Dance Competition

Baychata Festival will be hosting its annual dance competition on September 27, 2026. This is the first year that Baychata Festival is the official North America Qualifier for the Social World Cup. As an affiliate partner, the winners of the Jack & Jill competition will each earn a chance to compete on the international stage at the Social World Cup in Geneva representing the USA and receive a FREE Full Pass to the upcoming Viva La Bachata Texas Festival 2027. Top contestant winners will also receive an engraved medallion and over $5000 in prize winnings from top bachata festival full passes, weekender full passes, and merchandise. For more details, see the rules below.

winning Prizes

Terms & Prizes

Entry Qualifications: All dancers are eligible except for Baychata International Artists (Pros & Amateurs accepted). Only contestants with a full pass/performers pass can register
Entry Fee: $35/person. No partner required. Contestants are limited to first 40 leads and 40 followers that register
Time of dance competition: Sunday September 27, 2026, 8:00-9:00 pm
Criteria for Judging: The judges will select winners based on musicality, technique, connection, creativity & style, and attitude
Several rounds will be performed to select who advances
Prize (1st Place): Engraved Medals, 2 Full Passes to Viva La Bachata Texas Festival 2027 and eligibility to compete at the Social World Cup representing USA
Prize (2nd Place): 2 Full Passes to Bachata Level-Up Festival
Prize (3rd Place): 2 Full Passes to LA Bachazouk Festival

Competition Rules

The dance competition will consist of 40 leaders and 40 followers. There will be a minimum of 6 main judges and up to 6 other judges to access the contestants. The leader judges will judge the leaders in the competition and the follower judges will judge the followers. Each contestant must obtain a bib prior to competing. The songs used in the competition will be varied (70% sensual-fusion bachata, 10% bachata hits, 10% traditional bachata, 10% urban bachata)
Each judge will analyze each contestant for a minimum of 30 seconds per round
The competition will have 4 rounds: Preliminary, Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Finals
Preliminary Round: 5 songs will be played and there will be 2 partner switches per song. Top 12 leaders & 12 followers will advance
Quarter-Finals Round: 3 songs will be played and there will be 2 partner switches per song. Top 6 leaders & 6 followers will advance
Semi-Finals Round: 3 songs will be played and there will be 1 partner switch per song. Top 3 leaders & 3 followers will advance
Final Round: 6 songs will be played. Each contestant will dance with each other (1 song per partner). Afterwards, the contestants will each dance with the international judges (1 song per artist). The contestants with the highest score will win the competition

Judging Criterias

The evaluation of the social dance competition will focus on the essence of true social dancing. Judges will focus on:
Technique: Precision and mastery of movements
Musicality: Ability to interpret and stay in sync with the music
Connection: Quality of partner communication and responsiveness
Creativity & Style: Unique expression and personal flair
Attitude: Confidence, joy, and positive energy on the dance floor