ASU DevilDancesport

Videos

Videos of Syllabus Patterns

Here are clips of what it might look like.

The different styles as defined by USBADA/USA Dance

    International Standard
    A style of dancing in which couples must remain in closed dance position. International is distinctive in that it emphasizes remaining in a closed dance position.
    International Latin
    An internationally-recognized style of Latin. International is distinctive in that the hip action is achieved after stepping onto a straight leg.
    American Smooth
    A style of dancing in which open work is allowed. American is distinctive in that it is less strict and allows the partner ship to "open up" in several steps.
    American Rhythm
    A style of Latin American dancing that is primarily offered in United States competitions. American is distinctive in that the Cuban motion (hip action) is achieved by flexing the knee after taking a step.

What is this Syllabus all about?

Dancesport competitions are broken into two categories. The Syllabus category has Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. The Open category has Novice, Pre-Championship, and Championship.

Each syllabus level has its own allowed steps for each dance. In a competition, a bronze level competitor would compete against other bronze level dancers based on the steps allowed in the bronze syllabus. The silver level would include all the steps in silver and bronze.

The Open category will allow any recognized step. In general, the syllabus is written as a guide for learning and fair competition. The bronze level may sound too easy, but keep in mind it has in it the basic techniques that will be used in later levels.

Videos from MIT's website

In the meantime, take a look at videos from the 2006 Nationals competition on MIT's website.