Rules & Regulations

General provisions

1.1 Participants must be over 18 years old.

1.2 Participants must follow the regulations at all times, in violation of the rules the participant can be refused or disqualified without further discussion.

1.3 Participants must be sober on stage.

1.4 Itac is prohibited, other magnesiums or body grips are alowed.

1.5 There are 2 poles, and participants are expected to use both static as spinning. By not using one pole the participant can not be judged fairly, therefore deductions will be given.

1.6 Participants report themselves present before the deadline of their category (see regulations per category). If you are too late without notifying us of your presence or letting the organization know you are stuck in traffic (for example) the dayplanning is re-organised without you in it. If you show up after deadline you’ll have to discuss with the program manager if it’s still possible to go on stage (refusal without explanation is possible) and whether deductions are given.

1.7 The judges decisions are final, there is no room for discussion.

1.8 In case of the refusal of the participant for any violation, a refund is not possible.

1.9 If the participant is injured, afraid or had any other reason not to go on stage, the financial loss is on the participants risk and refund is not possible.

1.10 The participants participate at their own risk. They are expected to know their limits and know the state of health they’re in. If anything goes wrong while being on stage that is not clearly admitted to defaults of the stage (holes or loose poles) the organization is not responsible.

1.11 If due to corona the event has to be moved up, the participants move up with the event and refunds are not possible.

1.12 If due to corona the event has to be cancelled, the participants and public can get a refund.

1.13 If due to corona the event has limited access, there will be chosen for the event to be moved up and therefore no refunds are given. The participants’ spot in the competition will be saved.

1.14 When participants sign up for photographs during their performance, they also agree for the photo’s to be used for commercial purposes by the organization.

1.15 When there are seats left (also depending on the corona situation) a plan will be made for participants to spectate other participants and the guest performances as well. You are ought to follow this plan.

1.16 When participants spectate other participants ‘boo-ing’ or other negative influences are not allowed. We expect everyone to be sportive and friendly to one and other.

Stage presence

This is allowed as a bottom in all categories. No tangas, thongs or nudity is allowed as attire EXCEPT in the sexy seductive category, you are allowed to strip down to a tanga (no nudity).

 

2.1. On stage the participants have to wear well-fitted performance attire. The private areas must stay covered at all times (nipples, crotch).
2.2. When the participants private areas become visible during a performance (nipslips or pantys that move around) great deductions will be given.
2.3. If the participant does not follow the rules and shows private parts on purpose the show will be cut off.
2.4.  You are allowed to strip in just 1 category (Sexy seductive) and this is prohibited in the other categories.
2.5. You are allowed to strip down to covered nipples with tassels and strip down to a thong/tanga only in the sexy seductive category.
2.6. Lingerie is allowed as attire in this category.

 

2.6. Regular sport outfits are prohibited. This is a show, so show attire is obligatory.
2.7. Participant must be wearing make up that is visible for the audience and in theme (exceptions are made when the artist concept is neutral by choice, but it has to be fitted by a special neutral theme).
2.8. Stage hair is obligatory.
2.9. Every participant should wear heels made for poledancing. There is no difference made between male or female dancers.
2.10 You are expected to finish your show. Only the category ‘First time on stage!’ is allowed to cramp up and walk off stage if something goes wrong. The other participants are expected to be experienced and professional enough to finish it. Walking off will get you disqualified. There are no do-overs.
2.11 When hair or make-up loosens during performance, this will get you deductions.
2.12 We encourage special effects on stage, however fire, fireworks, anything of that sort is not allowed for safety reasons.
2.13. Touching oneself in a satisfying manner is not allowed. Think carefully before touching your privates parts on stage.

The venue will be Theater aan de Rijn

Rijnstaat 42

6811 EX Arnhem

Poles: 45 mm diameter Brass lupit poles

3 m apart. Left static right spinning from audience view

Are you a beginning performer and finally found the guts to perform on stage, or with little experience on heels but interested in creating a piece, then this is your category! The focus will be less on technique and more on stage presence. Are you feeling it? Are you having fun? Do you have a grasp of the style you applied on your performance? The 4 styles too choose from are ‘sexy seductive’, ‘Pole Art’ & ‘Flow’ & Hard in Heels (descriptions below).  Despite the style all the First timers will share one category and battle for the title of ‘Best First Timer’!

Accessible for:

• Anyone that has not performed before
• Did you participate in FTOS last year BUT did not win? You are allowed to enter this categorie 3 years in a row before you are obligated to move up.
• Is not used to dancing in front of people (so teachers are excluded from this group)
• Beginning poler in heels
• Not higher than intermediate level poledancing.

Music:

• Length must be between 3.00 minutes – 3.11 minutes.
• No moaning or other sexual sounds are allowed in the music.
• If the music is edited to fit the time limit, a good ending is sufficient. If the music is just cut-off without fade-out this will cost you deductions
• Ending before the music ends results in deductions.
• This category does not allow stripping (also not with theme sexy seductive). This is because we want to ristrict the stripping to just one moment of the show, so the people who get uncomfortable have a choice to avoid this part. Also, it’s your first time! Take it easy 😉.

Moves:

• To enter moves are optional. More difficult moves will not result in higher placement, however execution will. If you are able to enter a difficult move without interrupting the dance, adding thematic touches this will result in higher over all scores.
• This category won’t be judged on flexibility yet, so splits don’t have to be straight yet. You are judged by how confidently you perform it.
• Stage presence is the most important thing in this category!

Rules that apply to this category:

2.4.  You are allowed to strip in just 1 category (Sexy seductive) and this is prohibited in the other categories.
2.5. You are allowed to strip down to covered nipples with tassels and strip down to a thong only in the sexy seductive category.
2.6. Lingerie is allowed as attire in this category.

 

Semi – Pro

The Sexy Seductive Semi – Pro category is for all the experienced dancers from minimum intermediate level and up. In this category you’ll be judged on technique, eye contact with the audience and seductive skills. You are allowed to strip, but not strip to nudity (to nipple covers is allowed) (see rules ‘stage presence’ above). When stripping is part of your act you are allowed to give it some time as long as you built up tension and stay in ( or keep eye-) contact with the audience. You’ll be judged on musicality and originality and your confidence level. You have performed or competed before but there is room to grow. You’ll be judged mainly on your seductive skills. Examples for this category are stripperstyle, old school poler style and burlesque influences. Floor grinding, twerking and bootyclapping is allowed. Tricks are by choice, and have to fit in the dance. Low flow and floorwork is stronger judged in this category.

Accessible for:

• People who have competed before or danced in front of an audience before
• Teachers who’s name is not their main selling brand
• Teachers that teach beginners or below intermediate level exotic polers
• Level intermediate – intermediate/advanced polers.
• If you are able to do a few advanced tricks but don’t execute them easily and flawlessly you still belong in the intermediate/advanced category.

Music:

• Length between 3.30 minutes – 3.41 minutes.
• No moaning or other sexual sounds are allowed in the music.
• If the music is edited to fit the time limit, a good ending is sufficient. If the music is just cut-off without fade-out this will cost you deductions.
• Ending before the music ends results in deductions.

Moves:

• You’ll be mainly judged on the dancing around the pole
• Floorwork has to make a out a great deal of the performance
• Difficulty level in the tricks will not result in higher placement, execution however will.

 

Professional/ Elite:

This category is for all the professional dancers, teachers or strippers who dance in front of an audience on a daily basis. Also if you have earned money with your performances in any way you belong in this category. This is for a higher advanced level and you’ll be judged on execution that is expected to be nearly flawless. You know how to create a show and you will let us know who you are! You are confident with no doubt and your toes are always pointed. You are allowed to strip, but not strip to nudity (you’ll find more specifications about what is allowed on stage and what is not in the rules, regulations & more. Read this carefully, violations will result in deductions or even in disqualification). If stripping is part of your act you do this with great attitude and well incorporated as part of the dance. The stripping itself should not be the main focal point, the movement around it is.  You sway with the music and are confident with your sexuality. You will be judged on sensuality, confidence, eye contact, flexibility and musicality. The way you incorporate tricks should be appropiate, in style, on beat and without interupting the dance. Examples for this category are stripperstyle, old school poler style and burlesque influences. Floor grinding, twerking and bootyclapping is allowed. Tricks are by choice, and have to fit in the dance. Low flow and floorwork is stronger judged in this category.

Accessible for:

• Professional dancers, strippers, teachers
• Highly advanced teachers
• Exotic teachers that teach advanced exotic as well
• If you have competed in a professional category before and won first place

Music:

• Length between 4.30 minutes – 4.41 minutes.
• No moaning or other sexual sounds are allowed in the music.
• If the music is edited to fit the time limit, a good ending is sufficient. If the music is just cut-off without fade-out this will cost you deductions.
• Ending before the music ends results in deductions.

Moves:

• You’ll be mainly judged on the dancing around the pole
• Floorwork has to make a out a great deal of the performance
• The addition of many tricks is optional. However for the professionals performance you must add at least 1 trick to highlight your skill level, corporate this well in your performance, and neatly finish it off. You’ll be judged on the skill level of the best trick involved ( if you choose to do more).
• You’ll be judged on your flexibility and legwork as well. If you aren’t able to do a full split you have to make sure the judges don’t notice it 😉

Semi – Pro

This category is all about the fluidity of the moves. We want to challenge you to be like water & make everything smooth as can be, to melt & make it soft. We expect moves in the pole to be up to level and be organically blended it (for example to do a butterfly with legwaves instead of a static hold). Hypnotise us with octopus legs, twists & turns. Think of flowy legmovements, edgework & airwalks etc.

Accessible for:

• People who have competed before or danced in front of an audience before
• Teachers who’s name is not their main selling brand
• Teachers that teach beginners or below intermediate level exotic polers
• Level intermediate – intermediate/advanced polers.
• If you are able to do a few advanced tricks but don’t execute them easily and flawlessly you still belong in the intermediate/advanced category.

Music:

• Length between 3.30 minutes – 3.41 minutes.
• No moaning or other sexual sounds are allowed in the music.
• If the music is edited to fit the time limit, a good ending is sufficient. If the music is just cut-off without fade-out this will cost you deductions.
• Ending before the music ends results in deductions.

Moves:

• You’ll be judged on your low flow, floorwork and level of tricks in the pole
• You’ll be judged on the fluidity of the performance & legwork
• Difficulty level in the tricks is part of your ranking. The level is everything till intermediate/advanced (Check the list of moves at the end of this document).

 

Professional/Elite

This category is for all professional dancers/teachers/ studio owners. This category is all about the fluidity of the moves. We want to challenge you to be like water & make everything smooth as can be, to melt & make it soft. We expect moves in the pole to be up to level and be organically blended it (for example to execute an Ayesha with legwaves in stead of a static hold).  Hypnotise us with octopus legs, twists & turns. Think of flowy legmovements, edgework & airwalks etc.

Accessible for:

• Professional dancers
• Highly advanced teachers
• Exotic teachers that teach advanced exotic as well

Music:

• Length between 4.30 minutes – 4.41 minutes.
• If the music is edited to fit the time limit, a good ending is sufficient. If the music is just cut-off without fade-out this will cost you deductions.
• Ending before the music ends results in deductions.

Moves:

• You’ll be judged on your low flow, floorwork and level of tricks in the pole
• Difficulty level in the tricks is part of your ranking.
• You’ll be judged on the fluidity of the performance & legwork
• You’ll be judged on your flexibility as well as strength

The Pole Art Semi – Pro category is for the experienced dancer from minimum intermediate level and up. This category is about telling your story. You can take us anywhere you want, fairytales, Disney characters, memories, happy tales or broken hearts. As long as your concept is clear, and does not need to be explained to understood. Besides technique this level is strongly judged on creativity and originality. We want to see floorwork, low pole flow and tricks up in the pole come together and be evenly distributed in this category.

Accessible for:

• People who have competed before or danced in front of an audience before
• Teachers who’s name is not their main selling brand
• Teachers that teach beginners or below intermediate level exotic polers
• Level intermediate – intermediate/advanced polers.
• If you are able to do a few advanced tricks but don’t execute them easily and flawlessly you still belong in the intermediate/advanced category.

Music:

• Length between 3.30 minutes – 3.41 minutes.
• No moaning or other sexual sounds are allowed in the music.
• If the music is edited to fit the time limit, a good ending is sufficient. If the music is just cut-off without fade-out this will cost you deductions.
• Ending before the music ends results in deductions.

Moves:

• You’ll be judged on your low flow, floorwork and level of tricks in the pole
• *Use the height of the pole at least once in you’re performance
• Difficulty level in the tricks is part of your ranking. The level is everything till intermediate/advanced (Check the list of moves at the end of this document).

 

 

Professional/ Advanced

This category is for professional dancers or teachers. You should be experienced in choreographing and be able to move fluidly and incorporate harder techniques in your dance while staying in theme. Floorwork, low flow and tricks in the pole come togehter and be well distributed to represent each component. You are able to tell your story and maybe add a few surprise or gasping elements. Take your public to wherever you want, fairytales, Disney characters, memories, happy tales or broken hearts. As long as your concept is clear without further explanation. You’ll be judged on originality and creativity and also on the way you are able to move or inspire the audience. There are no restrictions in tricks in this level (see listing above what is considered highly advanced level).

Accessible for:

• Professional dancers
• Highly advanced teachers
• Exotic teachers that teach advanced exotic as well

Music:

• Length between 4.30 minutes – 4.41 minutes.
• If the music is edited to fit the time limit, a good ending is sufficient. If the music is just cut-off without fade-out this will cost you deductions.
• Ending before the music ends results in deductions.

Moves:

• You’ll be judged on your low flow, floorwork and level of tricks in the pole
• Difficulty level in the tricks is part of your ranking.
• You’ll be judged on your flexibility as well as strength
• *Use the height of the pole at least once in you’re performance

Semi – Pro

This category is for the experienced dancer from minimum intermediate level and up. This style is fast, hard and full of trickery. Drop to your splits, add upbeat or hardcore music and wake us up. We expect hairflicks and attitude. Work with your face and move the crowd. This category is judged more on technique, amount of well incorporated tricks on the floor and flips in and from the pole. Long and softly executed pretty combo’s don’t belong in this category, we expect you to be rough BUT neatly finished. Sloppy feet result in deductions.

Accessible for:

• People who have competed before or danced in front of an audience before
• Teachers who’s name is not their main selling brand
• Teachers that teach beginners or below intermediate level exotic polers
• Level intermediate – intermediate/advanced polers.
• If you are able to do a few advanced tricks but don’t execute them easily and flawlessly you still belong in the intermediate/advanced category.

Music:

• Length between 3.30 minutes – 3.11 minutes.
• No moaning or other sexual sounds are allowed in the music.
• If the music is edited to fit the time limit, a good ending is sufficient. If the music is just cut-off without fade-out this will cost you deductions.
• Ending before the music ends results in deductions.

Moves:

• You’ll be judged on your low flow tricks, controlled flips, kips and drops.
• Originality of the tricks involved play a role in your ranking
• You’ll be judged by your energy level and how well you’re able to keep the crowd going
• You’ll be judged on attitude

 

This category is for professional dancers or teachers. You should be an experience performer and be confident building your own party and trying to move the audience with you. his style is fast, hard and full of trickery. Drop to your splits, add upbeat or hardcore music and wake us up. We expect hairflicks and attitude. Work with your face and move the crowd. This category is judged more on technique, amount of well incorporated tricks on the floor and flips in and from the pole. Everything is upbeat but neatly finished. There is no need to use the height of the pole in this category, low flow en tricks and originality are mainly judged.  Sloppy feet result in deductions. In the advanced category you will be judged on endurance as well. How well are you able to keep up with the high pace and keep the level of trickery up. Also we expect a certain surprise effect in unexpected (original) drops, flips or kicks. You’ll be judged on how well you were able to shock and shake up the audience.

Accessible for:

• Professional dancers
• Highly advanced teachers
• Exotic teachers that teach advanced exotic as well

Music:

• Length between 4.30 minutes – 4.41 minutes.
• If the music is edited to fit the time limit, a good ending is sufficient. If the music is just cut-off without fade-out this will cost you deductions.
• Ending before the music ends results in deductions.

Moves:

• You’ll be judged on your low flow tricks, controlled flips, kips and drops.
• Originality of the tricks involved play a role in your ranking
• You’ll be judged by your energy level and how well you’re able to keep the crowd going
• You’ll be judged on endurance

You’ll be judged on attitude

As a duo or group act you’ll be judged on the level you represent as a pair. Main focus will be synchronicity and interplay between the dancers. From this category a first, second and third ranking will be chosen but the styles are mixed. The duo or group chooses by which style they go (see above) and will be judged on how well and original they are able to apply this on their act. We expect to see a cohesive show and do not catch participants of an act waiting for their turn or doing nothing.

Moves:

• Judged on synchronity (from either same moves or counting)
• How well the persons involved interact with eachother and the public
• How well the persons involved have matching outfits (clearly belong to the same act)
• How well the moves flow into one another and have a certain unexpected factor
• Originality of the duo/triple etc moves.
• Judged on the overall theme.

Music:

• Length between 4.30 minutes – 4.41 minutes.
• If the music is edited to fit the time limit, a good ending is sufficient. If the music is just cutoff without fade-out this will cost you deductions.
• Ending before the music ends results in deductions.

The solely purpose of this list is to give you direction in which category you belong

 

The following moves are considered to fit level Semi-Pro (Intermediate/advanced)

• Iron X
  deadlift shouldermount
• Jade
• Basic drops or drops that come from a move with 3 contact points (e.g. Running man)
• Extended butterfly
• Cocoon
• Eagle
• Allegra/ Allegra split
• Phoenix

 

Moves that are solely allowed in the Professional/Elite level (The following list consists of examples that are considered highly advanced) :

 

• Spatchcock
• Airwalk deadlift
• Drops from no contact points in the pole
• Fonji
• Bird of paradise
• Russian Split
• Onehanded phoenix