Dancing Classrooms presents:

? Colors Of The Rainbow Team Match & Dance Party

New York City’s Largest Dance Social and Competition for Kids, and featured partner of NYC KidsFest 2024!

Join us at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park on June 14th, 2024 from 5:00pm to 7:00 pm! The event is open to the public, and will feature students from 2023-24 Dancing Classrooms’ programs, with opportunities for all to dance!

Sponsored by

WHEN

Friday, June 14, 2024 from 5 to 7:00 pm.

WHERE

Richard Rodgers Amphitheater, Marcus Garvey Park, NYC

18 Mt Morris Park W, New York, NY 10027

(Enter at 124th St. & 5th Ave.)

WHO

The TEAM MATCH is back! Schools that participated in Dancing Classrooms’ Social Ballroom residency in 23-24 can sign up to compete as a team, represented by 12 students (6 pairs) from 4th and 5th grade.

There will be prizes for top teams, awarded by Celebrity Judges, plus fun giveaways!

Following the competition, everyone can join in a community Social Dance Party where students, families, and audience members can learn new dances and even get on stage to show off their moves!

All schools are required to provide DC with a team supervisor (school administrator, teacher or parent-coordinator) who’ll be responsible for student registration, participant details and coordinating team attendance.

Schools will be responsible for choosing team participants; your Teaching Artist will be happy to give input and recommendations for your school’s team.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Want to know more? Email fara@dancingclassrooms.org and follow us on social media @DancingClassroomsNYC to stay up to date with exciting updates! 

Dancing Classrooms’ annual year-end celebration is the featured partner of NYC KidsFest 2024. Our social dance celebration will cap Day 1 of this 3-day festival for kids and families with joy, connection, and dance!

What does Colors of the Rainbow look like?

Part 1 – The Showcase: The Showcase (aka the warmup) is open to all students who participated in a Social Ballroom residency this school year. Dancing on the circle as a team with their schoolmates (see more about teams in the next tab), students will get to show off the dances learned as part of DC residencies on a stage in front of an audience. During the Showcase, just like in our residencies, students will switch partners*, giving them opportunities to dance with students from other schools.

It’s important to note that the Showcase will not be judged; this is a great opportunity for students of all abilities and skill levels to dance their hearts out at this grand event!

*Accommodations will be made for students who are unable to rotate partners due to religious or access needs.

Part 2 – The Competition: Dancing Classrooms’ students from all across NYC compete in this two-round ballroom dance competition!

Judged by award-winning social dancers, school teams’ combined scores can win them Gold, Silver, or Bronze. Plus, each participating student will receive a prize!

Round 1 – Chosen Dance

5 student pairs from each school team compete, dancing choreography from 1st Year Social Ballroom residencies. Each pair of students pre-selects their chosen dance form, so each pair dances once in merengue, foxtrot, rumba, tango, or swing.

Round 2 – Dance By Chance

The same 5 student pairs each dance one more dance – this time the dance form is chosen by chance, out of a hat!

Round 3 – Judges Choice – The Team Captains

The final, 6th pair of students from each school team, the Team Captains, take the stage to dance a special Judges Choice dance (usually merengue or swing). This round may also serve as a tie-breaker if needed.

Part 3 – The Dance Party: Students, teachers, families, and the general public will be invited to dance, a la Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing. The Social Dance Party is a chance for any students from competing schools, as well as family members to dance.

With interactive instruction led by DC Teaching Artists, Colors of the Rainbow participants and audience members will have a chance to dance their favorite dances from residencies along with new ones learned together. 

As in past years, all Dancing Classrooms partner schools will have an opportunity to send a team of up to 12 (six partner pairs or “righties” and “lefties”) students in grades 4 or 5 to participate in the Colors of the Rainbow Team Match competition.

  • Schools are responsible for choosing students for their team, with recommendations from their Teaching Artists, if desired.
  • Students must have participated in a Social Ballroom (Core) residency in the 2023-2024 school year.
  • Students do not have to have been in the same class or even the same grade to be on the team or be partners. 
  • Students do not have to be of different gender identities or expressions (e.g. male-female) in order to be partners.
  • Students who are dancing should be prepared to dance on the circle and in a pair of two, one “righty” and one “lefty”. 
  • Each pair should be prepared to dance two (2) dance genres in the competition (merengue, rumba, foxtrot, tango, swing).
  • One pair will be your Team Captains. Team Captains will step in to dance for any team members who are late or absent at the Competition and will dance a special Team Captain Judges Choice round, which may serve as a tie-breaker if needed.

Awards and prizes will be given in  the following manner:

  • All participating students will receive a medal or ribbon.
  • Student pairs will receive a score in each round. Each pair’s score from a school team will be added together for one final team score. The top school teams will be awarded Gold, Silver, or Bronze prizes.

 

  • All participating schools/sites will be entered into a raffle to win additional prizes:
      • 1st prize – Two free residency courses for next school-year
      • 2nd prize – One free residency course for next summer
      • 3rd prize – Two free family workshops or teacher PDs

Guest judges familiar with Dancing Classrooms and partner dancing will be judging the Competition Round live. Please note – Teaching Artists who taught competing students will not be judging. 

 

There are four main criteria that are scored, listed in order of importance:

  • STEPS (as they were taught by the Dancing Classrooms Teaching Artist)
    • Is the pair displaying proper sequences and the footwork of steps?
    • Is the pair moving in the direction of the steps?
  • RHYTHM
    • Are the partners on beat with the music?
    • Are they doing the correct rhythm for the style
  • FRAME
    • Are the dancers confident in implementing a “crispy wings” dance frame with elbows together, lifted and away from the body?
    • Is the posture of the dancers in line with the dance being danced?
  • STYLE
    • Is the pair “moving their pockets” demonstrating Latin motion for Merengue, & Rumba; and, using heel lead walking for Foxtrot & Tango?
    • Does the pair display elegance in their dancing?
    • Is the pair confident in their movements and engaged in their performance?

By its nature, judging is subjective and happens in the moment with each judge doing their best to score each team in each round. While many dancers perform at a high level, only a certain number of teams can be awarded prizes. It is important that all members of the school community celebrate the accomplishments of their dancers and model the elegance and respect that is the foundation of a Dancing Classrooms residency – whether the team wins best dance, or any other prize.

We DO NOT share final scores of team competitions with Schools, Teaching Artists, or even the Judges.

Take a Look at the 2023 Colors Of The Rainbow Photo Gallery!

FAQs

June 14th, 2024 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

Richard Rodgers Amphitheater at Marcus Garvey Park, at 125th St in Manhattan (easy access from 1,2,3,4,5, A,C, Metro North).

The Showcase and Competition will be open to school teams who have participated in a 4th or 5th grade DC residency during the 23-24 school year.

NOTE: If you had a 2nd Year/Semester residency you can still compete, but students must only dance steps from Year 1.

Registration opens December 1st, all schools participating in a residency will receive a digital registration form and can also register by clicking the form below. Registration inquiries can be directed to fara@dancingclassrooms.org

REGISTER A TEAM

Only 1 team of 12 students can compete per school.

Yes! We would love for all students and staff to come show their school spirit and cheer on their team.

No, all 23-24 DC partners from Fall, Winter and Spring semesters are invited to participate during our June event.

Teams are encouraged to dress funky and fabulous! To make the experience extra special, DC will provide all teams participating in the competition with costume accessories and embellishments.

DC will provide all teams with special practice videos from our staff, students can use these videos.

Teams are judged on their presentation of Dancing Classrooms Social Ballroom (Year 1) choreography. This includes the style, precision, and teamwork as well steps themselves. Participants will receive a detailed information packet that includes judging criteria in spring 2024.

The dance party is a chance for all students from your school, as well as family members to jump on stage and show off their moves! DC Teaching Artists will lead everyone in the Stomp and other line dances, as well as some of our favorite social dances like merengue, swing, and salsa.