Bachata Stars 2024 is an exciting dance competition focused exclusively on Bachata, where dancers of all skill levels will compete, show their musicality, creativity, and passion for this dynamic dance style. The event includes both a competition and a party.

Date: December 20, 2024
Time: 21:00 – 3:00
Venue: NFT Club, Limassol

• Party Entrance: 15 EUR (includes one drink)
  
• Competition Ticket: 25 Euro
  
  Includes:
  – Participation in the Bachata Stars competition
  – Access to the party
  – 1 Free Drink
  – Access to Saturday’s workshop with Markos Bakolas (17:00-19:00)

To register, follow these steps:

1. Record a short video (approximately 20-30 seconds) of yourself or as a couple dancing.
2. Complete the Registration Form: Visit the registration page, provide your details, and upload your video link. You can either upload the video to Google Drive and provide the link in the registration form, or you can email the video manually to bscy.reg@gmail.com with your name and surname.
3. Confirm with Payment: Pay the registration fee via the provided payment link after completing the form.
4. Receive Confirmation and QR Code: After payment, you’ll receive an email with a QR code for check-in.

Registation form

The deadline to register and submit your video is December 10, 2024.

The competition will have the following categories:

1. Rising Stars (Improvers Level)

   • For dancers who are relatively new to bachata or have basic knowledge and skills.
   • Participants in this category are still developing their technique, style, and timing.
   • The focus is on improving fundamentals while showcasing creativity and rhythm.

2. Bachata Stars – Intermediate

   • For dancers with a solid understanding of bachata, who have refined basic movements and can comfortably perform intermediate-level steps.
   • Participants should have experience in social dancing and some knowledge of lead/follow techniques.
   • This category aims to highlight dancers with a greater command of musicality, connection, and styling.

3. Bachata Stars – Pro (Advanced Level)

   • For highly skilled dancers who have mastered advanced techniques and are ready to compete at a professional level.
   • Dancers in this category demonstrate strong lead/follow dynamics, intricate footwork, and a high degree of musicality.
   • The focus is on performance quality, creativity, and the ability to handle complex choreography and spontaneous movements.

These categories will help ensure a fair competition and provide an opportunity for all dancers to showcase their skills at the appropriate level.

To ensure proper categorization for the Bachata Stars competition, participants are required to submit a short video showcasing their dance skills. The judges will review the videos and place each participant in the correct category based on their skill level.

You can either upload the video to Google Drive and provide the link in the registration form, or you can email the video manually to bscy.reg@gmail.com with your name and surname.

The competition follows the Jack & Jill format, where dancers are randomly paired with different partners in each round.

The Jack and Jill competition is a fun social dance contest where dancers are paired with random partners to showcase their ability to adapt, connect, and dance with different people. The competition emphasizes improvisation, musicality, and social dancing rather than pre-choreographed routines. Dancers will compete individually, but they will be judged on their performance in each round with different partners.

Read more here

No, partners are randomly assigned for each round to test adaptability and improvisation skills.

Judges evaluate dancers based on the following criteria:

• Connection: How well dancers communicate and connect with their partner.
• Musicality: How well dancers interpret the music, including rhythm and timing.
• Creativity: The ability to incorporate personal style and improvisation within the dance.
• Technique: Proper technique in lead/follow dynamics, footwork, posture, and balance.
• Social Dance Quality: How well dancers adapt and maintain an enjoyable flow while social dancing with multiple partners.

Judges evaluate each dancer individually based on their connection with different partners, their technique, improvisation skills, and overall social dance performance. Although you may start with a partner, your progress depends on your individual performance.

The judges for Bachata Stars 2024 are esteemed professionals from the dance world, each bringing unique expertise and experience to the competition:

1. John Olariu: Director of the Olariu Dance School in Nicosia, with over 25 years of experience as a coach in sports and social dance. He is a WSDF Degree A judge in sport dance, show dance, and Caribbean dance, and has judged numerous world championships and international competitions. John also served as vice-president of the Cypriot Social and Sports Dance Federation for over 12 years and is the winner of Dancing for You 3.

2. Katerina Drosopoulou: A Greek-Cypriot dance teacher and choreographer with a background in competitive rhythmic gymnastics. Katerina specializes in Latin, ballroom, salsa, and bachata. She placed 3rd in the Greek Salsa Championships 2024 and ranked 9th worldwide in the Salsa/Mambo Solo category at the “Pasos Libres La Negra Salsa” World Championships 2024.

3. Markos Bakolas: A professional Bachata instructor and performer from Greece, affiliated with Stella Dance Art. Markos has extensive experience teaching and dancing at international festivals, seminars, and major events. He is celebrated for his passion and expertise in Bachata and his ability to inspire the dance community.

These judges will bring their knowledge and love for dance to ensure a fair and inspiring competition!

For additional information or specific inquiries, please contact us via the form on our Contact Us page or email us at bscyinfo@gmail.com