A dance section in which the performer chooses lyrical or contemporary movement for a routine of about three minutes, marked out of 100 by the adjudicator.
Lyrical/Contemporary is a combined style section: the dancer may bring a lyrical routine, which follows the emotion and words of the music with flowing, expressive movement, or a contemporary routine, which uses weight, floor work, release and changes of direction to tell an idea. Organisers combine the two because the styles overlap heavily and entries are too few to split into separate sections at many events. It sits in a dance programme beside the stand-alone Lyrical and Contemporary sections, so it suits the entrant whose piece blends both.
A round is one routine on the floor, announced, performed to music and judged as it happens. The adjudicator looks for a clear idea from the first phrase, movement that matches the mood of the music, control in turns, extensions and falls, and an ending that finishes with the final note. A strong entry shows the dancer's line and breath as much as the steps, and avoids filling every count with tricks so that the story still reads.
In eTalenter's data the section appears on three Australian dance templates, and the format differs between them. On a children's dance challenge it is a solo for the youngest group, Babies Under 6, with boys and girls together, three minutes and a mark out of 100. On a school education eisteddfod it is run as a team section for a primary division at three and a half minutes, and on a multi-style dance challenge it is a duo section across six age bands at three minutes each. None of the three prints marking criteria for the item, so none are installed here and the adjudicator's own sheet applies.
Organisers keep the section because it lets a dancer cross the line between the two styles without being penalised for choosing the wrong one. For a coordinator using eTalenter the item is entered like any other: register the dancer or pair in the right group, record the mark out of 100 and let the placings follow within the group.
Where Lyrical/Contemporary is run
In eTalenter's data a section titled Lyrical/Contemporary appears on three Australian dance templates: a children's dance challenge (solo, Babies Under 6), a school education eisteddfod (team, one primary division) and a multi-style dance challenge (duo, six age bands). Combined style sections of this kind are common in dance eisteddfods and competitions; this page does not claim wider reach than the templates and well-established general practice support.
- Australia
Key facts
- A combined style section: the entrant chooses lyrical or contemporary movement, or blends the two.
- Format varies by template: solo (Babies Under 6), team (one primary division) or duo (six age bands, 6 and under to 16 and over).
- Time limits in the templates: 3 minutes on two of them and 3 minutes 30 seconds on the school one. Marks out of 100 under the label Marks.
- Boys and girls compete together and no language is required.
- The templates print no judging criteria for the item, so none are installed; the adjudicator's own sheet decides.
- Idea starters, not rules: a routine built on a single image such as water or a letter never sent, a piece that begins grounded and rises, or a duo that mirrors then separates.
On eTalenter, Lyrical/Contemporary 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, Lyrical/Contemporary is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 3 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Lyrical/Contemporary
What a Lyrical/Contemporary panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Interpretation of the music: movement that follows the mood, phrasing and, where there are words, the meaning rather than just the beat.
- Technique and control: clean turns, extensions and transitions, with balance held and falls or floor work controlled rather than collapsed.
- Expression and storytelling: a clear idea carried from the first phrase to the last, with the face and upper body involved, not only the legs.
- Use of space and choreography: changes of level, direction and pace, with the stage used evenly and no single step repeated for filler.
- Presentation: costume, music edit and stage manner suited to the dancer's age, and for duos or teams, matched timing and awareness of each other.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Lyrical/Contemporary under Scoring Setup, or start from the full group dance judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Lyrical/Contemporary
How entrants and their teachers usually get Lyrical/Contemporary right on the day:
- Choose the style on purpose: decide whether the piece is lyrical, contemporary or a blend before choreographing, so the movement language stays consistent.
- Pick music the dancer can feel; the adjudicator can tell when a track has been used only because it is popular.
- Map the routine to a clear beginning, build and ending, and trim it to fit the time limit with the music cut to match.
- Practise the floor work and turns on the competition surface or a similar one, in the footwear or bare feet the dancer will use on the day.
- For duos and teams, rehearse spacing and entry counts until the group moves as one without watching each other.
- Rehearse the performance as well as the steps: eyes up, breath with the phrases, and a calm hold at the end before leaving the floor.
- Bring a spare copy of the music in the format the organiser asks for, and know the running order so the dancer is warmed up in time.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lyrical/Contemporary judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
What is Lyrical/Contemporary in a dance competition?
It is a combined style section in which the dancer or group performs a lyrical or contemporary routine, judged on interpretation, technique, expression and presentation.
Is Lyrical/Contemporary the same as the separate Lyrical and Contemporary sections?
No. It is a combined section for entries that sit between the two styles, whereas the stand-alone sections expect one style. Check the organiser's syllabus to see which a given routine belongs in.
How long is a Lyrical/Contemporary routine?
In the templates it is three minutes, or three and a half minutes in the school education one, and the entry is marked out of 100.
Is it a solo or a group item?
It depends on the template: one carries it as a solo for the youngest group, one as a team section and one as a duo section. Check the group list of the event you enter.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full group dance judging criteria guide, or browse every dance competition item.
Try Lyrical/Contemporary in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Lyrical/Contemporary, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
