How good are you at dancing to anything? Think you have what it takes to dance your way to the top?

On a sidenote, keep in mind that signups will not be taken at the con, so be sure to submit your form beforehand.

 

Official Rules

This is an official statement for the rules and regulations for participating in Cardinal Clash (also known as ‘Floor Wars or a dance battle’).

Cardinal Clash is a 1v1 dance battle event where top 16 dancers battle in bracket format.

 

Disclaimers

1. Personal Injury/Damages
   By signing up for Cardinal Clash, a performance event run by Gateway Furmeet, you agree to be solely responsible for any kind of injury that may occur to yourself or your person(s) during the event. This is including but not limited to physical and emotional injuries or damages, destruction or damage of clothing articles and/or fursuits/cosplays used, and equipment brought to the event by yourself. You also agree to not hold Gateway Furmeet and the convention space where Cardinal Clash takes place accountable for any reimbursement for damages.

2. Media Consent
   By signing up for Cardinal Clash, you consent to being a part of any media coverage or promotional material that includes Cardinal Clash. Gateway Furmeet will not be held liable for media released by third parties, including but not limited to public press, television, and independent videographers. All disputes regarding sensitive or inappropriate material relative to ‘Cardinal Clash’ will be dealt with by the involved parties directly, with the exception of material released by other parties.

3. Behavioral Consent
   By participating in Cardinal Clash in any form or manner, you agree to behave in a manner that conforms to all rules set forth by the Cardinal Clash Official Rules, Terms & Conditions, the host convention’s Code of Conduct, and all applicable policies relevant to the event. As an attendee of our event and convention, you are inherently an ambassador of your peers and the community as a whole, and we wish to maintain a positive image of our community. Please treat your peers, and the environment around you with respect. Any belligerent, dangerous, or disrespectful behavior may result in temporary or permanent disqualification from the event, as well as further repercussions at the discretion of the event and/or convention organizers.

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By participating in Cardinal Clash in any form or manner, you agree to behave in a manner that conforms to all rules set forth by the Cardinal Clash Official Rules, Terms & Conditions, the host convention’s Code of Conduct, and all applicable policies relevant to the event. As an attendee of our event and convention, you are

inherently an ambassador of your peers and the community as a whole, and we wish to

maintain a positive image of our community. Please treat your peers, and the

environment around you with respect. Any belligerent, dangerous, or disrespectful behavior may result in temporary or permanent disqualification from the event, as well as further repercussions at the discretion of the event and/or convention organizers.

 

Clothing/Attire 

Fursuits are allowed but not required for this event. No revealing articles of clothing. This is a PG-13 event, please dress accordingly. Offensive logos & graphics are not allowed to be worn. Loose articles of clothing/accessories must be secured or taken off for safety purposes.

 

Sign-Ups

Sign-ups for Cardinal Clash will be submitted in a google form. Dancers will be required to participate in preliminaries, and the top 16 competitors will be selected for finals. 

Sign-ups are going to be taken online and in person, but online is much preferred!

YOU MUST BE IN ATTENDANCE AT PRELIMS IF YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE. If you do not show up to prelims, you will be DISQUALIFIED and UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FINAL EVENT.

Each competitor may only sign up once. If there are any questions, changes, or cancellations that need to be made prior to the event, contact dance@gatewayfurmeet.org or @shaydestuck on telegram as soon as possible.

 

Battle Format

For those who have watched or participated in a dance battle (Floor Wars) previously, the format will be the same. Dancers will each be paired with another dancer in a 1-on-1 dance ‘battle’, and compete in a single-elimination style tournament until a winner is decided. 

 

-Each round, a song will start and one dancer will dance for 30-45 seconds. After that, the second dancer will dance 30-45 seconds to the same song. The song will then change and that process will repeat for a second round. Which dancer goes out first is up to said dancers on stage, however, excessive waiting may negatively impact your time and review from the judges. If someone takes too long to start dancing first, the MC will decide who goes first.

 

-After both dancers have danced two rounds, the judges will vote for which dancer they think should progress in the battle. The dancer with the most votes will move on. In the event of a tie, a third song will be played and the dancers will each dance again, and the judges will make a final deciding vote.

 

Judging Guidelines

Dynamics: Moves have crowd & judge appeal, difficulty levels are higher
 

Originality: Moves are unique and not repeated, shows advanced knowledge and/or creativity
 

Personality: Dancer shows their own style/character with their dance
 

Execution: Moves match with the music, with clarity and/or control
 

Response: Dancer(s) show active response to the music or their opponents - moves create a “battle” against the music and/or opponents
 

(Note that while these are the general judging guidelines, each of our judges may use their own criteria in order to determine their vote. The categories listed above are guidelines and not the definitive system of judging in effect) 

 

Rules

1. No non-clothing props allowed. This includes any items that are not on your body/clothing such as water guns, pois, cups, etc. HOWEVER, clothing articles such as hats, scarves, shoes, glasses may be used as long as they are not thrown at anyone within the space of the event.

 

1. No excessive cursing/insults. This is a PG-13 event. “Burns” executed during the battles are allowed, but keep it moderated and under control.

 

1. No waiting out/choosing songs. We understand that everyone has different song preferences and dance styles, but the point of an all-styles dance battle is to test your ability to apply what you know to the music you are given.

 

1. ARRIVE ON TIME! To be respectful of your fellow competitors and the event, we ask you to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the event. We will do roll call 15 minutes before the event start-time and if you are not present, you will be replaced with a substitute from the waitlist. There are NO exceptions to this rule. If you are going to miss roll call, please inform Shayde (@shaydestuck on telegram), the GFM dance telegram chat, or a Gateway Furmeet Dance Event Coordinator before the event. Even with prior notification, we cannot guarantee you will retain your spot.

 

1. Even though this is a battle competition, we’re all here to have fun. Remember good sportsmanship, no need to be salty! Encourage your fellow dancers and cheer for them as loud as you can! 

 

1. We are NOT responsible for any injuries that may occur during the event. Please remember to know your limits and dance within it — we do not condone taking risks that may result in injuring yourself or your fellow competitors. Furthermore, dancing in fursuit for several rounds is exhausting — please ensure that you are well-hydrated during the event and rest up when you are not battling.

 

FAQ

What is the finals format?

This year is a freestyle/all styles 1v1 battle in a single-elimination tournament form. There are no nonsuit or fursuit divisions.

 

Can I Battle in Fursuit?

Definitely! But fursuits are not required. Note that if you battle in fursuit, you may go up against someone not in fursuit.

 

What is the preliminaries format?

Preliminaries will be a showcase style where 5 individuals are lined up and will dance in the order they are called to a random song one at a time for 30 seconds. We will go through this format until all competitors have gone.

 

When will we get results? 

Results with the top 16 finalists should be posted no later than 1-2 hours before the event. We will have a small waitlist if the amount of sign-ups allows it. Dancers on the waitlist ARE required to come to finals in case another dancer is unable to make it.

How old do I have to be to compete?

Anyone who has a Gateway Furmeet badge can participate in Cardinal Clash. If you are under the age of 18, you will need to have a parent/guardian fill out a minor consent form. Please refer to the convention minor policies for if a parent/guardian needs to be present for the event.

If you have any questions or concerns about the event, please message dance@gatewayfurmeet.org or @shaydestuck on telegram.

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