Rules ASDG | Dance Studio By Design

A Competitive Event Designed for

Developing Dance Teams

American Sport Dance Games® Meets give younger dancers, performance teams, and novice competitors a positive way to work toward a team goal. Your dancers do not have to compete at an advanced level to participate, nor with students incorrectly entered at specific levels.

Entry Specifics:

Team entries only, team membership begins at 8 members
One routine per team at curricula levels I and II
School-grade groupings, not age-averaged
Studio team wear instead of tradtional competitive costumes
Objective scoring based on the Level I and Level II Domain Dance® required technical skills performed in the routine
Only members of the American Association of Dance Instructors in good standing, may enter these events

The Basic ASDG Meet Format

ASDG Meets are designed to make competition more manageable for dance studios, teachers, and families.

Meets are completed in sessions held on one or two days, dependent upon the number of entries received per location, from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
Studios enter teams only. Team sizes begin at 8 members.
Each team performs one/two routines of up to two minutes and thirty seconds each. Teams are entered according to their current school grade and Domain Dance® curricula level. For the 2027 dance season it is either Level I or Level II
Dancers wear coordinated studio dance team wear instead of competitive costumes.
Music must be appropriate for family audiences.
Teams compete with studios in the same entering studio divisions.
Scoring is based on the technical skills and performance elements included in the routine based on Domain Dance® curricula level. This is called RUBRIC BASED SCORING.

Who ASDG Meets Are For

American Sport Dance Games® Meets are especially appropriate for younger competitive students, performance teams, and students who would benefit from a competitive experience without entering an advanced-level competition.

ASDG gives dance studios another choice. It allows teachers to create teams from the students they already teach instead of building a program around entry categories used by traditional competition formats, expensive costumes, or extensive travel.

Your dancers do not need to be advanced. They need to be an appropriate team, a prepared routine, and have a meaningful goal.

The Educational Structure Behind ASDG

EXPECTATIONS For Dance Curriculum Frameworks® is an educational framework and site-licensing program available to members of the American Association of Dance Instructors®.

Domain Dance® Levels I–VI is the K–12 curriculum within the EXPECTATIONS framework. It connects progressive dance skills with classroom instruction, faculty lesson plans, choreography, and student achievement.

American Sport Dance Games® Meets are the achievement, adjudication, and assessment application of the educational framework. Teams perform routines based on the Domain Dance® skills taught during their weekly classes. Those routines are evaluated using curriculum-aligned rubrics.

AADI members who purchase an EXPECTATIONS For Dance Curriculum Frameworks® SITE LICENSE become Regional Meet Directors for one authorized American Sport Dance Games® Meet.

The 2027 Introduction

The 2027 ASDG season will introduce Domain Dance® Levels I and II for students in Kindergarten through Grade 10.

Team entries begin with eight dancers.
Each team presents two routines.
Each routine may be up to three minutes.
Teams are organized by school-grade group rather than age averaging.
Meets are presented in scheduled sessions over one or two days, depending on the number of entries received at each location.

STUDENT AGE/SCHOOL GRADE GROUPS LEVELS I TO VI

Grades 1–10, studying up to three hours weekly

Primary: Kindergarten–Grade 2
Intermediate: Grades 3–5
Junior: Grades 6–8
Senior: Grades 9–10

ASDG uses school grades to make it easier for studios to place dancers in the appropriate Domain Dance® technique requirement level. Age averaging is not used. All dancers must be enrolled in the school-grade group listed for each team entry.

ENTRY TEAM SIZES

Small Team: 8–12 dancers

Medium Team: 13–16 dancers

Large Team: 17–22 dancers

All entries must follow the Domain Dance® curriculum skills assigned to the dancers’ current school-grade group and entry level. Team-size requirements may be reviewed and adjusted based on recommendations submitted by active AADI members before each competition season.

FACILITY–STUDIO DIVISIONS

Division A: One location with one dance classroom

Division B: One location with two dance classrooms

Division C: Multiple locations or multiple dance classrooms

ROUTINE DANCE CATEGORIES

BROADWAY — Dancers perform to music from a Broadway show or musical.

PROP — Dancers perform while incorporating a handheld prop into the routine.

PARADE — Dancers perform a lively routine inspired by the movement, energy, and spirit of a parade.

INDIVIDUAL TEAM MEMBER ENTRY FEE: $55

1. Rubric-Based Scoring

American Sport Dance Games® Meets use rubric-based scoring aligned with the technical requirements of Domain Dance®.

For the 2027 season, each team is evaluated according to the required Level I or Level II skills demonstrated in its routines. The scoring rubric evaluates:

Preparation and performance of required technical skills
Turns
Jumps
Flexibility
Performance quality

Choreographic design is scored separately for a separate choreographer award.

Student achievement is reported in four scoring tiers*:

Exceeding Expectations
Meeting Expectations
Partially Meeting Expectations
Not Meeting Expectations

Complete scoring rubrics and technical requirements are provided through AADI member education and are not published on the public website.

* The exact wording for the score sheet is subject to change based upon the input and acceptance of our AADI membership. For Levels III to Level VI a second COMPULSORY component is added to the score. This is introduced at the Domain Dance® Workshops.

2. Why Teacher Preparation Comes First

American Sport Dance Games® is different from competitions where teachers create a routine first and select an entry level later.

ASDG begins with the desired student achievement. Dance educators use a Backwards By Design For Dance Education™ approach based on Understanding by Design to connect curriculum, weekly lesson plans, choreography, and assessment.

Domain Dance® Workshops

Part One: Teaching and Choreography

Dance educators learn how to:

Identify the Level I or Level II skills their students are expected to achieve
Create lesson plans that prepare students to perform those skills
Connect ballet and jazz fundamentals through Domain Dance®
Develop choreography based on the skills taught during weekly classes
Prepare two team routines or more for specific grade/age appropriate for the selected curriculum level

Part Two: Understanding and Entering an ASDG Meet

Dance educators learn how to:

Determine whether ASDG is appropriate for their students
Place dancers in the correct school-grade group
Select the appropriate Domain Dance® curriculum level
Understand the ASDG team and routine requirements
Prepare routines for rubric-based assessment
Understand how to enter and participate in an ASDG Meet

Teacher preparation comes first so educators understand what to teach, how to prepare their teams, and how each routine will be evaluated before entering an event.

3. Workshop and Proposed-Location Information

Proposed Fall 2026 Dance Educator Workshop Dates

DSBD prefers to hold Domain Dance Workshops during the morning hours from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Listed below are Wednesday mornings in September and October. The workshops in the New England area continue through to the second week in December. All attendees must be registered and paid to attend three weeks before the workshop date.

Is your studio available to host a Domain Dance® Fall Dance Educator Workshop on one of these dates? Do you prefer a different date/day of the week?

September 16 — LOCATION IS OPEN
September 23 — LOCATION IS OPEN
September 30 — LOCATION IS OPEN
October 7 — LOCATION IS OPEN
October 14 — LOCATION IS OPEN
October 21 — LOCATION IS OPEN

We are seeking regional workshop locations in:

Central Massachusetts
Metro Boston
North Shore
South Shore
Western Massachusetts
Cape Cod
Providence, Rhode Island
Hartford, Connecticut
Portland, Maine

Dance Studio By Design® plans to introduce workshops in additional parts of the United States beginning in January 2027.

Proposed Spring 2027 ASDG Meet Dates

The ASDG competitive dates will always be the month of March and the first two weeks of April. These events we classify as REGIONALS. There can be multiple events on one day in multiple states.

Our future plans are for our nationals, which we call TOURNAMENTS to be held on the second weekend in October. As our events and AADI membership grow, further information will be provided for TOURNAMENTS.

Current Sprng Dates

March 6 — LOCATION IS OPEN
March 13 — LOCATION IS OPEN
March 20 — LOCATION IS OPEN
March 27 — LOCATION IS OPEN
April 3 — LOCATION IS OPEN
April 10 — LOCATION IS OPEN

We are seeking regional meet locations in:

Central Massachusetts
Metro Boston
North Shore
South Shore
Western Massachusetts
Cape Cod
Providence, Rhode Island
Portland, Maine
Hartford, Connecticut

Meet dates and locations remain tentative until a Regional Meet Director and authorized facility are established for each area.

4. Regional Meet Director Opportunity

Operate One ASDG Meet in Your Region

An AADI member in good standing who purchases an EXPECTATIONS For Dance Curriculum Frameworks® SITE LICENSE becomes the Regional Meet Director for one authorized American Sport Dance Games® Meet.

The Regional Meet Director organizes and operates the meet according to the licensed educational framework and ASDG event requirements.

After the site-license fee and meet expenses are paid, the remaining profit from the authorized meet belongs to the Regional Meet Director.

The educational site license, Regional Meet Director responsibilities, required preparation, and event-operation details are explained through the AADI member pathway.

5. Contact-Form Invitation

Interested in Learning More?

Use our contact form if you are interested in:

Attending a Domain Dance® Fall Dance Educator Workshop
Hosting a workshop at your studio
Preparing teams to enter an ASDG Meet
Purchasing an EXPECTATIONS For Dance Curriculum Frameworks® SITE LICENSE and becoming a Regional Meet Director

Submitting the contact form is a request for information and does not obligate you to participate.

REQUEST WORKSHOP AND ASDG INFORMATION HERE