ABOUT MOVE!
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
EVERY STAGE HAS A BEGINNING…
MOVE! National Dance Competition grew from the evolution of the Theatre Dance Association’s Eisteddfod of the Performing Arts, developing
an established performance platform into a national dance competition that would bring dancers together from across South Africa.
Its roots lie within the Theatre Dance Association (TDA), founded in 2004 by Diane Fincham and Denise Morrison. From its earliest years,
TDA has been committed to creating opportunities for dancers to learn, perform and grow, and MOVE! became an extension of that vision,
taking dancers beyond the examination studio and onto the competition stage.
Over time, MOVE! developed into a journey of its own, with regional events providing dancers with the opportunity to qualify
for the National stage in Cape Town.
FROM REGIONAL STAGES TO NATIONAL RECOGNITION
The movement grew.
As MOVE! grew, so did the community around it.
By 2018, dancers were already competing for honours at the MOVE! National Dance Championships, and by 2019 the Regional-to-National
journey was well established, with dancers qualifying through regional competitions before progressing to the National Finals in Cape Town.
What began as an evolution of TDA’s original performance platform had become an opportunity for dancers from different studios, regions,
age groups and genres to share one competition stage.
By 2020, MOVE! was attracting more than 1,500 entries from around South Africa, an indication of just how
far the competition had grown.
THE STAGE WENT DIGITAL | ONLINE
Keep moving….
In 2020, the dance world changed.
With live events disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, theatres closed and dancers suddenly found themselves without the stages
they had worked so hard to reach.
But MOVE! continued to move.
The competition adapted to the circumstances and took its national competition online, allowing dancers from across the country
to continue performing, competing and sharing their work during an extraordinary period for the performing arts. It became another chapter
in the MOVE! story, one that demonstrated the resilience of the dancers, teachers and studios
behind the competition.
When live competition returned, so did the energy of bringing dancers together on one stage, with Cape Town once again welcoming
performers from across the country for MOVE! Nationals.
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
MOVE! Today
Today, MOVE! continues its journey through Regional competitions across South Africa and the MOVE! National Dance Competition.
The Regional stage gives dancers the opportunity to present their work and earn recognition for the standard of their performance.
Qualifying dancers then have the opportunity to progress to Nationals, where performers come together on the National stage
for placings and honours.
But as MOVE! has evolved, its story has become about far more than the results.
It is about the dancers who return to the studio determined to improve.
The teachers and choreographers standing in the wings.
The studios travelling across the country.
The friendships created backstage.
The nerves before the music begins.
The celebrations when the hard work pays off.
And the thousands of individual moments that have become part of the MOVE! story.
HONOURING THE PAST. BUILDING THE FUTURE.
The next chapter.
MOVE! continues to evolve alongside the dancers and dance community it serves.
While the stages may grow, its history remains an important part of
where MOVE! is going next. A platform that began within the Theatre Dance Association has grown into a journey shared by dancers,
teachers, studios and families across South Africa.
And with every new Regional season, every qualification and every dancer who steps onto the National stage, another chapter is added.
The story is still being written.
The stage is waiting.
MAKE YOUR MOVE.
REGIONALS-TO-NATIONALS PATHWAY
At Regional level, MOVE! takes a different approach to traditional
competition. Dancers are not simply placed against one another. Every performance is individually adjudicated against a defined set of criteria, giving each dancer the opportunity to step onto the stage, perform at their very best and earn the result that reflects their performance. Through our Regional-to-National pathway, qualifying dancers achieve bronze, silver or gold status, creating a progressive journey that leads to the MOVE! National Championships.
At Nationals, dancers compete within their earned status divisions, helping to create a more balanced competitive environment while still celebrating excellence, achievement and outstanding performance.
Our adjudication looks beyond a final score. Technique, stage presence, performance level, originality, choreography and overall impression all form part of the MOVE! experience, with experienced adjudicators bringing knowledge from across the dance and performing arts industry.
MAKE YOUR MOVE!
MOVE! National Dance Competition welcomes dancers across a wide range of ages, performance sections and dance disciplines, from a dancer’s first experience on the competition stage to accomplished senior performers.
AGE DIVISIONS
MOVE! Regional competitions are divided into the following age groups:
A dancer’s competition age is determined by their age on 1 January of the competition year.
For duets, trios, quartets, groups and productions, the age division is calculated using the
average age of the dancers in the routine.
PERFORMANCE SECTIONS
MOVE! provides opportunities for individual dancers, partners, small ensembles and entire studios to take to the stage.
SOLOS
Studio Solo – Regionals Only
Competition Solo
Competition Character Solo
Ballet Repertoire
Improvisation – Regionals Only
Hip Hop / Urban Battle – Regionals Only
PARTNER & SMALL ENSEMBLE
Duet – 2 Dancers
Trio – 3 Dancers
Quartet – 4 Dancers
GROUPS
Small Groups – 5–10 Dancers
Large Groups – 11+ Dancers
Any Age Groups
Adult Groups – 30+
Productions – 16+ Dancers
DANCE STYLES & DISCIPLINES
MOVE! celebrates dancers across an extensive range of genres.
BALLET
Classical Ballet | Neo-Classical Ballet | Ballet Avant-Garde | Demi-Character | Ballet Repertoire
STAGE BRANCH
Modern | Jazz | Contemporary | Lyrical | Character
ACROBATIC DANCE
Acrobatic Dance | Acrobatic Prop Routine | Contortion
Prop routines may incorporate apparatus such as handstand canes, cubes, chairs, tables and other suitable performance props.
MUSICAL THEATRE
Musical Theatre – Lip Sync
Musical Theatre – Song & Dance
Musical Theatre – Tap
TAP
Tap | Tap Character
HIP HOP & URBAN
Hip Hop / Urban | Hip Hop Small Groups
Hip Hop Large Groups | Urban / Hip Hop Battle
NATIONAL & CULTURAL DANCE
National Dance celebrates dance forms connected to countries, traditions and cultures, including:
African | Tribal | Irish | Spanish | Greek | Indian
Belly Dance | Solo Latin | Couples Latin |Ballroom
Other recognised cultural and national dance forms
Solo Latin may include:
Cha Cha • Samba • Paso Doble • Rumba • Jive
Ballroom may include:
Waltz • Tango • Viennese Waltz • Slow Foxtrot • Quickstep
OPEN
For choreography that combines multiple dance styles or does not fall naturally within one defined discipline.
STATUS
MOVE! follows a Regional-to-National competition pathway.
At Regional level, dancers perform for a mark rather than simply competing against one another. Qualifying performances achieving 65% or higher become eligible for MOVE! Nationals.
MOVE QUALIFICATION STATUS
65-74%
BRONZE QUALIFIER
75-84%
SILVER QUALIFIER
85-100%
GOLD QUALIFIER
Performances achieving 64% and below receive an Honorary Mention. At MOVE! Nationals, qualifying dancers return to the stage
within the appropriate competition structure, bringing together dancers from across the country for our National Championships.
Different ages. Different genres. Different levels. One stage. MOVE! National Dance Competition.