Category Guidance
This page offers essential guidance for all dance categories at Go Hard or Go Home. It is designed to help teams fully understand each style and know exactly what is expected when preparing their routines.
Whether your team is sticking to a familiar genre or exploring something completely new, this resource outlines the core characteristics of each category. It provides choreographic direction to help you:
Whether your team is sticking to a familiar genre or exploring something completely new, this resource outlines the core characteristics of each category. It provides choreographic direction to help you:
- Stay true to the style: Ensure your routine fits the category you enter.
- Understand the judges' expectations: Know what the panel is looking for on competition day.
Ballet
Overview
Ballet is a classical dance form known for its precision, grace, and disciplined technique. Rooted in centuries of tradition, it emphasizes posture, turnout, line, and musical sensitivity. Ballet routines can range from traditional pieces (e.g., Swan Lake) to more contemporary interpretations, but they must always prioritize control, elegance, and technical excellence.
Choreography Guidance
Ballet routines should demonstrate clear classical technique. This includes turnout, clean port de bras, pointed feet, and controlled extensions.
Important Level Placement Note
Please be aware that while there are no strict move restrictions, the inclusion of highly advanced technical elements (such as complex turning sequences, professional-level extensions, or advanced leaps) may result in your team being promoted to a higher skill level (e.g., Beginner to Intermediate) during the preliminary video review.
Ballet is a classical dance form known for its precision, grace, and disciplined technique. Rooted in centuries of tradition, it emphasizes posture, turnout, line, and musical sensitivity. Ballet routines can range from traditional pieces (e.g., Swan Lake) to more contemporary interpretations, but they must always prioritize control, elegance, and technical excellence.
Choreography Guidance
Ballet routines should demonstrate clear classical technique. This includes turnout, clean port de bras, pointed feet, and controlled extensions.
- Movement Vocabulary: Choreography may feature arabesques, pirouettes, tendus, jetés, and adagio sequences, performed with a balance of softness and strength.
- Artistic Focus: Teams should focus on coordinated épaulement (the intentional use of the head and shoulders) and seamless transitions across formations.
- Team Execution: Ensemble precision, accurate musical timing, and a unified quality of movement are crucial to delivering a cohesive, artistically refined performance.
Important Level Placement Note
Please be aware that while there are no strict move restrictions, the inclusion of highly advanced technical elements (such as complex turning sequences, professional-level extensions, or advanced leaps) may result in your team being promoted to a higher skill level (e.g., Beginner to Intermediate) during the preliminary video review.
Commercial
Overview
Commercial dance encompasses the styles commonly seen in music videos, live stage performances, television, and pop culture. Blending elements of hip hop, jazz, heels, and street styles, it is designed to be visually impactful and highly performance-driven. Commercial routines must be bold, stylish, and crafted to engage the audience with absolute charisma and energy.
Choreography Guidance
Commercial choreography should be clean, polished, and visually dynamic.
Commercial dance encompasses the styles commonly seen in music videos, live stage performances, television, and pop culture. Blending elements of hip hop, jazz, heels, and street styles, it is designed to be visually impactful and highly performance-driven. Commercial routines must be bold, stylish, and crafted to engage the audience with absolute charisma and energy.
Choreography Guidance
Commercial choreography should be clean, polished, and visually dynamic.
- Movement Vocabulary: Expect to use fast-paced footwork, stylized isolations, grooves, and theatrical flair.
- Formations & Transitions: Transitions must be seamless and purposeful, using stage formations that actively complement the music and create visual impact.
- Performance & Execution: Commercial dance emphasizes individuality within a tight group structure. Teams must project extreme confidence, strong facial expressions, and fierce attitude while maintaining tight group unity and high energy throughout the piece.
Contemporay
Overview
Contemporary is a fluid, expressive style that blends modern, ballet, and lyrical techniques. It prioritizes emotional connection, body awareness, and the innovative use of space. Unlike Lyrical dance, which often follows the lyrics closely, Contemporary interprets the overall tone or abstract themes of the music, encouraging immense creative freedom and the exploration of diverse movement textures.
Choreography Guidance
Contemporary choreography should be emotionally and physically expressive, utilizing a mix of both grounded and lifted movement.
Important Level Placement Note
Please be aware that while there are no strict move restrictions, the inclusion of highly advanced technical elements (such as complex turning sequences, professional-level extensions, or advanced leaps) may result in your team being promoted to a higher skill level (e.g., Beginner to Intermediate) during the preliminary video review.
Contemporary is a fluid, expressive style that blends modern, ballet, and lyrical techniques. It prioritizes emotional connection, body awareness, and the innovative use of space. Unlike Lyrical dance, which often follows the lyrics closely, Contemporary interprets the overall tone or abstract themes of the music, encouraging immense creative freedom and the exploration of diverse movement textures.
Choreography Guidance
Contemporary choreography should be emotionally and physically expressive, utilizing a mix of both grounded and lifted movement.
- Movement Vocabulary: Techniques such as release, suspension, fall and recovery, floorwork, and weight sharing should be incorporated.
- Artistic Focus: Teams should pay close attention to breath, flow, and spatial awareness. Group work should reflect dynamic shifts: contrasting stillness with motion, unity with fragmentation, or softness with sharpness.
- Team Execution: Utilize choreographic devices like canon, counterpoint, and complex ensemble phrasing to build both emotional and visual depth throughout the routine.
Important Level Placement Note
Please be aware that while there are no strict move restrictions, the inclusion of highly advanced technical elements (such as complex turning sequences, professional-level extensions, or advanced leaps) may result in your team being promoted to a higher skill level (e.g., Beginner to Intermediate) during the preliminary video review.
Cultural Dances
Overview
Cultural dances are rooted in the heritage, customs, and social practices of specific communities around the world. These styles are often passed down through generations and can be celebratory, ceremonial, spiritual, or social in nature. This category encompasses a broad range of regional traditions from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and beyond.
Each dance form carries its own unique rhythm, movement vocabulary, and cultural significance. Whether rooted in folk traditions, classical heritage, or social customs, these dances reflect the identity and values of their communities. Submissions in this category must prioritize cultural integrity and understanding over stylistic fusion or reinterpretation.
Choreography Guidance
Choreography should aim to preserve the integrity of the cultural style being presented.
Included Styles
Cultural Dances include (but are not limited to):
Important Category Note: Potential Dedicated Categories
If a high volume of teams within this overarching category perform the exact same dance style (for example, multiple teams entering Bhangra or Irish Dance), we reserve the right to promote that specific style into its own dedicated category to ensure the fairest possible judging.
Cultural dances are rooted in the heritage, customs, and social practices of specific communities around the world. These styles are often passed down through generations and can be celebratory, ceremonial, spiritual, or social in nature. This category encompasses a broad range of regional traditions from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and beyond.
Each dance form carries its own unique rhythm, movement vocabulary, and cultural significance. Whether rooted in folk traditions, classical heritage, or social customs, these dances reflect the identity and values of their communities. Submissions in this category must prioritize cultural integrity and understanding over stylistic fusion or reinterpretation.
Choreography Guidance
Choreography should aim to preserve the integrity of the cultural style being presented.
- Cultural Authenticity: Movements, costuming, music, and formations must be deeply informed by the dance's cultural context. While adaptation for the stage is acceptable, it should not compromise the authenticity of the style.
- Movement Vocabulary: Teams should work with traditional movement vocabularies (e.g., Bharatanatyam mudras, West African polyrhythmic footwork, or Indigenous circle formations) while maintaining respect and awareness.
- Team Execution: The performance should feel unified, rhythmically accurate, and firmly culturally grounded.
Included Styles
Cultural Dances include (but are not limited to):
- Afro-Caribbean
- Ballroom Formation
- Belly Dance
- Bhangra
- Bollywood
- Folk
- Gaana
- Greek
- Hula
- Irish Dance
- Latin & Social/Street Latin Formation
- Swing Formation
Important Category Note: Potential Dedicated Categories
If a high volume of teams within this overarching category perform the exact same dance style (for example, multiple teams entering Bhangra or Irish Dance), we reserve the right to promote that specific style into its own dedicated category to ensure the fairest possible judging.
Heels
Overview
Heels dance is a confident, stylized genre performed in high-heeled shoes, blending jazz, street, and commercial influences. It focuses heavily on balance, fluidity, strength, and presentation. Heels routines often project empowerment, elegance, and control, requiring a strong sense of body alignment and weight transfer.
Choreography Guidance
Heels choreography should consistently highlight beautiful body lines, poise, and intentional transitions.
Important Attire Requirement
To ensure a level playing field for balance and technique, all competitors in this category must wear a slim or stiletto-style heel with a minimum height of 3 inches (7.5 cm). Block heels, flare heels, and platforms are strictly prohibited.
Heels dance is a confident, stylized genre performed in high-heeled shoes, blending jazz, street, and commercial influences. It focuses heavily on balance, fluidity, strength, and presentation. Heels routines often project empowerment, elegance, and control, requiring a strong sense of body alignment and weight transfer.
Choreography Guidance
Heels choreography should consistently highlight beautiful body lines, poise, and intentional transitions.
- Movement Vocabulary: Movements may include strut and walk sequences, stylized turns, hip rolls, precise isolations, and controlled floorwork.
- Technique & Stability: Choreography should balance technique and showmanship while ensuring safety. Performers must demonstrate the core control and ankle stability required to execute movements cleanly in heels.
- Team Execution: In a team setting, performers should perfectly match energy, polish, and style. The group must move as a cohesive unit, especially during transitions, level changes, and fast footwork, while maintaining the individual control demanded by the footwear.
Important Attire Requirement
To ensure a level playing field for balance and technique, all competitors in this category must wear a slim or stiletto-style heel with a minimum height of 3 inches (7.5 cm). Block heels, flare heels, and platforms are strictly prohibited.
Jazz
Overview
Jazz is a high-energy, technically demanding style that combines sharp, clean movements with expressive performance. It draws from ballet foundations but introduces rhythmic complexity, isolations, and stylized flair. Jazz has many variants (from classic and Broadway to commercial and street-influenced jazz), but all share a focus on dynamic movement and a strong stage presence.
Choreography Guidance
Jazz routines typically emphasize clean lines, precise timing, and powerful group formations.
Important Level Placement Note
Please be aware that while there are no strict move restrictions, the inclusion of highly advanced technical elements (such as complex turning sequences, professional-level extensions, or advanced leaps) may result in your team being promoted to a higher skill level (e.g., Beginner to Intermediate) during the preliminary video review.
Jazz is a high-energy, technically demanding style that combines sharp, clean movements with expressive performance. It draws from ballet foundations but introduces rhythmic complexity, isolations, and stylized flair. Jazz has many variants (from classic and Broadway to commercial and street-influenced jazz), but all share a focus on dynamic movement and a strong stage presence.
Choreography Guidance
Jazz routines typically emphasize clean lines, precise timing, and powerful group formations.
- Movement Vocabulary: Choreography should feature classic elements like kicks, leaps, turns (e.g., pirouettes, chaîné turns), isolations, and syncopated footwork.
- Artistic Focus: Creating contrast between sharp accents and smooth transitions adds rich texture to the performance. Teams should utilize spacing, canon work, and level changes to create visual interest.
- Team Execution: Unity in execution and musicality is vital. Every dancer should perfectly match the timing, energy, and performance quality to elevate the overall group impact.
Important Level Placement Note
Please be aware that while there are no strict move restrictions, the inclusion of highly advanced technical elements (such as complex turning sequences, professional-level extensions, or advanced leaps) may result in your team being promoted to a higher skill level (e.g., Beginner to Intermediate) during the preliminary video review.
K-Pop
Overview
K-Pop dance originates from the Korean pop music industry and is recognized for its precise synchronization, high energy, and visually striking group formations. The choreography associated with this music genre blends influences from hip hop, jazz funk, commercial, and street dance, creating polished and dynamic performances that emphasize unity and massive stage presence.
Choreography Guidance
K-Pop routines should feel like a true idol performance, requiring extreme cleanliness and stamina.
Important Category Requirements
K-Pop dance originates from the Korean pop music industry and is recognized for its precise synchronization, high energy, and visually striking group formations. The choreography associated with this music genre blends influences from hip hop, jazz funk, commercial, and street dance, creating polished and dynamic performances that emphasize unity and massive stage presence.
Choreography Guidance
K-Pop routines should feel like a true idol performance, requiring extreme cleanliness and stamina.
- Movement & Formations: The choreography should feature sharp, intentional movements and strong musicality. Clean, frequent, and visually dynamic formation changes are a hallmark of this genre and must be executed flawlessly.
- Performance Quality: Facial expressions, attitude, and charismatic performance quality add heavily to the overall impact, but they must remain cohesive across the entire team.
- Team Execution: The routine should highlight absolute group precision, rhythmic clarity, and a highly confident interpretation of the K-Pop aesthetic.
Important Category Requirements
- The Cover Rule: Performances must be a unique mix of two or more cover dances. Small segments of original choreography are permitted (such as for intros, outros, or transitions).
- Original Choreography: Because K-Pop is technically a music genre rather than a foundational dance style, routines consisting primarily of original choreography set to K-Pop music must be entered into an appropriate stylistic category (e.g., Commercial, Street, or Wildcard). Please note that cover choreography is strictly prohibited in all categories outside of K-Pop.
- Allowed Content: Any Hallyu-related dance (global groups, K-Pop soloists, choreographers/crews, and Korean dance or idol program choreography) is allowed.
- Team Size: You are not required to match the number of dancers on your team to the original K-Pop groups.
Lyrical
Overview
Lyrical dance blends the technique of ballet and jazz with expressive storytelling, closely tied to the lyrics and emotional content of a song. Unlike Contemporary, which often explores abstract concepts or broader themes, Lyrical dance directly interprets the narrative or emotion of the music, creating a clear visual representation of the song’s story or message.
Choreography Guidance Lyrical choreography should align intimately with the lyrics and mood of the chosen track.
Important Level Placement Note
Please be aware that while there are no strict move restrictions, the inclusion of highly advanced technical elements (such as complex turning sequences, professional-level extensions, or advanced leaps) may result in your team being promoted to a higher skill level (e.g., Beginner to Intermediate) during the preliminary video review.
Lyrical dance blends the technique of ballet and jazz with expressive storytelling, closely tied to the lyrics and emotional content of a song. Unlike Contemporary, which often explores abstract concepts or broader themes, Lyrical dance directly interprets the narrative or emotion of the music, creating a clear visual representation of the song’s story or message.
Choreography Guidance Lyrical choreography should align intimately with the lyrics and mood of the chosen track.
- Movement Vocabulary: Movements are typically fluid and emotive, featuring extensions, turns, and lifts connected by seamless transitions and expressive gestures.
- Storytelling & Expression: Choreographers should use tools like breath, suspension, and musicality to directly mirror the emotional shifts in the song, ensuring the narrative remains front and center.
- Team Execution: Teams must focus on uniformity of emotion and phrasing, ensuring that every dancer supports the story with absolute clarity and connection. Cohesion in timing, sensitivity to the lyrics, and sincere expressive interpretation are key to delivering a moving performance.
Important Level Placement Note
Please be aware that while there are no strict move restrictions, the inclusion of highly advanced technical elements (such as complex turning sequences, professional-level extensions, or advanced leaps) may result in your team being promoted to a higher skill level (e.g., Beginner to Intermediate) during the preliminary video review.
Street
Overview
Street dance refers to styles that originated outside of traditional studio settings, often rooted in community, freestyle, and social dance culture. This umbrella term includes hip hop, locking, popping, breaking, house, krump, waacking, and more. Each style has its own unique groove, vocabulary, and history, but they all share foundational roots in rhythm, individuality, and musicality.
Choreography Guidance
Street-based routines should be deeply grounded in authentic technique and an undeniable groove. Teams may focus on a single style (e.g., locking or breaking) or blend multiple street styles, provided the transitions remain coherent.
Included Styles
Street Dance styles include (but are not limited to):
Street dance refers to styles that originated outside of traditional studio settings, often rooted in community, freestyle, and social dance culture. This umbrella term includes hip hop, locking, popping, breaking, house, krump, waacking, and more. Each style has its own unique groove, vocabulary, and history, but they all share foundational roots in rhythm, individuality, and musicality.
Choreography Guidance
Street-based routines should be deeply grounded in authentic technique and an undeniable groove. Teams may focus on a single style (e.g., locking or breaking) or blend multiple street styles, provided the transitions remain coherent.
- Movement Vocabulary: Expect to incorporate authentic footwork, isolations, hits, flow, and freestyle-inspired movement with strong rhythmic execution.
- Style & Musicality: Precision, swagger, and a clear, dynamic relationship to the music are central to strong street choreography. The routine must respect the cultural and technical foundations of the chosen styles.
- Team Execution: Group dynamics are key. Choreography should use formations, layering, and level changes to highlight individual flair and character while maintaining tight team unity and synchronization.
Included Styles
Street Dance styles include (but are not limited to):
- Afro (e.g., Afrobeats, Amapiano)
- Breaking
- Chicago Footwork
- Dancehall
- Hip Hop
- House
- Krump
- Litefeet
- Locking
- New Style
- Passinho
- Popping (including Animation, Tutting, and Waving)
- Voguing
- Waacking
Tap
Overview
Tap dance is a percussive form where dancers create rhythms and musical textures using metal plates on their shoes. It draws from jazz, musical theatre, and rhythm tap traditions. Routines can range from upbeat, character-driven Broadway styles to intricate, highly music-driven rhythmic compositions.
Choreography Guidance
Tap choreography should consistently emphasize clarity of sound, syncopation, and tight rhythmic phrasing.
Important Level Placement Note
Please be aware that while there are no strict move restrictions, the inclusion of highly advanced technical elements (such as complex turning sequences, professional-level extensions, or advanced leaps) may result in your team being promoted to a higher skill level (e.g., Beginner to Intermediate) during the preliminary video review.
Tap dance is a percussive form where dancers create rhythms and musical textures using metal plates on their shoes. It draws from jazz, musical theatre, and rhythm tap traditions. Routines can range from upbeat, character-driven Broadway styles to intricate, highly music-driven rhythmic compositions.
Choreography Guidance
Tap choreography should consistently emphasize clarity of sound, syncopation, and tight rhythmic phrasing.
- Movement Vocabulary: Sequences might include time steps, shuffles, wings, pullbacks, and complex traveling combinations.
- Artistic Focus: Visual elements (such as formations, dynamic shifts, and facings) should enhance, rather than distract from, the rhythmic composition. Teams should aim for a strong balance of musical precision and engaging stage presence, allowing the tap sound to drive the performance.
- Team Execution: Uniform sound quality, timing, and weight placement are absolutely essential, as every step contributes to the collective musical experience. In a team routine, perfect synchronization of both sight and sound is crucial to delivering a clean, impactful piece.
Important Level Placement Note
Please be aware that while there are no strict move restrictions, the inclusion of highly advanced technical elements (such as complex turning sequences, professional-level extensions, or advanced leaps) may result in your team being promoted to a higher skill level (e.g., Beginner to Intermediate) during the preliminary video review.
Wildcard
Overview
Wildcard is an open category specifically for performances that do not clearly fit into any other listed style. This includes creative multi-style fusions, acro-dance, physical theatre, or any unconventional and experimental choreography. It is the perfect space for routines that defy traditional categorization.
Choreography Guidance
Wildcard choreography should be bold, highly intentional, and well-defined.
Important Category Requirement
As a reminder, this category is strictly for routines that cannot be placed elsewhere. You may not enter a routine in the Wildcard category if it is eligible for an existing standard category (e.g., a pure Jazz or Commercial piece cannot be entered here simply to avoid a crowded category).
Wildcard is an open category specifically for performances that do not clearly fit into any other listed style. This includes creative multi-style fusions, acro-dance, physical theatre, or any unconventional and experimental choreography. It is the perfect space for routines that defy traditional categorization.
Choreography Guidance
Wildcard choreography should be bold, highly intentional, and well-defined.
- Movement & Concept: Whether seamlessly blending genres or introducing unconventional vocabulary (like acro or physical theatre), the routine must demonstrate purposeful movement and stylistic clarity.
- Artistry & Creativity: Teams are highly encouraged to push creative boundaries by using unexpected structures, themes, or approved props. However, while creativity is at the forefront, the performance should remain accessible and readable to the audience, featuring thoughtful staging and narrative clarity.
- Team Execution: Strong ensemble coordination, cohesion, and technical control remain essential. No matter how experimental the piece, the dancers must execute it as a unified, well-rehearsed team.
Important Category Requirement
As a reminder, this category is strictly for routines that cannot be placed elsewhere. You may not enter a routine in the Wildcard category if it is eligible for an existing standard category (e.g., a pure Jazz or Commercial piece cannot be entered here simply to avoid a crowded category).