MSF Rules and Bylaws

 

 

General Participant Requirements
1. Attendees must have a full weekend pass in order to register and compete in
competitions offered at Monterey Swing Fest. If an attendee only has a Day/Evening
pass, they are NOT eligible to compete.
2. Attendees will wear their wristband throughout the duration of the weekend.
3. Pay any required entry fees for each competition before the contests begin.
4. Sign a legal waiver (if under the age of 18 a parent or guardian must sign for you) to
participate in the event. If under the age of 18, attendee must have their parent or
guardian with them while in the ballroom.
5. Register for each competition by the official entry deadline and have a bib number. Entry
deadlines are available on the schedule.
6. Adhere to the Code of Conduct posted on the Monterey Swing Fest website.
7. Entering a contest indicates consent for the event to use unrestricted use of your name
and likeness in photos and videos that may appear in future promotions.
8. Meet all other specified requirements to enter your contests as outlined in these rules.
9. All Covid and other illness-related mandates will be strictly adhered to if called upon by
local authorities. At the time of this posting, there are no current vaccine or testing
requirements but is subject to change.

Role/Gender Inclusiveness
Monterey Swing Fest welcomes persons of any gender to dance as a leader or as a follower in
our contests. (Please see the specific rules for each competition for any additional requirements).

Dress Code
Monterey Swing Fest strives to have all attendees and competitors thrive in a safe environment.
This means that although we want attendees to wear what they feel comfortable in and allows for
creative expression through their attire, any actions or clothing that judges view as disrespectful
or unsafe towards one’s partner or other dancers, will not be tolerated. Contestants should check
with the Head Judge in advance if they have any questions regarding acceptable actions,

movements, or clothing. Please be mindful or wearing strong scents, perfumes, or colognes while
participating in contests.

Procedure for Competitions
1. Line ups will be announced in the main ballroom prior to your competition.
2. You must line up and check in with the contest coordinators in the designated locations.
3. If you are not in line and checked in by the time the contest is ready to begin, you will be
scratched.

Contest Requirements
1. Entries: Each contest must have a minimum of five entries to be a valid contest. Contest
with fewer than five entries may be canceled or may have the prize money reduced at the
Organizer’s discretion. Entry fees for canceled contests will be refunded.
2. Judges: Each contest will be judged by a qualified panel of Champion Judges.
Additionally, there will be a Head Judge and Alternate Judges available.
3. Scoring System: Contests are scored by computer and relative placement. Contestants
will be judged in the preliminaries and/or semi-finals as an individual and as a couple in
any finals for Jack and Jill competitions. They will be judged as a couple in all rounds for
all strictly divisions.

Posting of Results
The results of all the competitions will be posted after the final awards are awarded as soon as
possible.

Strictly Swing Contests
Sign up with a partner of your choice. Lead/follow contest. Depending on the number of couples,
there may be a preliminary round and/or semi-final round, followed by a final. This division will
be danced in heats and/or spotlight at the promoter’s discretion. Dancers must maintain their own

physical contact with the floor during partner weight support moves, with the exception of the
All/Star Champions division where lifts are allowed.
-Costumes and props are not allowed but coordinating attire is acceptable.
-Strictly Swing partners may dance with the same partner only if they dance in different
roles and in a different division.
-You may enter more than one strictly swing contest by dancing at your WSDC level in
your dominant role, and two levels ‘down’ in your non dominant role or if you dance
with a different partner that qualifies for a higher role.
-Skill divisions: Newcomer/Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, All Star/Champion: A
couple’s strictly swing division is determined by their WSDC Jack and Jill levels. If
partner’s qualify for different WSDC levels, they must enter at the higher skill level if
dancing their dominant role.
-Master’s Strictly Swing: Contestants must be 50 years or older to be eligible to compete
in this division. Masters contests are an age division and is therefore open to all skill
levels so long as they meet the age requirement.
-Generational Strictly Swing: Contestants must have a twenty year age gap between them
to qualify for this division.
-If a strictly couple signs up together for a leveled strictly swing division, they may also
sign up for Master’s Strictly or Generational Strictly, so long as they qualify.

WSDC Jack and Jill
Sign ups are done as an individual. Lead/follow contest. Depending on the number of couples,
there may be a preliminary round and/or semi-final round, followed by a final. Dancers must
maintain their own physical contact with the floor during partner weight support moves, with the
exception of the Champions division where lifts are allowed.
-WSDC qualified Jack and Jills include: Novice, Intermediate, Masters Open, Advanced,
All Star, and Champions.
-We adhere to WSDC Jack and Jill rules. You may compete in up to two skill divisions in
WSDC Jack and Jills.

-Non WSDC Jack and Jill contests include: WCS 101 (open to brand new dancers with
up to a maximum of 10 Newcomer points), All American (a contest open to any all skill
levels), and Masters Novice (contestants must be 50 years of age or older and do not
have WSDC points exceeding the Novice division.)

All American Jack and Jill
Dancers must maintain their own physical contact with the floor during partner weight support
moves. We are running a new style of All American Jack and Jill. Professional staff of Monterey
Swing Fest will be placed into the finals. Contestants will sign up and be randomly selected with
a partner. That pairing will be judged as a couple in the prelims and the semis. You and your
partner will make the final together as a couple. For the finals, partnerships will be once again
randomly selected and you will have a potentially new partnership. Finals will be judged as
newly coupled partnerships.

***Pro-Am Spotlight Routines***
This division is designed to highlight a performance between a professional and an amateur. We
offer a combined Pro Lead/Am Follow and Pro Follow/Am Lead division.
1. To qualify for this division, an instructor/student relationship must exist between the
professional and the amateur.
2. Amateurs are defined as anyone who is not compensated in any way for teaching or judging.
3. Professionals are defined as anyone who ears a significant amount of income teaching or
performing swing.
4. The time limit for the routine must be a minimum of 1 1/2 minutes and a maximum of 3
minutes.
5. Swing Content: 50% is present throughout the performance.
6. Amateurs must be at least 8 years of age at the time of the performance.
7. Costumes are encouraged however it is not a requirement.

8. Choreography is required along with set music. Competitors get to select their own music
and must submit their music by the deadline set forth by the event.
9. Lifts, drops, tricks, and stunts are allowed but not required.

Special Requests
If you have special requests or questions of any kind please reach out to us at
info@montereyswing.com
We do ask that you send special requests as far in advance as possible prior to the start of the
event (Wednesday leading into the event weekend.)

Petitions
Petitioning:
Petitions may only be submitted to dance one level up or down in their dominant role. Petitions
to dance up must be submitted 15 days prior to the start of the event to the Chief Judges
Committee: worldsdc.com/level-up-petition
To petition down, dancers may either fill out the form electronically and email it
to Estelle.Bonnaire@gmail.com or fill out a paper copy, available at event registration. "Dancing
down" petitions must be submitted prior to 5pm PST on Friday January 16th, 2026. In the case
of all petitions submitted, our Head Judge will review your petition and either approve or deny
your request. You will be contacted with the decision as soon as possible. Please be prepared to
dance in your original competition level or division in case your petition is denied. The petition
form to "dance down" is available here: https://www.worldsdc.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/
WSDC-Jack-and-Jill-petition_vF_Oct-2023.pdf

Competitors are responsible for following the WSDC Registry Rules. Competitors will not
receive WSDC points for placement if they fail to follow the WSDC Points Registry Rules.