place .... Medallion

SHOWCASE & SRTICTLY FREE STYLE:

🎁Open Freestyle Only: (All dancers Professionals & Amateur)
1️⃣1st Place … $500 Cash Prize + Trophy
2️⃣2nd Place …. $250 Cash Prize + Medallion
3️⃣3rd Place …. Medallion

🎁Professional / Armature Freestyle Only:
1️⃣1st Place … Trophy + 1 Festival Pass to Cloud9 Mid Year Ball & Championship 2025
2️⃣2nd Place …. Medallion
3️⃣3rd Place .... Medallion

🎁Armature Freestyle Only: (No Professionals)
1️⃣1st Place … Trophy + 2 Festival Passes to Sanctuary Dance Festival Sydney 2025
2️⃣2nd Place …. Medallion plus Gift
3️⃣3rd Place .... Medallion plus Gift

Remember, your competition result/placement is NOT what MATTERS, it is your hard work, having a go & putting yourself out there, and the positive mindset that you put in that matters. You will ALL be the winners! 🥳👏🏆

Requirements for the competitions to go ahead:

We need a minimum number of competitors in each divisions to proceed.