A solo dance section in which the dancer is given music they have not rehearsed to and must create lyrical-style movement on the spot, marked out of 100 by the adjudicator.
Lyrical Improvisation is a solo section where the choreography is made in the moment. Lyrical dance blends the control of ballet with the emotional openness of jazz and contemporary work, and it is usually danced to music with words or a strong melodic line. In the improvisation version the dancer does not bring a prepared routine. They hear the music, usually for the first time, and respond to it with movement that suits the lyrical style.
A round is short and runs one dancer at a time. The dancer is announced, the music starts and the adjudicator watches how quickly the dancer settles into the mood of the piece, how the movement follows its phrases and where it swells or softens, and whether the performance holds together to the final note. Because nothing is rehearsed, what the adjudicator sees is the dancer’s training and instinct rather than a polished routine.
On the Rise Up Dance Creative template the section is a solo, entered by age division only: Improv 6 and under, 8 and under, 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under, 16 and under and 17 plus. Boys and girls compete together, no language is required and each entry is marked out of 100 under the label Marks. The template prints no time limit and no marking criteria for this item, so none are installed and the adjudicator’s own sheet applies.
Organisers include improvisation sections to reward dancers who can think and feel on their feet, something a rehearsed routine cannot show. For a coordinator using eTalenter it is entered like any other item: register each dancer in the correct age division, record the adjudicator’s mark out of 100, and placings follow within each division.
Where Lyrical Improvisation is run
In eTalenter’s data Lyrical Improvisation appears on six dance templates, all of them Australian dance challenges and eisteddfods, and the Rise Up Dance Creative programme is one of them. Improvisation classes are a less common part of a dance programme than the standard styles, and some organisers name them differently, for example simply as Improvisation or Impro, so check the wording of the syllabus you are entering.
- Australia
Key facts
- Solo only on the Rise Up Dance Creative template; no group or duo version is listed.
- Seven age divisions, from Improv 6 and under to Improv 17 plus.
- Boys and girls compete together; no language requirement.
- The template prints no time limit and no criteria; the adjudicator’s sheet decides, with a single mark out of 100.
- Sister sections on the same template: Hip Hop, Contemporary and Jazz Improvisation, each with the same seven age divisions.
- Idea starters, not rules: practise to unfamiliar songs at home, start by listening for the first lyric before moving, and plan a simple opening and closing shape you can reach whatever the music does.
On eTalenter, Lyrical Improvisation is filed under Dance and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 6 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 Improvisation is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100.
What judges look at in Lyrical Improvisation
What a Lyrical Improvisation panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Response to the music: movement that follows the melody, phrasing and mood of the piece rather than running independently of it.
- Lyrical quality: flowing, sustained movement with controlled, connected transitions between shapes.
- Spontaneity and creativity: fresh choices made in the moment, not a prepared routine fitted to the music.
- Technique and control: balance, posture, line and clean execution of the steps the dancer chooses to use.
- Emotional expression and performance: genuine feeling carried through face and body for the whole piece.
- Structure: a clear opening, a sense of build and a settled ending, even though nothing was planned.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Lyrical Improvisation under Scoring Setup, or start from the full group dance judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Lyrical Improvisation
How entrants and their teachers usually get Lyrical Improvisation right on the day:
- Practise with music you do not know: ask a friend to choose songs and play them once, then dance straight away.
- Build a small vocabulary of go-to lyrical moves, such as a turn, a leap, a floor movement and a held balance, that you can link in any order.
- Listen for the shape of the music in the first few bars and decide your opening before you move.
- Keep moving through nervous moments; a calm, simple choice delivered with commitment beats stopping to think.
- Use the whole space and change level and direction so the performance does not stay in one spot.
- Work on endings: know two or three ways to finish a phrase so you can land with the last note.
- Rehearse in the costume and footwear you will wear, so nothing restricts the movement on the day.
- Have a teacher or friend film a practice session and note where you froze or repeated, then train those moments.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lyrical Improvisation 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 is Lyrical Improvisation in a dance competition?
It is a solo section where the dancer creates lyrical-style movement on the spot to music they have not rehearsed to, and the adjudicator marks how well they respond.
Is Lyrical Improvisation judged individually or as a team?
Individually. On the Rise Up Dance Creative template it is a solo section with its own age divisions.
Can I prepare a routine in advance for Lyrical Improvisation?
No. The point of the section is that the movement is made in the moment, so you prepare by building technique and a flexible set of movements rather than a fixed routine.
Does the template print judging criteria for this item?
No. It prints none, so the adjudicator’s own sheet is used and eTalenter records a single mark out of 100.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full group dance judging criteria guide, or browse every dance competition item.
Try Lyrical Improvisation in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Lyrical Improvisation, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
