10th Annual West Coast Latin Dance Championships

📣 Competitors, are you ready to shine? Register TODAY for the 2026 West Coast Latin Dance Championships and Dance social! 💃💃💃 October 17, 2026 Trilliant Studios 130 Linden Street, Oakland, CA 7pm: Doors open 7:30pm: Competition 9:30pm: Social Dancing Great mix music: Salsa & Bachata 💃🥳 🍷 Snacks, sangria, and wine will be available. Space is limited. 💃🏆🎉 Competition Information: Get ready to win prizes and trophies. 🏆🏆 🏆 Qualifier for the Euroson Latino Mexico. 🇲🇽 @eurosonlatino We look forward to an exciting night of competition, dancing, and celebrating the West Coast Latin dance community. Good luck to all competitors! 🏆 Awards ● 1st Place – Trophy ● 2nd Place – Medal ● 3rd Place – Medal Registration Deadline: October 15, 2026 ⚠️ Music must be emailed to wcldmusic@gmail.com by October 15. Late submissions will not be accepted, and competitors will not be eligible to compete. Competition Day Check-In: All competitors must check in by 6:30 PM on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Competitor Admission Fee: $15 per person (must be paid by October 15) Competition registration fees: CoupleDivisions – $80 per couple Soloist Divisions – $60 per person Team Divisions – $40 per person NOTE: Prices increase $15 for each division after 10/7 Prizes: For all divisions, trophies will be awarded for first place with medals being awarded for second place and third place. For professional couple and pro-am couple divisions, first place will also be awarded a cash prize. *Note: If we don’t have 3 or more competitors in the same division, we will combine with another division. For divisions with a cash prize, it will only be awarded if there is a minimum of five (5) entries in the division. Competition Rules: Competitors are limited to two entries per division. An exception to this rule exists for the pro-am couple divisions: professional dancers are allowed up to five entries in the pro-am couple divisions. Choreography All choreographed routines must consist of 70% recognizable Salsa (or Bachata as specified by division) dancing and music; any other dance style is permitted for the remaining 30% of the routine. If a non-Salsa (or Bachata) style is incorporated into a competitor’s routine, the music will need to be pre-approved by John and Liz Productions (before October 16th) to ensure this limit is not exceeded. Competitors must maintain their chosen Salsa or Bachata) rhythm (e.g., On 1, On 2) throughout their routine. Competitors can choose to break forward or backward as long as this is consistent throughout the routine. Tricks All divisions have no limits on tricks. *Exception: In the Professional On1 Couple and Professional On2 Couple divisions (Non-Cabaret), tricks with both feet off the floor (aerials/lifts) are not permitted. Music The music used by competitors must be between 1:45 to 2:00 minutes for Couples and 1:45 to 2:30 for teams. The music used by competitors for the soloist and duo divisions must be between 1:15 minutes and 2:00 minutes in length. These music length limits include any optional entrance and/or exit music. Competitors need to provide send the music to wcldmusic@gmail.com containing only one track with their competition music. The DJ will not slow down or speed up music for any competitor. Disclaimer John and Liz Productions reserves the right for any photography or filming during the competition/event. John and Liz Productions will not accept responsibility for loss or injury to persons or possessions in relation to this event. Scoring Criteria The following scoring criteria will be used for all divisions: Timing: 30% Presentation, Choreography, Musicality: 25% Difficulty & Technique: 25% Connection & Synchronization: 20% Timing: Competitors can choose to break On 1 or On 2, but must maintain consistency for the duration of the routine. The direction of the break step can be either to the front or the back as long as the timing of the break is consistently maintained (i.e. either 1 and 5, or 2 and 6). The routine should show recognizable Salsa timing. Similarly, for Bachata divisions, the routine should show recognizable Bachata timing. Presentation: You will be judged by your overall presentation. This includes costuming, showmanship, and also good sportsmanship. Choreography: The interpretation of the music by the dancers. Good choreography should contain clever turn patterns and shines. All choreography should be musical, and dancers should show a good usage of the space itself. Originality is a factor here. Musicality: Dancers will demonstrate their ability to creatively work with the timing of their individual ways, including patterns, footwork, “hits”, tricks, etc. Difficulty: This is reflected by the difficulty of patterns and turns, the intricacy of shine movements, and the level of tricks. For example, how many turns were done (on one foot)? How intricate were the shines? What was the difficulty of the lift work? How many jumps, kicks, extensions were performed? Were there any movements requiring exceptional balance, flexibility or strength? In order to get credit for any of these things, the movement must be successfully executed. Technique: This is reflected through balance, placement and line. This also refers to general technique for partner dance where the movement is “grounded” and there is clarity of proper weight change from foot to foot. Technique and/or body styling should be specific to Salsa (or Bachata) dance. Movement should appear to be both clear and effortless. Connection: Connection is reflected in the lead/follow aspect of the dance. Coordination of movements between partners. Synchronization: Synchronization refers to coordinated movements and timing among members of a team and couples during shines. For more information, contact us or call 510-928-8535. Thanks and we hope to see you there!