NUMBERS ****
Troupes plus leader (with mascot, which is optional )
must consist of :
Babies: 6
Dinkies: 8 ****
Tinies: 10
Juniors: 10
Seniors: 10
These numbers, also, apply to Carnival Parades.
Troupes , who do not wish to take part in the parade ,
must apply by letter to the Secretary for the committee’s
decision.
All troupes, dancing short, will have 1 point deducted per girl,
by the scrutineer
DANCING YEAR ..1ST JANUARY TO 31ST DECEMBER
Mascots:
Babies & Dinkies- school years for relevant section
Tinies, Juniors & Seniors – up to and including
Year 7 on 1st January
The trainer(s) are responsible to ensure that all their girls are dancing
in the correct section for their school year.
If a trainer feels that a girl from another troupe is dancing in the incorrect section,
the questioning trainer and the girl’s trainer must approach the secretary, who will
arbitrate between the two. If the query is found to be proved, points will be deducted
on the day’s competition and also, points will be deducted from Troupe of Year for
previous occasions that she has danced in the incorrect section.
Further infringements will result in Disqualification for the rest of the season
DANCING TIMES
Babies: Minimum 2 minutes
Dinkies: Minimum 3 minutes.
Tinies: Minimum 4 minutes.
Juniors: Minimum 6 minutes.
Seniors: Minimum 6 minutes.
If a troupe dances UNDERTIME , 1 point per 30 seconds ,
will be deducted.
TIMING
The leader must take her timing, unaided, in the Tiny ,
Junior & Senior Sections .
If assistance is seen to be given, inside or outside the arena,
1 point per adjudicator will be deducted.
BUT assistance is allowed in the Baby and Dinky Sections.
At Championships, to take the timing, the leader will only be allowed:
Dinkies: 2 minutes
Tinies: 2 minutes.
Juniors: 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Seniors: 1 minute and 30 seconds.
The troupe must be ready to dance when the leader goes to take her timing.
BOOKING & DRAW
Troupes must be booked in by the Thursday preceding the competition,
at the latest.
The draw will be taken by officials on Thursday evening .
Anyone wishing to book in , after this time , will automatically take
1st places in the draw of the sections , in which they
wish to compete.
On competition day , the draw will be displayed at report time.
Any alteration requests to the draw must be authorised by the Secretary.
At Championships, the draw cannot be changed.
WITHDRAWALS & FAILURE TO ARRIVE
7 days notice to be given (genuine reasons are the exception) ,
if wishing to withdraw , after entering a competition.
If a troupe withdraws within the 7 days, and is found to
have attended another competition with another organisation,
the committee do not deem this to be a valid reason.
At the next competition attended by the troupe the following
penalty will be imposed: 2 points per troupe per section,
these points will be deducted by the scrutineer.
COMPETITION CANCELLATION
If cancellation occurs
Prior to the day or on the day
All troupes booked in will receive
………1 point towards troupe of year
………1 point for attendance
On the day
Our major concern on the day will be for the safety of the girls.
If severe weather conditions occur and the ground conditions
are assessed to be a danger, the competition will be stopped,
irrelevant if a section is completed or not.
The sections, which have not been completed due to weather,
will receive………1 point towards troupe of year.
……...1 point for attendance
SUBSTITUTION
5 members will be allowed. Each troupe must complete
the substitute form and forward to the official in charge
before their 1st troupe dances.
If all the stipulated number of subs. have not been used initially,
please keep the relevant official informed as the day progresses.
THE BABY SECTION IS A LEARNING SECTION ONLY.
A BABY DANCER CAN ONLY DANCE IN THE BABY SECTION.
PLATINUM /DIAMOND SECTIONS
Trainers will decide which section they feel is relevant to their troupes.
Within a designated period (at the committee’s discretion),
if a troupe is considered to be in the incorrect section,
the trainer will be advised and the troupe will move sections accordingly,
taking any earned Troupe of the Year points with them.
When a trainer, with both Platinum/Diamond troupes, is short of girls:
a) A girl cannot dance in the Platinum/or Diamond in the same section
on the same day ie: Tiny diamond/and Tiny platinum
BUT a girl may sub up from Diamond to Platinum, in a different section,
on the same day ie: Diamond Tiny to Platinum Junior.
5 is maximum number of subs, irrelevant of number
of troupes (diamond/platinum)
If a troupe has both a Platinum and a Diamond troupe
in the same section(eg.seniors), a temporary reduction in
the number of line girls, in the Platinum troupe, is not an
adequate reason for movin the troupe from Platinum to Diamond
at any competition, and cannot be used as such.****
ARENA RULES
In the Tiny, & Dinky sections,only,1 trainer will be allowed
to line up the troupe.
In the Baby section,2 trainers are allowed to line up the troupe.
In the Junior & Senior sections,NO trainer allowed on the arena.
NO practising is allowed on the arena, at any time.
No verbal or vocal expression to be used by any dancer,
during the entirity of a troupe's performance.
DANCING AT REAR
Maximum number of 4 back dancers wil be allowed irrespective
of number of girls in troupe
READY TO DANCE
When announced, the relevant troupe must enter
the arena in full dance dress and line up,
being ready to dance when the leader goes to take her timing.
Points will be deducted, if any girl(s) leaves arena when lined up.
In all sections, 2 minutes will be allowed after
the troupe is called onto the arena, if the troupe is not
complete within the 2mins., 1 point will be deducted by the scrutineer.
SIGNALS & MARKINGS
Signals must not be given from inside or outside the arena ,
nor must any person be used as a marker.
Penalty will be 1 point per adjudicator.
DIVERSIONS
NO tambourines to be used outside the arena whilst
troupes are competing
DANCING
During the dancing display , NO stops will be allowed
by any member of the troupe.
If this takes place, points will be deducted.
A dinky routine must include turning the troupe round.
FAINTING
If any girl faints whilst in or leaving the arena,
1 point will be deducted per adjudicator.
DANCING TWICE
NO member is allowed to dance in the same section twice.
No girl can dance for 2 medals in any 1 day.
eg.dinky leader and junior mascot.
DRESS ****
Head-dress & bells to be worn , at all times.
Leader & Mascot MUST be dressed alike BUT different from the troupe
Ref: costume.. When a troupe is short in numbers
and the leader dances in the troupe :
a) If leader is dressed in Troupe dress, no points
deducted off leader for costume.
b) If she is dressed in her leader’s dress , 1 point
will be deducted off costume .
colour of pumps with laces or ribbons, irrespective of style****
Earrings-gold studs or sleepers
may be worn in the LOWER lobes only.
Plain gold stud allowed in nose.
No plaster to be used to cover earrings.
Nail varnish can be worn by the dancers.
No other articles of jewellery to be worn ,
other than Wedding, engagement, eternity rings.
Penalty will be 1 point per adjudicator, off costume.
Babies, only, will be stopped to have laces tied.
In other sections ,girls will NOT be stopped to tie laces,
the only exception being if a judge considers
the situation to be dangerous .
DROPPED ARTICLES
ANY dropped article will incur a loss of 1 point
per adjudicator ( off costume).
Should this article be retrieved , other than by the adjudicator ,
a further 2 points per adjudicator , will be lost.
If a bell drops off and the lace is undone, 1 point will be deducted
per adjudicator (off costume)…adjudicators will identify the relevant troupe member.
If a bell breaks and the lace is intact, no points will be deducted.
INJURIES
Dancing wearing arm slings will incur a loss of 2 points per adjudicator ,
1 point off deportment,1 point off for figures.
This is to discourage the likelihood of further injury.
If a dancer is only using 1 shaker ( ref : injury to arm/wrist/hand).
1 point will be deducted per adjudicator (off costume).
SHAKERS
Shakers must NOT be attached to hands with
rubber bands or similar methods.
ENTRY & EXIT
Entry and exit must be the same , the troupe must
start and finish in the position ,
indicated by the official in charge when lined-up .
The leader MUST TAKE her troupe on and off ,
not stand at the side allowing the 1st girl to
take the troupe on/off.
The alignment (e.g. height of girls/ dress lengths)
will be at the judge’s discretion
Dinkies will be expected to perform a small entry and exit
When a troupe is only required to perform a stand/start, a minimum
of 4 armworks are necessary.
When there is an entry and exit (other than stand/start),
there will always be 6 girls on the arena
before the first corner.****
TROUPE OF 10
x x x x x x
x
x
x
TROUPE OF 12
x x x x x x
x
x
x
x
x
x
and so on...
All troupes, except babies, must go off the opposite way to entry.
DANCING TOGETHER
When 2 troupes have to dance together , a coin will be tossed.
The winner will have the choice of music or timing.
If the troupe cannot agree, an independent decision will be made.
MUSIC
During the dance, if there is any sound distortion
using either tape or cd, the trainer and secretary
(chairman or treasurer if secretary not available)
will discuss and act accordingly.
Meanwhile, the troupe must always continue to dance.
RESPONSIBILITY
Trainers and associated adults are fully responsible
for children (girls and boys) in their care.
Please supervise the children at all times.
All areas (especially surrounding parked buses and around the arenas)
must be kept clean and tidy.(Please use black bags).
At all indoor venues, for health and safety reasons…
NO SMOKING AND NO ALCOHOL IS PERMITTED
Persistent misbehaviour will incur points deduction.
PHOTOGRAPHIC PERMISSION
With ref:Child Protection Act
Yearly permission to photograph (stills and video)
the girls must be obtained from the troupe principle,
the relevant form duly signed and returned to the E.T.A.C.C.O.
secretary at the 1st competition attended by the requestor.
Please note that people must only photograph their own troupes
unless permission has been granted by the relevant
troupes' principle.
Yearly permission form to be signed and agreed
by the troupe principles for random videoing
by E.T.A.C.C.O. in order to monitor rules
Videos will be checked after the competition,
if any infringement of E.T.A.C.C.O.rules is found,
the relevant troupe principle will be contacted within 7 days.
Action will be decided by the E.T.A.C.C.O. committee.
ROAD PARADE
Full dance uniform must be worn for street parade
including headdress,shakers, bells, white pumps.
No sunglasses (except prescription lens); no coloured socks;
long socks, if worn must be pulled up;
no necklaces or long earrings: no mobile phones
If a leader is not on parade , she will NOT be
eligible to compete for the leader’s medal.
The secretary must be informed before the parade.
Numbers on parade will be checked during the procession ,
by an official , appointed by the committee.
GRANDE PARADE
All troupes should enter the arena, in full dance dress, when applicable.
leader and mascot will normally be required, in full dance dress.
CHAMPIONSHIPS
To qualify for the Championships , each individually
registered troupe must have a minimum
of 10 appearances , during the current season.****
Baby section has no specific number of required appearances
End of season championships…….if there is a tie
for 1st place in Senior, Junior,Tiny or Dinky sections,
there will be a dance-off., which will be on the same day
and the same troupe girls must dance again.
A.G.M.
Any proposal for rule changes must be in writing and
forwarded to the secretary, 7 days prior
to the relevant A.G.M.
GENERAL RULES
1. The Organisation shall be known as The English Town
and Country Carnival Organisation and provide the best
possible service for all its members .
2. This Organisation will be controlled by a Management
Committee consisting of President ,Chairman ,Secretary ,
Treasurer and 7 elected members , with the Committee
having the power to co-opt , if necessary ;
if a vacancy should arise, nominations will be considered
by the committee .
The Committee will be elected for a period of 3 years .
3. An Annual General Meeting will be held , for a resume
of the year’s activities, in October.
A statement of the financial accounts will be available in the following February.
4. Members shall be free at all times to approach the Management Committee
with suggestions for the improvement of services to organisation members in
a letter to the Secretary or at a meeting.
1. 5. It is expected that members of E.T.A.C.C.O. will conduct themselves ,
at all times , in a manner that will bring credit to the organisation.
6. Any member , having a genuine complaint , must submit this in
writing to the Secretary within 3 days of the incident , with a
deposit of £1 , which will be returned if the complaint is upheld .
The complaint will be put to the Management committee.
7. In any ballot , votes will be on the basis of one per Troupe Organiser
or Private Member , No vote or act of proxy will be accepted .
8. Registered troupes are expected to support events, when possible.