First: every competition has its own rules
Every body that runs competitions writes its own rulebook, and every competition can add rules on top. Two events can use the same word, such as "Junior" or "B", for different ages. The tables below show what is typical and what the main rulebooks say as of November 2026. Before entering, always read the entry form and rules of the event itself.
Styles and their dances
Competitive ballroom is grouped into styles, and each style has a fixed set of dances. Each rulebook also fixes the order they are danced in a multi-dance event; the Latin order differs between bodies and has changed over time, so the order below is a list, not a running order.
| Style | Number of dances | Dances | Where you meet it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (International Ballroom) | 5 | Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, Quickstep | Everywhere |
| Latin (International Latin) | 5 | Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Jive | Everywhere |
| American Smooth | 4 | Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz | Mainly the US and Canada |
| American Rhythm | 5 | Cha Cha, Rumba, East Coast Swing, Bolero, Mambo | Mainly the US and Canada |
Ten Dance combines Standard and Latin, and Nine Dance, in the US, combines the four Smooth and five Rhythm dances. Many competitions, especially in the US, also offer Nightclub or social dances such as Hustle, Salsa, Bachata, West Coast Swing, Merengue and Argentine Tango, and solo, showcase or cabaret routines.
Lower levels often dance fewer dances. In Germany's D class, for example, couples dance three Standard dances and three Latin dances; the full five come at the higher classes.
Age groups
Age groups are where the vocabulary is most confusing, because each organisation names and cuts them differently. Three rules are common:
- Age is usually counted as the age a dancer reaches during the calendar year (or the competition year), not their age on the day.
- For children and youth, the older partner usually decides the group. For seniors, both partners must be old enough, often with a lower limit for the younger partner (for example 35 and 30).
- A couple may often dance "up" into an older group, but not down.
| Group | Typical age | Also called |
|---|---|---|
| Juvenile I | 9 and under | Children I, Pre-Teen I, Kinder I |
| Juvenile II | 10–11 | Children II, Pre-Teen II, Kinder II |
| Junior I | 12–13 | Junioren I |
| Junior II | 14–15 | Junioren II |
| Youth | 16–18 | Jugend |
| Under 21 | 16–20 | U21 |
| Adult | 19 and over | Amateur, Hauptgruppe, Yleinen |
| Senior I | 35+ (partner 30+) | Over 35 |
| Senior II | 45+ (partner 40+) | Over 45 |
| Senior III | 55+ (partner 50+) | Over 55 |
| Senior IV | 65+ (partner 60+) | Over 65 |
| Senior V | Both 70+ | Used by some bodies only |
| Body | Groups | Range |
|---|---|---|
| WDSF | 12 | Juvenile I (9 and under) to Senior V (both 70+) |
| WDO | 12 | Juvenile I (under 8) to Senior IV (65/60) |
| NDCA (amateur) | 11 | Pre-Teen I (9 and under) to Senior IV (65/60) |
| STUL, Finland | 12 | L1 (under 10) to S5 (both 70+) |
| DTV, Germany | 13 | Kinder I (9 and under) to Senioren V (both 70+) |
| British Dance Council | 10 | Juvenile under 10 to Senior over 60 |
| Swedish DanceSport Federation | 7 | U9 to Grand Senior (55/50) |
Some bodies cut differently. The British Dance Council uses Juvenile under 10 and under 12, Junior under 14 and under 16, Youth under 19 and under 21, and Seniors over 35, 50 and 60. Sweden's federation uses Junior 13–15, Youth 16–18 and Grand Senior over 55. WDO splits Youth into two groups. All of these are reasonable; they are just different.
The US letters: A, B, C and beyond
In US Pro-Am, age divisions are written as letters. The letters are the most common source of confusion, because the NDCA rulebook and individual competitions use them differently:
- The NDCA rulebook sets Pro-Am multi-dance divisions as minimum ages: A from 19, B from 36, C from 51, then senior divisions from 61, 71, 76 and 81. A dancer in an older division may dance in a younger one.
- Many competitions split single dances into finer bands, such as A1, A2, B1 or C2, each covering about ten years. One large competition, for example, uses A1 19–30, A2 31–40, A3 41–50, B1 51–60 and so on.
- USA Dance's own Pro-Am events use a different set again (A1 to A4).
| Letter | Typical age (multi-dance) | Typical single-dance split |
|---|---|---|
| A | 19 and over | A1, A2, A3 by decade |
| B | 36 and over | B1, B2 |
| C | 51 and over | C1, C2, C3 |
| Senior divisions | 61, 71, 76, 81 and over | Varies by event |
Children's Pro-Am events have their own groups, often called Pre-Teen, Junior and Youth.
Skill levels: from Newcomer to Open
Skill levels exist so that dancers compete against others of similar experience. The English-speaking world uses the medal names that come from teaching societies' medal tests:
| Level | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Newcomer | A dancer in their first year of competing (NDCA: one year from the first event), syllabus figures only |
| Pre-Bronze | The simplest syllabus figures |
| Bronze | The first medal level: the basic figures of each dance |
| Silver | The intermediate syllabus, with more turn, shape and speed |
| Gold | The full syllabus |
| Gold Star, Supreme Gold | Advanced syllabus levels some competitions offer above Gold |
| Open | No figure restrictions: any choreography |
| System | Levels | Names |
|---|---|---|
| NDCA Pro-Am | 6, plus Newcomer | Pre-Bronze, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Gold Star, Supreme Gold |
| NDCA amateur | 4 | Syllabus, Novice, Pre-Championship, Championship |
| USA Dance amateur | 7 | Pre-Bronze, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Novice, Pre-Championship, Championship |
| STUL, Finland | 6, plus open | F, E, D, C, B, A |
| DTV, Germany | 5 | D, C, B, A, S |
| Swedish DanceSport Federation | 5 | E, D, C, B, A |
| British Dance Council | 6 | Beginner to International |
Bronze, Silver and Gold are often split further. A competition may offer Intermediate, Full and Open Bronze, or Bronze 1 to 4, each with its own list of allowed figures.
Closed and open syllabus
A closed (or syllabus) event allows only the figures on an agreed list for that level. A Bronze Waltz couple who dances a Silver figure can be marked down or disqualified. Officials called invigilators watch for this at NDCA events, and the event's title must say "Closed".
An open event allows any figures. Many US competitions offer the same level in both forms, for example "Open Silver", which means Silver-level dancers with free choreography.
The lists themselves come from teaching syllabi: in the US, NDCA keeps its own list of syllabus figures for closed events, and the teaching organisations publish theirs.
Amateur levels in the US
Amateur couples in the US move through the same medal levels and then into open levels, and they move up by results rather than by choice.
| NDCA | USA Dance | Syllabus |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze, Silver, Gold (syllabus) | Pre-Bronze, Bronze, Silver, Gold (closed) | Closed |
| Novice | Novice | Open |
| Pre-Championship | Pre-Championship | Open |
| Championship (Open Amateur) | Championship | Open |
Under the NDCA rules, a couple earns a point by winning their own level or by making a final at a higher one, and three points move them out of syllabus, Novice or Pre-Championship.
Classes in European national systems
Most European federations use letter classes instead of medal names. A couple starts in the lowest class and is promoted by collecting points and placings, usually with the same partner. The details differ by country:
| Country | Classes, lowest to highest | How a couple moves up |
|---|---|---|
| Finland (STUL) | F, E, D, C, B, A, then open | Points for rounds danced and final places: 40 points to move up each class, 50 from B to A |
| Germany (DTV) | D, C, B, A, S | A set number of top placings and points, for example seven top-six places and 100 points from D to C |
| Sweden (DSF) | E, D, C, B, A | Points for top places, scaled by the number of couples |
| Estonia (ETSL) | Beginner classes, then E, D, C, B, A, S | Points for starts and final places |
| Great Britain (BDC) | Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Pre-Championship, Championship, International | A set number of wins at each grade |
A class usually decides which dances a couple may dance and how complex their choreography may be. At the top, the open or championship class is where national titles are decided and couples are selected for international events.
Amateur, Pro-Am and Professional
| Couple | Who dances | Where it is common |
|---|---|---|
| Amateur (Am/Am) | Two amateurs, neither paid to dance or teach | Everywhere; the main form in Europe and Asia |
| Pro-Am | A student dancing with their professional teacher; only the student is judged | The largest category in the US; growing elsewhere |
| Professional | Two professionals, who may teach and be paid | Everywhere, at the top of the sport |
Who counts as a professional is set by each body. Teaching for money or performing for pay usually makes a dancer a professional. In the US, a Pro-Am student may not teach or perform for pay.
Some systems have further categories. Rising Star is a US professional category for couples who have not yet reached the top finals. Formation teams dance as groups of couples. Rules on same-sex couples differ: some national federations, Finland's for example, allow them in national competitions, while international ballroom titles have generally been defined for a man and a woman.
Single dances, multi-dances and rounds
A single-dance event is judged on one dance, for example Bronze Waltz. A multi-dance event is judged across several dances, for example a three-dance Waltz, Tango and Foxtrot, and the placings are combined. In US Pro-Am, singles are the everyday entry and multi-dance events, scholarships and championships are the main titles.
Large events are danced in rounds. Judges mark which couples they want to see again, and the couples with the most marks are recalled to the next round, until six to eight couples dance the final. In the final, each judge places every couple, and the placings are turned into a result using the Skating System, the counting method used across the sport.
Questions
What age is Junior in ballroom?
Typically 12 to 15, split into Junior I (12–13) and Junior II (14–15), counted by the age reached during the year. Some bodies cut it differently, so check the event's rules.What do A, B and C mean in US Pro-Am?
They are age divisions. In the NDCA rulebook A starts at 19, B at 36 and C at 51, but many competitions split them into narrower bands for single dances. The entry form says which bands the event uses.What is the difference between closed and open syllabus?
A closed syllabus event allows only the figures on the list for that level. An open event allows any figures.What comes after Gold in ballroom?
Some competitions offer Gold Star or Supreme Gold levels, and then Open, where there are no figure restrictions. Amateur couples move on to Novice, Pre-Championship and Championship.Read next
- How US ballroom competitions work
- Dancesport federations explained
- A short history of ballroom and dancesport
Terms in this guide
Each of these is explained in the glossary.
Sources
Checked on November 3, 2026. Each document is linked in the language it was published in. Where sources disagree, the text says so.
- NDCA: Rules and Regulations, June 2026
- WDSF: Age regulations
- WDSF: Rules
- USA Dance Nationals: amateur event rules
- USA Dance Nationals: Pro-Am event rules
- Philadelphia DanceSport Championships: registration forms (example of single-dance age bands)
- British Dance Council: rules
- STUL: competition rules for Standard and Latin (from 1 August 2026)
- DTV: Turnier- und Sportordnung
- Svenska Danssportförbundet: rules for Standard, Latin and Ten Dance (from 1 August 2026)
- ETSL: competition rules (from 7 January 2024)
- WDO: rules