An open solo dance section where the dancer picks the style, from jazz-funk to a cultural dance or a fusion, and is judged on technique, performance, musicality, choreography and overall impression.
Any Style is the catch-all solo section of a dance competition. Rather than entering jazz, tap, lyrical or ballet, the dancer performs one routine in whatever style shows them best: a fusion of two forms, a cultural or social dance, a commercial routine or a piece that does not sit neatly in a named class. It is the natural home for the dancer whose strongest work falls between the other sections.
A round is one performance on the stage floor. The dancer is announced, the music starts and the adjudicator watches the whole routine, then marks it. Because no style is prescribed, the panel first has to read what the dancer is trying to do, so the opening seconds matter: a clear choice of style, a confident first position and music that supports it. The rest of the routine is then marked on how well that choice is carried out.
On the Luminous-style Australian eisteddfod template this page draws on, Any Style is carried for six solo groups: 6 and Under, 8 and Under, 10 and Under, 12 and Under, 15 and Under and Open Age. Boys and girls compete together, no language is needed, the limit is three minutes and each entry is marked out of 100 under the label Marks. That template prints no criteria for the section, so none are installed. A second Australian dance template that carries the item for far more groups (novice, rising, open and elite bands from age 4 upwards, as solos and as three-, four- and five-minute team entries) does print a five-line sheet, which is described under judging below.
For a coordinator using eTalenter it is set up like any other solo: register each dancer in the right age group, record the adjudicator's mark out of 100, and the placing follows within that group. The templates do not say which styles are allowed or banned or whether props are permitted, so organisers should publish their own rules on those points.
Where Any Style is run
In eTalenter's data Any Style appears on three Australian dance templates: two competition programmes with many age and ability bands, and one eisteddfod-style programme with six solo age groups. An own-choice or open-style section is a common feature of dance eisteddfods and festivals in Australia, the United Kingdom, North America and other countries with a studio dance tradition, usually listed beside the named-style sections.
- Australia
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Canada
Key facts
- Solo (Individual) entry in the six-group version; boys and girls compete together; no language requirement.
- Six solo groups on one template: 6 and Under, 8 and Under, 10 and Under, 12 and Under, 15 and Under and Open Age.
- Time limit: 3 minutes on that template; the larger programme also runs team versions of 3, 4 and 5 minutes.
- Marks out of 100 under the label Marks; one template prints a five-line sheet (Technique 30, Performance 25, Musicality 20, Choreography 15, Overall Impression 10), the other prints none.
- Separate from Any Style Solo, All Abilities (Any Style) and First Solo (Any Style), which are their own items.
- Idea starters, not rules: a jive or swing routine, a fusion of ballet and street movement, a cultural dance the family teaches, or a short story told through one character.
On eTalenter, Any Style is filed under Dance and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 3 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Any Style is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to 3–5 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Any Style
What a Any Style panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Technique (30 on the larger programme's sheet): control and correctness in the chosen style, with clean lines, balance, turns and footwork that fit that style and the dancer's level.
- Performance (25): commitment from the first beat, with focus, projection and a clear reason for choosing this style.
- Musicality (20): steps that sit on the music, phrasing that follows its shape and accents that land with it.
- Choreography (15): a routine that shows the style at its best, with changes of pace, level and direction and a clear start, build and finish.
- Overall Impression (10): costume, hair and presentation that suit the style, worn neatly and safely, and a routine that feels finished.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Any Style under Scoring Setup, or start from the full group dance judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Any Style
How entrants and their teachers usually get Any Style right on the day:
- Choose the style the dancer performs most confidently; an open section rewards a polished strength more than an experiment.
- Show what the style is within the first fifteen seconds, so the adjudicator does not have to guess the choice.
- Pick music with a clear structure and cut it to the three-minute limit, finishing on a definite last pose.
- Keep the choreography within what can be repeated cleanly; simple and exact marks better than ambitious and shaky.
- Rehearse the entrance and the final pose as carefully as the steps, since both shape the first and last impression.
- Run the full routine at performance effort three times in a row, in costume and shoes, on a floor of stage size.
- Check the entry details early: the right age group, the right section (Any Style, not Any Style Solo or All Abilities) and the music file format.
- After a lower mark, read the adjudicator's comments with the teacher and choose one technical and one presentation point to fix.
Frequently asked questions
Is Any Style judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What counts as an any style dance?
Any style the dancer chooses, as long as it follows the organiser's rules. The templates do not list allowed or banned styles, so check the event's own conditions.
How long can an any style solo be?
Three minutes on the six-group Australian template; the larger programme also has longer team versions. Other organisers set their own limit.
Is Any Style the same as Any Style Solo?
They are separate items in eTalenter's data, from different templates with different age and ability bands, and they are not merged. Enter the one your event's schedule names.
Can I use props?
The templates do not print a prop rule, so none is stated here. Ask the organiser before the event.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full group dance judging criteria guide, or browse every dance competition item.
Try Any Style in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Any Style, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
