Welcome to our second Slow Balboa competition – the Stardust Championships! We’re excited to see dancers have fun, showcase their skills, and celebrate this unique style. In 2025, we will have both an amateur and open competition.

Qualifications:

Amateur Strictly: open to competitors who have not placed in any Slow Balboa competition AND have not made finals at an Advanced or higher level in any swing dance style in a national or international-level swing dance competition. *If you are taking the Advanced Track, you should consider competing in the Open level.

 **If you are unsure whether or not you qualify as “Amateur”, please email us at [email protected]

Open Strictly: open to all competitors except main event instructors at Stardust Slow Balboa Weekend.

Format for Amateur Competition:

• Prelims: 3 all-skates to varying levels of tempos
• Finals: 3 all-skate songs (no spotlights)

Format for Open Competition

• Prelims: 3 all-skates to varying levels of tempos
• Finals: two all-skates, and spotlight songs (~1.5min) for each couple

Rules:  

1. You must dance with your chosen partner for each dance in the role you signed up as.
2. Aerials & floorials are allowed, but you must be safe and aware of your surroundings.
3. If you do not show up to competition check-in on time, you may be scratched without refund.
4. You do NOT need a Full Weekend Pass or Dance Pass to compete.  You DO need a ticket to the Saturday evening dance.

***Registration for the competition ends on Saturday, Nov. 15th at 12pm (noon).***

Schedule:

• Prelims (Amateur & Open): Saturday afternoon (5-6pm)
  • *Mandatory Competitor’s meeting right at 5pm (in the ballroom lobby)!!!
• Finals (Amateur & Open): Saturday night (Amateur: 1st band break, Open: 2nd band break)
  • *Mandatory Competitor’s Meeting at the top of each band break (in the ballroom lobby)!

Registration: You can register for the comp when you register for the event.  If you have already registered for a pass and wish to add the comp, or if you are attending the dance in the evening and wish to register for a competition you can register for a competition with this link. The deadline for registering is Saturday, November 15th 12:00 PM.

Prizes:

Amateur: 1st, 2nd, 3rd place get engraved plaques. Amateur 1st place gets a pass to Stardust 2026.

Open: 1st, 2nd, 3rd places get engraved plaques AND Free Passes to Stardust 2026. 1^st place winners of the Open get an opportunity to teach an elective class and judge the Amateur comp at Stardust 2026.

Judging:

Judges will be looking for a strong foundation in closed-position styles, such as Dean Raftery’s Slow Balboa or Ray Cunningham’s Laminu (Lambda Nu). Contestants will be judged on their ability to blend these traditional techniques with their own creative flair, demonstrating flowing, expressive movement. While contemporary open-position steps are welcome, these movements should complement—rather than overshadow—dancers’ knowledge and mastery of the closed-position (close embrace) elements in these dances. And it has to swing.