2026 Masters Cup Ballroom Dance Open Competition Regulations

Competition Organizing Committee

Organizers

CMG Mobile (China Media Group Mobile)China International Cultural Communication Center

Undertaker

Beijing Crystal Prosperity Culture and Sports Development Co., Ltd.

Core Competition Information

Competition Date and Venue

  • Date: 8th – 12th April 2026 (Masters Camp on 6th – 7th April; Opening Ceremony on 10th April)
  • Check-in Venue: National Aquatics Center
  • Check-in Time: 14:00 – 21:00 from 8th to 12th April 2026

Live Streaming Platforms

Crystal Prosperity WeChat Channel, Masters Cup Ballroom Dance Open WeChat Channel, Jingque Events APP, CMG Mobile, Masters Cup Ballroom Dance Open Douyin Official Account, Masters Cup Ballroom Dance Open Kuaishou Official Account

Media Support

  1. National News Media: China Media Group, CMG Mobile, People’s Daily, People’s Network, Xinhua News Agency, Xinhuanet, Chinanews.com, Sina Weibo, Toutiao, Bilibili, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Phoenix Net, Kuaishou, CRI Online, Guangming Daily, WeChat Official Platforms, iQiyi, Tencent Video, Youku, Youtube, X, Meta, China.org.cn, Dance Fashion, China Art News, Beijing Time, Wenhui Daily, Baidu, etc.
  2. Local News Media (Beijing): Beijing TV, Beijing Daily, Beijing Evening News, Beijing Youth Daily, The Beijing News and their official online platforms

Organizer Contact

Mr. Xi: +86 18612636956
Mr. Richard: +86 13910737637
masterscupdance@outlook.com

Daily Main Events of 2026 Masters Cup

6th – 7th April (Monday – Tuesday) | Masters Camp8th April (Wednesday)

  • Open Dance College Event
  • Open Amateur U25 Latin
  • Open Amateur U25 Ballroom
  • Asian Amateur Ballroom
  • Asian Amateur Latin
  • Asian Professional Ballroom
  • Asian Professional Latin

9th April (Thursday)

  • Open Dance College Event
  • Amateur Rising Star Ballroom
  • Amateur Rising Star Latin
  • Professional Rising Star Ballroom
  • Professional Rising Star Latin

10th April (Friday)

  • Opening Ceremony
  • Masters Camp for Junior
  • Open Dance College Event
  • Pro-Am Ballroom and Latin (Adult)
  • Senior Event Latin
  • International Open Amateur Ballroom
  • International Open Amateur Latin

11th April (Saturday)

  • Elite Junior (Pair)
  • Elite Solo for Juvenile
  • University Event
  • International University Show
  • Teacher-Student Ballroom and Latin (Junior)
  • Senior Event Ballroom
  • International Open Professional Ballroom
  • International Open Professional Latin

12th April (Sunday)

  • All Other Solo Events
  • Art Candidate Event
  • Syllabus Basic Event
  • Elite Juvenile (Pair)
  • International Team Match for Junior and Juvenile

Entry Requirements

  1. The age calculation cut-off date is 8th April 2026. Competitors whose birthdays fall on or after 8th April shall be deemed as the next age group.
  2. All entry rules must be strictly followed. Competitors in a lower age group are not allowed to enter higher age groups, and vice versa. Professional college students are prohibited from entering amateur and graded events (except the Elite Group). Competitors aged 16 and above entering solo events are not allowed to enter pair events simultaneously; solo events are designed for competitors without a dance partner.
  3. For Senior Events, both partners must meet the respective age requirements (35+/45+/55+). Neither partner shall be a professional dancer, have ever ranked in the top 12 of professional events, nor participated in professional events in the past three years.
  4. For the Adult Professional-ProAm Events, one partner must be a professional dancer and the other must be over 18 years old.
  5. Any violation of the above rules will result in disqualification and cancellation of results. Award winners in breach of rules shall return all trophies, medals, certificates and prize money.
  6. Competitors must bring the original and a copy of their ID card to the competition; minors shall bring a copy of their household registration page for age verification. Failure to provide the above documents will be deemed as failing to meet the age requirements in case of age disputes.
  7. Each team may register 1 team leader and 1 coach. Teams with more than 30 members may add an additional 1-2 team leaders/coaches. All entry information (including the names and phone numbers of team leaders and coaches) must be filled in accurately.
  8. Any entry modification or adjustment must be completed via the online entry system before the entry deadline. The system will display the deadline prominently and close automatically upon expiration.
  9. Events with less than 3 entries (pairs/individuals) before the entry deadline will be merged into the appropriate age group. Events with less than 3 entries upon check-in will be temporarily merged into the appropriate age group.
  10. Entry confirmation is subject to the organizing committee’s receipt of the entry fee. All teams must keep the remittance or transfer receipt for verification during check-in. Competitors may collect their competition numbers, official programs and relevant materials with the online entry form and payment record upon check-in.
  11. No changes to registered events will be allowed during check-in. In case of genuine misregistration, changes may be permitted with the organizing committee’s approval (provided the competition schedule is not affected) and a modification fee of RMB 200 per event will be charged.
  12. A 50% entry fee refund will be given for cancellations made on or before the entry deadline (28th March 2026); no refund will be given for cancellations made after the deadline.
  13. The entry deadline is 28th March 2026; late entries will not be accepted. The organizing committee will confirm entry information with all teams after the deadline. Failure to verify and reply will result in the original entry information being deemed invalid.

Entry Contact

Mr. Xi: +86 18612636956

Check-in

  1. Check-in time for all teams and individual competitors: 14:00 – 21:00 from 8th to 12th April 2026
  2. Check-in venue: National Aquatics Center
  3. No changes to registered events will be allowed during check-in. In case of genuine misregistration, changes may be permitted with the organizing committee’s approval (provided the competition schedule is not affected) and a modification fee of RMB 200 per event will be charged.

Participants

Teams formed by clubs, schools, training institutions, social organizations from all over the world and China, as well as individual competitors.

Competition Entry Methods

  1. Competitors may register as part of a team or as individuals.
  2. All competitors requiring age verification must fill in their real ID numbers during online registration. Competitors over 45 years old must provide a medical certificate of good health. All teams and individual competitors must sign a competition liability waiver. Failure to provide the above documents will result in disqualification.
  3. All competitors must purchase accident and injury insurance in advance at their own expense. The organizing committee shall not be liable for any accidents occurring during the competition.

Competition Rules

  1. The competition adopts the British Cumulative Marking System. Rankings must be determined for all events; no additional rounds will be held in case of a tie.
  2. Competition Stages: Ranked events will be held in three stages: Preliminary, Semi-Final and Final.
  • Events with 12 or fewer pairs (individuals) will advance directly to the Semi-Final.
  • Events with 6 or fewer pairs (individuals) will advance directly to the Final.
  • Events with less than 3 pairs (individuals) will be merged into other appropriate events.
  • Competition music will be uniformly arranged by the organizing committee.
  1. Scoring Criteria: Judging will be based on a comprehensive evaluation of technical skills, dance style interpretation, musical rhythm expression, choreography fluency and on-site performance.

Dress and Grooming Requirements

(See Annex for full details)In line with international practices, the following dress and grooming requirements apply to all competitors aged 12 and under:

Female Competitors

  1. Neckline: Stand collar, round collar, flat collar, V-neck, etc. are allowed; the neckline must be above the underarm horizontal line.
  2. Sleeves: Long, medium or short sleeves are allowed; spaghetti straps (exposing shoulders) are prohibited. Sleeves can be made of mesh or nylon fabric.
  3. Latin Skirt Hem: 2 cm above to 5 cm below the knee. Boned hems must be covered with the same fabric/color as the skirt.
  4. Ballroom Skirt Hem: 10 cm below the knee to 10 cm above the ankle. Boned hems must be covered with the same fabric/color as the skirt. A single layer of lining in the same color is allowed under the outer skirt, with the lining not exceeding the length of the outer skirt.
  5. Style: One-piece or two-piece skirts are allowed. One-piece skirts shall not have separate waist belts; the top of two-piece skirts must be connected to the bottom to avoid exposed skin. No decorations (rhinestones, sequins, metal flakes, streamers, feathers, etc.) are permitted.
  6. Color: The entire costume must be in a single color; a second color is prohibited.
  7. Fabric: Diamond velvet, reflective fabric and skin-tone fabric are prohibited.
  8. Shoes & Socks: Low-heeled white children’s Latin shoes with white short socks (with or without lace); black, skin-tone or colored Latin/ballroom shoes are prohibited. For ballroom events, female competitors must wear square-heeled white children’s Latin shoes.
  9. Hairstyle: Only slicked-back hair or updos (high/low chignon) are allowed. No fancy hairstyles, hair accessories, loose hair or braids (ponytails) are permitted. Small styling wigs may be used for shaping.
  10. Make-up: Heavy make-up, false eyelashes and false nails are prohibited.

Male Competitors

  1. Costume: White long-sleeved collared shirts (stand collars, open collars, triangular collars and swallow collars are prohibited); cuffs may have regular buttons (lace cuffs or any decorations are prohibited). Waistcoats are not allowed. Black ties or bow ties are mandatory. Black trousers may have black satin trim (lace or other colored trim is prohibited).
  2. Fabric & Decoration: Costumes must be made of opaque materials with no decorations. Belts are optional; suspenders are prohibited.
  3. Shoes & Socks: Black medium-heeled children’s Latin shoes with black socks for Latin events; black medium-heeled children’s ballroom shoes with black socks for ballroom events.
  4. Hairstyle: Styled with hairspray (any style is allowed). Unusual hairstyles inconsistent with ballroom dance aesthetics (e.g., long hair, loose hair, dyed hair) are prohibited.
  5. Make-up: Make-up is prohibited (except for competitors with local facial skin abnormalities).

Female Pair Events

Both partners must wear female costumes; male costumes are prohibited.

2026 Masters Cup Juvenile (Under 12) Ballroom and Latin Syllabus Categories Explanation

**In accordance with international movement standards for juveniles under 12, this competition group must perform steps from the official International Dance Teaching Materials (IDTA, ISTD, UKA), excluding any non-standardized movements such as continuous spins, poses, or lifts. Dance elements such as Contra Check, Over Sway, and Left Whisk are prohibited in all age categories.**

Prescribed Combinations

(See Annex for full details)

Awards and Prizes

Ranked Events

The top 6 finishers in all ranked events (including pair and solo events) will be awarded a trophy, a medal and a certificate. The same award criteria apply to sub-group ranked events.

Graded Events

Awards will be given in the proportion of 30% (First Prize), 40% (Second Prize) and 30% (Third Prize):

  • First Prize: A trophy (one per pair/solo competitor) and a certificate
  • Second & Third Prizes: A medal and a certificate
  • Competitors who register but fail to attend or miss their events will be automatically awarded the Third Prize by the competition scoring system.

Prize Money of 2026 Masters Cup

(Separate detailed announcement)

Insurance and Safety

  1. Team leaders shall organize all competitors to purchase accident and injury insurance in advance. Competitors without insurance shall be held fully liable for any emergencies (e.g., sudden illness, accidental injury) during the competition. Competitors with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are prohibited from participating; those who conceal their medical conditions shall bear all consequences.
  2. A detailed safety plan for the competition must be formulated (see Annex for full details).

Competition Requirements

  1. Team leaders and coaches must attend the pre-competition team leader meeting organized by the organizing committee; otherwise, the team will forfeit the right to participate in awards evaluation and file complaints.
  2. By participating in the competition, all registered competitors are deemed to accept the judges’ decisions. Teams or individuals with objections to the results may file an appeal within 30 minutes after the results are announced, with an appeal fee of RMB 1,000 paid in advance. The fee will be refunded if the appeal is upheld, and non-refundable if the appeal is rejected.
  3. Team leaders and competitors must check the latest competition schedule via the event APP and check-in office announcements, and familiarize themselves with their registered events to avoid missing competitions. Competitors must check in 30 minutes in advance; those who fail to respond after three roll calls will be deemed to have withdrawn automatically, and all consequences shall be borne by the team leader and the competitor. Competitors who miss events due to personal reasons shall bear all consequences.
  4. Competitors must abide by the competition venue discipline. Any disturbance to the competition (including boycotting the competition, booing, rioting, etc.) will result in disqualification and cancellation of results. Severe violations will be referred to the local public security organ.
  5. Competition music will be uniformly arranged by the organizing committee.
  6. Any person who seriously violates the competition venue discipline (including boycotting the competition, rioting, booing, fighting, seriously interfering with the competition process, etc.) will have their results cancelled or be referred to the public security organ.
  7. Competitors must wear competition costumes when participating in the competition, attending the opening ceremony and receiving awards.

Arbitration and Judging

  1. Arbitrators, the Chief Judge and judges will be uniformly appointed by the organizing committee.
  2. Teams wishing to file an appeal must submit a written application to the competition arbitration committee and pay an appeal fee of RMB 1,000. The fee will be refunded if the appeal is upheld, and non-refundable if the appeal is rejected.

Final Provisions

The competition organizing committee reserves the final right of interpretation of these regulations. Any matters not covered herein will be notified separately.

Download PDF