Competitions

The Challenge
The third edition of Torino Swing Festival offers three big prizes for the winners of the three divisions: Jack and Jill Open, Jack and Jill Advanced and Invitational Strictly Lindy. Past editions have seen famous competitors and winners in all of the categories. Don’t keep waiting, enter our Hall of Fame!
2013
Lindy Hop Clash
Fabien Vrillon & Lisa Clarke
Lindy Hop Showcase
Michele Felizzi & Ilaria Pancetti
Solo Charleston
JB Mino
Jack&Jill Advanced
Fabien Vrillon & Mihanta Rakotoarisoa
Jack&Jill Open
Fred Caputo & Sara Cattani
2014
Showcase
Melanie Ohl & Hugo Marty
Solo Charleston
John Tigert
Jack&Jill Advanced
Matteo De Stefano & Lucille Pinteaux
Jack&Jill Open
Emanuele Margiotta & Dasha Kuzmenko
Jack’n’Jill Open
1st prize: Pass for Prague Spring Swing Festival
2nd prize: Pass for Swing’n’Milan
This is a social dancing Lindy Hop competition, open to all levels. Dancers register as individuals, and will be randomly matched with multiple partners in the preliminary rounds. Preliminaries will be in all-skate format, and dancers will be judged individually; for the final round dancers will be randomly assigned a single partner and will be judged as a couple in a phrase battle format.
Friday – Le Roi Music Hall
Jack’n’Jill Advanced
1st prize: Pass for Swing and Swim
2nd prize: Pass for La Jam
This is a social dancing Lindy Hop competition, open to advanced dancers. Dancers register as individuals, and will be randomly matched with multiple partners in the preliminary rounds. Preliminaries will be in all-skate format, and dancers will be judged individually; for the final round dancers will be randomly assigned a single partner and will be judged as a couple in a phrase battle format.
Saturday – Le Roi Music Hall
Invitational Strictly Lindy
1st prize: Party Pass for Swing Août
This is an invitational competition. Participants are invited by Torino Swing Festival organizers and the winners of Jack&Jill Advanced will be admitted too. Even if choreographed sequences are not prohibited, the judges will evaluate according to spontaneity, creativity and musicality. You think you should be invited to this competition but you didn’t receive an invitation? Write to info@torinoswingfestival.com
Sunday – Jazz Club Torino

The Rules
FAQ
Questions? Check this page first, the answer might be here!
What formats are used in the competitions?
Showcase
Competitors perform a choreo with their music.
All-Skate
Social dance format. All competitors dance on the dance floor at the same time.
Phrase-Battle
Jam session format. Competitors take turns, one at the time, in an a ssigned order, for on or two phrases each, until the song ends.
Spotlight
Couples take over the dance floor, one couple at a time, and do their best to impress the audience and the judges. They will dance at least on 8 eighths each, at the end of which they will leave the dance floor to another couple.
How do prelims work?
What levels are the competitions and what is the difference between Open and Advanced?
What contest suits me better?
What will we be judged on?
What are the rules?
Do we need to wear costumes?
Rules
Prima di partecipare a una gara.
1. Organiser
Torino Swing Festival organizes this event. Final decisions on all matters pertaining to these competitions rest solely with the Organiser.
2. Responsibilities of the Organiser
Schedule
The Organiser will determine the date, time and location for each competition, and will announce this information prior to the event. The Organiser reserves the right to cancel a division if the number of competitors is below the minimum of two (2) couples or six (6) dancers, and to rearrange the schedule if necessary. Cancellation of a division would result in the refund of any applicable competitor entry fees. Any schedule or location changes will be noted on the website (torinoswingfestival.com) if they occur prior to the event. If the changes occur during the event, they will be publicly announced and/or posted on noticeboards at the event.
Awards
The Organiser will determine and award all prizes and money. Monetary awards will be given in cash, in the Euro currency, at the Awards Ceremony. No other form of payment can be provided.
Posting of scores
The results of the competitions will be posted for review after the Awards Ceremony, at the event and on the webiste (www.torinoswingfestival.com).
Competition Format
The Organiser reserves the right to determine the format of each competition division, including whether it consists of preliminary heats and/or finals, and whether the competition is danced in all-skate, phrase-battle or spotlight formats. These decisions will be communicated on the website before the event, and any changes will be announced as soon as possible on the website or though announcements at the event.
3. Age requirements
4. Requirements
- Hold one of the festival passes
- Have paid the required competition entry fees
- Have signed a Competition Waiver form. No Competitor will be allowed to compete without a signed Waiver and every member of a Team must sign the Competition Waiver
- Competitors under 18-years of age must have a parent or guardian sign their Waiver and any other required forms. Competition Waivers forms will be available at the registration desk when you arrive at the event, and also at the daily Competitor Meetings
- Register by the official entry deadline, using the official registration system at www.torinoswingfestival.com
- Meet the entry requirements of each individual competition division (eg: as regards to dance level, length of routine, etc.)
- Meet all the specific requirements outlined in these rules
5. Responsibilities of Competitors
Rules
All Competitors are responsible for reading and understanding the rules prior to the competitions. Competitors are responsible for adhering to these rules whether or not they have been read.
Behavior
All Competitors must demonstrate safe, respectful and courteous behavior at all time at the event, both on and off the competition floor. Failure to adhere to these standards, could cause disciplinary action by the Organiser, or penalties from the Judges.
Dance order di ballo
Drawing for dance order will take place at the desk and will be posted on the Competitors’s noticeboards. Competitors are required to be familiar with their assigned dance order and be prepared to be announced and to compete in this order.
Punctuality
Competitors are required to be in attendance at the competition venue, and ready to compete, 15 minutes before the scheduled start time of each competition division. Competitors must check-in with the competition staff for each competition division, and failure to do so may result in disqualification from competing in that division, without a refund of entry fee.
Deadlines
Failure to comply with deadlines and attendance at mandatory meetings may result in disqualification from competing in the event without a refund of entry fee. These decisions will be made solely at the discretion on the Organizer.
6. Costumes
7. Competition music
Music played during all competition divisions (except for showcase divisions), will be selected by the official Competition Dj, appointed by the event Organisers. Music will be swinging jazz music, predominantly from the 20s, 30s and 40s, in a variety of tempos. Musical phrasing may be 32-bar swing phrasing or 12-bar blues phrasing.
8. Judging criteria
- How well you improvise and respond to the music
- How you work as a partnership
- Repertoire
- Creativity and connection
- If you can recognize phrasing in the music
- How the audience responds
The value placed on each of these criteria is at the discretion if individual judges. The judges decision are final. Swing dancing is about having fun social dancing, connecting with your partner and engaging with the music, and our judges will be looking for couples that embody these values.