BadAZ SPONSORS/Contest Prizes
Swingdependance, July 3-5, 2026 – Arizona
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DISCLAIMER: EVERYTHING SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. TEMPOS MIGHT BE DIFFERENT THAN EXPECTED OR OUTLINED HERE; CONTEST FINALS OR SPOTLIGHTS OR THE FORMAT MIGHT BE TWEAKED TO ACCOMODATE THE TIME WE HAVE. THANKS!
Balboa Mix and Match $10/person
At least six leads and six follows must sign up!
Prelims (Saturday 4:15pm @ Guild of the Vale):
Dancers will dance 3-4 songs from 190-220 bpm with three different partners in an all-skate format. Follows will rotate the number of spaces selected at random by the contest official to determine their partners.
A judging panel will select finalists and results will be posted and announced before the contest finals.
Finals (Saturday 9:30pm First Band Break):
Dancers will have a brief warm-up song, then dual spotlights consisting of 8-8’s twice through and ending with an all-skate.
Shag Mix and Match $10/person
At least six leads and six follows must sign up!
Prelims (Saturday 4:30pm @ Guild of the Vale):
Dancers will dance 3-4 songs from 190-220 bpm with three different partners in an allskate format. Follows will rotate the number of spaces selected at random by the contest official to determine their partners.
A judging panel will select finalists and results will be posted and announced before the contest finals.
Finals (Saturday midnight):
Dancers will have a brief warm-up song, then dual spotlights consisting of 8-8’s twice through and ending with an all-skate.
Balboa Strictly Contest $20/couple
At least six couples must sign up!
This is a couples contest.
Prelims (Saturday 5pm @ Guild of the Vale):
Dancers will dance to 3-4 songs, varying tempos.
A judging panel will select finalists and results will be posted and announced before the contest finals.
Finals (Saturday 10:45pm Second Band Break):
Dancers will have a brief warm-up song, then dual spotlights consisting of 8-8’s twice through and ending with an all-skate.
Shag Strictly Contest $20/couple
At least six couples must sign up!
This is a couples contest.
Prelims (Saturday 5:30pm @ Guild of the Vale):
Dancers will dance to 3-4 songs, varying tempos.
A judging panel will select finalists and results will be posted and announced before the contest finals.
Finals (Saturday 10:55pm Second Band Break):
Dancers will have a brief warm-up song, then dual spotlights consisting of 8-8’s twice through and ending with an all-skate.
Pure Balboa &/or Shag Endurance Contest *Free*
Saturday Late Night 1am
This is an all-skate couples contest. The rules are simple: you must dance balboa the entire time, and you must stay on the beat, no matter how fast the music gets. Judges will tap out contestants when either of these rules is broken. The contest will continue, with progressively increasing tempos, until judges have eliminated all but one couple. The last couple standing can continue to dance as long as they wish or until the end of the song, whichever comes first.
Judging criteria:
-partnership (both dancers are working together and listening to each other)
-timing and technique (dancers are demonstrating a knowledge of balboa and are dancing in time with the music)
-showmanship (dancers are having fun and engaging the audience)
-musicality (styling and dancing choices highlight what it happening in the music).