05/23/17 – Dance State Competition FAQs

May 23, 2017 Athletic Department Blog Updates

KHSAA DANCE

Frequently Asked Questions (as of August 18, 2017)

The following is a FAQ for Dance. Refer to the Competition Rules that will be published in the KHSAA Handbook and on the Association website for more information. The Competition Rules govern Dance.

Is Dance a “Sport”?

• Within the programs of the KHSAA, Dance is categorized as a “sport-activity”.

With the KHSAA sponsoring a Dance championship, does that make Dance exactly the same as all other sports and activities within the school?

• The management of individual teams within a school is a local decision. School administrators will decide about issues such as compensation, travel allowances and other benefits in compliance with federal, state and locally adopted policies.
• Nothing about the KHSAA adding this sport-activity makes anything “automatic” within a school or school district.
• Be mindful of the fact that unless supervised in the same manner as the rest of the school sport and sport-activity programs, the female participants in Dance will not count as female participants for the purpose of Title IX compliance.

How is Dance managed within the KHSAA?

• The Commissioner has appointed Associate Commissioner Butch Cope to be the day-to-day liaison for Dance within the office. Mr. Cope is the direct point of contact for questions about Dance. Assistant Commissioner Sarah Bridenbaugh will assist Mr. Cope.
• Universal Dance Association, a division of Varsity Brands, will assist with the execution of the State Championship. UDA will manage the training of judges at no cost to the judge. The KHSAA will utilize existing UDA scoresheets for the competition.
• The Commissioner’s Advisory Committee on Dance will provide input to the staff with the implementation and management of the championship. This committee will possibly be divided into sub-committees to perform various functions throughout the year related to the championships.
• Many of the individuals on the Advisory Committee will be representing geographic sections of the state. The names and demographic information about the Advisory Committee will be posted on the KHSAA website.

Where are the rules published about Dance?

• Each fall, the KHSAA produces its Handbook, which includes Competition Rules for all sports and sport-activities.
• When finalized, these rules will be published in the Handbook and placed on the KHSAA website.
• Any discussion that necessitates an amendment to the KHSAA Constitution or Bylaws will be properly submitted through the Commissioner to the Board of Control and appear on the agenda of the Annual Meeting of the member schools in September.

SEASON LENGTH AND BYLAW COMPLIANCE

When is the first date of practice?

• The first date of practice for Dance is July 15.
• This is the first time any mandatory activity (including official tryouts and the cutting of members from a squad) may occur.
• Schools are permitted to decide who from the group may or may not attend a summer camp.  
• July 15 is the first day of insurance coverage and when anything can be mandatory to team participation.

When does the Dance season end?

• The season ends for competitive Dance March 15.
• Restrictions contained in the limitation of seasons reflect only restrictions and allowances for Dance.

Which KHSAA Bylaws apply to Dance?
Currently, the following KHSAA Bylaws apply to Dance teams and all other sport-activities –

Bylaw 1 (Responsibility for Eligibility);
Bylaw 2 (Age);
Bylaw 4 (Enrollment Requirements);
Bylaw 5 (Minimum Academic Requirement); 
Bylaw 12 (Physicians Certificate and Parents Consent)
Bylaw 14 (Other Eligibility Requirements & Regulations);
Bylaw 15 (Practice of Sportsmanship);
Bylaw 16 (Recruiting);
Bylaw 17 (Certification of Eligibility);
Bylaw 18 (Supplying Information/Submission of Reports);
Bylaw 21 (Protests);
Bylaw 23 (Limitation of Seasons);
Bylaw 24 (Summer Sports and Sport-Activities);
Bylaw 25 (Requirement for Coaches and Others Working with High School Teams);
Bylaw 26 (Rulings, Reporting of Violations);
Bylaw 27 (Imposition of Penalties)

Does the “Dead Period” apply to Dance?
Since the formal adoption and announcement of the addition of Dance was not until May, the Dead Period will not apply to Dance for June 25-July 9, 2017. Beginning June 25-July 9, 2018, the Dead Period will apply to Dance.

Which KHSAA Bylaws do not apply to Dance?
Bylaw 3 (Four Year Limit);
Bylaw 6 (Domestic Transfer Rule);
Bylaw 7 (Foreign Exchange Students);
Bylaw 8 (Non Exchange Foreign Students);
Bylaw 9 (Contestant on Other Teams);
Bylaw 10 (Amateur and Awards);
Bylaw 11 (Financial Aid);
Bylaw 13 (Agreement regarding professional baseball);
Bylaw 19 (Comparable Opportunities);
Bylaw 20 (Use of Licensed Officials);
Bylaw 22 (Contests, Sanctions, Rules, Forfeitures)

COMPETITION RULES

• Dance must adhere to NFHS Cheer/Spirit Rules during all practices, games and competitions, both in and out of state, as well as any other NFHS playing rules in specific sports that address cheerleaders.
• While the rules of other organizations may be used at specific competitions, all teams and team members MUST comply with all NFHS Cheer/Spirit rules at all times in practice or competition.  
• If there is a conflict between rules at a competition, the NFHS rule must be followed.

SANCTIONING/OUT OF STATE TRAVEL (BYLAW 22)

• There is no formal request for out of state travel.
• However, should a school enter and then withdraw from the KHSAA State competition, that school would not be eligible to travel out of state for any competition the remainder of that school year and is subject to additional administrative penalties.

COACHES REQUIREMENTS (BYLAW 25)

• All Coaches must meet KHSAA Bylaw 25 Minimum Coaching Requirements including coach education requirements, Sports Safety & Concussion, and the KHSAA/NFHS Rules Clinic.
• This includes faculty and non-faculty coaches and any other individual involved in Dance-specific training such as choreographers or any other activity-specific component.
• These individuals must be listed on the KHSAA Coaching registry.

JUDGES
Who assigns the judges for State?

• Judges will be assigned by the KHSAA.

Who trains judges?

• Judges will be trained by the Universal Dance Association.

What score sheet will be used for KHSAA competition?

• The UDA Score Sheet will be utilized.

Will there be regional qualifying?

• There will be no regional qualifying competitions in 2017-18.  The State Competition will be an “all comers” event.

What is the entry fee for state competition?

• There is no entry fee to participate in the KHSAA competition.

What are the competition categories?

• Jazz, Pom, Hip Hop and Kick.
  Small: 7-16 members
  Large: 17-30 members

What is the deadline to declare a division?

• October 1 is the deadline to declare a division. Instructions on entering/declaring will be emailed to the school Athletic Director.

Can we change a division after October 1?

• No changes are permitted to a division after this date. A squad would simply compete with fewer members (in the event of an injury).

Can we drop out following the October 1 deadline?

• A team that withdraws from competition following the October 1 deadline will be fined ($500) and will not be permitted to travel out of state to any competition for the remainder of the school year.

COMPETITION RULES AND RESTRICTIONS FOR THE KHSAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
When is the KHSAA State Competition?

• State Dance Championships will be held Saturday, Dec. 16 at Frederick Douglass High School in Lexington.

Who advances to State Competition?

• The State Dance Championships are open competitions. There are no regional qualifying competitions.

– KHSAA –

The KHSAA staff routinely publishes blog posts to better communicate with its various constituencies and the public. For a list of those blogs, go to http://khsaa.org/news-stats-pubs/sports-blogs/