A catch-all solo dance section for any style not covered by the named style sections, or for a dancer's second dance in a style they have already entered, marked out of 100 by the adjudicator within their age and level.
Open (All Other Styles or 2nd Dances) is the solo section that catches everything the named style sections do not. A dancer whose style has no section of its own, such as a cultural dance, a character piece or a novelty routine, enters here. So does a dancer who has already entered jazz, lyrical or tap and wants to perform a second routine in that same style. The title says exactly that: all other styles, or second dances.
A round is one solo performance. The dancer is announced, the music starts, and the adjudicator watches from the opening position to the final pose. Because the section has no single style, the adjudicator judges the routine against the standards of the style the dancer chose: clean technique for that genre, a performance that suits the music, and a routine built to the age and level of the entrant. A second jazz dance is judged as jazz, a cultural dance as the tradition it comes from.
On the Shine Bright Dance Challenge template, which this page is written from, Open is one of fifteen solo styles. Each single age from 7 to 15, then 16-17 and 18 and over, has four levels - Specially Restricted, Restricted, Open and Advance - so the item sits in 44 age-and-level groups. Boys and girls compete together, no language is required, every solo runs to three minutes and every entry is marked out of 100 under the label Marks. The syllabus extract printed on the template does not describe any marking criteria for the section, so none are installed and the adjudicator's own sheet applies.
Organisers keep an open section so that no entrant is turned away for lack of a matching style, and so that dancers can enter a second routine without the programme needing a section for every genre. For a coordinator using eTalenter it is entered like any other item: register each dancer in the right age and level, record the adjudicator's mark out of 100, and placings follow within each group.
Where Open (All Other Styles or 2nd Dances) is run
In eTalenter's data the section titled Open (All Other Styles or 2nd Dances) appears on one dance template, the Shine Bright Dance Challenge solos day on the Central Coast of New South Wales. Open or any-style solo sections are a common feature of Australian dance eisteddfod and festival programmes; this page does not claim wider reach than that.
- Australia
Key facts
- Solo only, with boys and girls competing together and no language requirement.
- Covers any style without its own section, or a second dance in a style the dancer has already entered.
- On the Shine Bright Dance Challenge template it is one of 15 solo styles, with single ages 7 to 15, then 16-17 and 18 and over.
- Four levels per age: Specially Restricted, Restricted, Open and Advance, giving 44 groups in all for this item.
- Time limit in the template: 3 minutes. Marks out of 100 under the label Marks; no judging criteria are printed for it.
- Idea starters, not rules: a cultural or folk dance, a character piece, a second jazz or lyrical routine in a different mood from the first, or a musical-theatre-style comic number.
On eTalenter, Open (All Other Styles or 2nd Dances) is filed under Dance and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Open (All Other Styles or 2nd Dances) is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 3 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Open (All Other Styles or 2nd Dances)
What a Open (All Other Styles or 2nd Dances) panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Technique for the chosen style: the adjudicator measures the routine against what is expected of that genre, so posture, lines and control must suit the style entered.
- Choice of material: a style and routine that fit the dancer's age and level, not steps beyond what they can perform cleanly.
- Musicality: steps and accents that respond to the phrasing of the music, finishing with the final note.
- Performance and presentation: commitment, expression and a costume that supports the style.
- Contrast for second dances: a routine that shows a different mood, tempo or skill from the dancer's first entry in that style.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Open (All Other Styles or 2nd Dances) under Scoring Setup, or start from the full group dance judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Open (All Other Styles or 2nd Dances)
How entrants and their teachers usually get Open (All Other Styles or 2nd Dances) right on the day:
- Decide early whether this is a new style or a second dance, and check the syllabus for how each must be entered.
- Pick music that suits the style, cut it to the three-minute limit and mark its phrases and lifts.
- For a second dance, change mood, tempo or story so the adjudicator sees range, not a repeat of the first routine.
- For a style with no section of its own, be ready to name it on the entry form so the adjudicator knows what to expect.
- Rehearse in full and against the clock, in costume, at performance speed.
- Choose difficulty you can land every time; a simpler routine done cleanly beats an ambitious one that wobbles.
- Practise the entrance and the final pose, since they frame the whole routine.
Frequently asked questions
Is Open (All Other Styles or 2nd Dances) 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 does Open (All Other Styles or 2nd Dances) mean?
It is a solo section for any dance style that has no section of its own, or for a second dance in a style the dancer has already entered.
How long is an Open solo?
On the Shine Bright Dance Challenge template solos in this section run to three minutes, and the entry is marked out of 100.
Is this section judged individually or as a team?
It is a solo section, judged individually and ranked within the dancer's own age and level group.
Can I enter a second jazz or lyrical dance here?
The section title says second dances are allowed. Check the organiser's syllabus for any rule on how a second dance must be entered.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full group dance judging criteria guide, or browse every dance competition item.
Try Open (All Other Styles or 2nd Dances) in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Open (All Other Styles or 2nd Dances), and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
