Every year during Star Shine Festival we offer to participate in competition with solo or group performance. 

Each participant is required to read these regulations. By sending the form, you confirm that you have understood and accepted all the regulations of participation.

 

General rules applicable to all competition categories:

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1. To participate in the festival competition please fill in the application form.

2. Participation fee should be paid by 01.10.2025. in cash or by bank transfer. 

3. The registration fee is not refundable if the participant is not dancing in competition.

4. To reserve your spot in the competition you need to fill in the form and make a payment after receiving a confirmation email within 5 working days. 

5. After we have received your application, we will send you a confirmation e-mail including an invoice with your order. Please note that you are NOT registered until you have confirmation from the organizers and have paid the invoice.

6. Please, do NOT make a payment before you have the confirmation and an invoice from the organizers.

7. If a payment was not received in time your order will be canceled.

8. The competition fee is non-refundable in case of cancellation by the participant. In case of cancellation by the organizer, you will receive a full refund except bank transfer fees.

9. Only participants who have paid for the competition fee are allowed to be backstage. Family members, friends, make-up artists, hairdressers, teachers or any other persons who are NOT participating are not allowed to be backstage.

10. You cannot give your spot in the competition to another person without organizers permission.

11. If you have any discount, prize or voucher from another festival, contact us via email starshinefestival@gmail.com before registration.

12. The organizer is not responsible for any loss or damage of personal belongings during the festival.

13. The organizer of the dance festival is not responsible  for any injury or harm sustained by any participant while participating in the festival.

14. If a judge of the competition is unable to come or has further restrictions, the organizers are free in their choice of replacement. The organizers can also make necessary short-term changes to the festival competition program. In these cases, the participant does not have further claims.

15. By participating in the festival, participants agree that the organizer has the right to use their photos and videos taken of participants at the competition(s) and during open stage performance may be used by Star Shine Festival to promote the festival e.g. on social media such as Facebook, Instagram etc. and on festival posters, flyers etc.

16. The participants joining the workshops have a discount for participation in competition. If the participant applies for workshops after paying participation fee for competition, the discount will not be applied. 

17. All winners are announced on the same night the competition category is conducted. 

18. Judges/organizers may disqualify a dancer if they violate any of the rules of the competition. The organizers can provide dispensation from the rules. 

19. Organizers are not responsible for the decision of judges. The decision of judges and results aren't subject to the appeal. However, participants have the right to receive comments from judges.

20.  If the number of competitors is less than 3 in one category, the organizer keeps the right of uniting several categories in one or cancel this nomination competition.

21. Visitors  and participants of the festival are prohibited from arriving under the influence of alcohol and/or psychotropic substances, bringing sharp objects, weapons, bringing food or drinks, to smoke.

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Participation fee

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To participate in solo competition each performer must take at least 1 workshop during festival. 

To participate in group competition each performer must buy at least 1 Gala Show ticket, or to take 1 workshop during festival. 

• Solo categories (except professionals) – 35 Euro

• Professionals solo (Oriental, Folklore) – 45 Euro

• Groups – 15 Euro (per each dancer in one performance)

• Open Stage on Saturday or Sunday - 15  Euro (per each dancer in one performance for group) or 35 for solo performance.

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Age restrictions for performers 

All dancers must match age limits of the competition age groups on the day of their performance in the competition. 

Adults: 16-39 years old

Ladies: 40+  

Soloists Adults Open Level -  Tabla Solo, Show bellydance/Fushion: from 16 years old

Groups: from 16 years old

Professionals: from 18 years old

 

Dress regulations 

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• The costume must be of an appropriate size and fit. 

• All contestants performing must wear appropriate stage make-up. 

• It is required that all participants wear a Raqs Sharqi style costume except for the folklore category or show/fusion category.

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Props

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It is optional for participants in all categories to use props. 

• Veils, fan veils, zills, cane, meleya, shamadan etc. can be used during your performance if it is required by dance style.

• Swords, dance knives and other sharp, dangerous objects are not permitted. 

•  Props with candles -  it is NOT allowed to use real candles or other props with open fire. All must be battery operated. 

• It is NOT allowed to use glitter or other small details during your performance. Please leave the stage as clean as it was before your performance.

• It is NOT allowed to dance with real live animals.

All props must be placed on stage and removed from stage by the participant before and after performance. 

 

Music 

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1. The music for the competition must be send by 1st of October 2024 to the festival e-mail starshinefestival@gmail.com 

2. Please title an email with Name, Surname or Group name, Competition music.

3. We recommend to bring a USB flash drive for the back-up.

4. Time limits for all categories are 3-4 minutes. 

5. The music will be stopped after the limit time. We accept only 5 seconds excess.

- Solo categories (except Professionals Raks Sharki) - 3 minutes

- Professionals Raks Sharki - 4 minutes

- Groups Raks Sharki, folklore, fusion/show - 3 minutes

6. The music must be in mp3 format and must be signed by the formula: CATEGORY_ NAME-SURNAME_OFF/ON

PRO_RAKS, PRO_FOLK, PRO_SHOW - for professionals

AD_RAKS, AD_FOLK - for adults

TABLA - for tabla solo

SHOW - open level show and fusion

LADIES_RAKS, LADIES_FOLK - for ladies.

GR_RAKS, GR_FOLK, GR_SHOW - for group category.

OPENING - for Opening party on Friday.

OS - Open Stage. 

OFF - music first, the dancer enter the stage

ON - dancer is on stage, then music starts

 

Example: PRO_RAKS_MARGARITA KAMJAKA_OFF

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Description of categories:

 

Adults - 16-39 years old amateur dancers, who do not earn money on oriental dance, such as dance on gigs, commercial shows, do not teach classes or workshops. Each dancer is given the possibility to perform a (choreographed or improvised) routine on stage.Within this level you can perform in 2 different style categories: Oriental and Folklore. You can also participate in Open Level categories: Drum Solo, Fusion/Show and be a member of a group. Choosing the Adults category you can not dance at the same time in Ladies category or Professionals. 

• Adults Oriental - mejanse, oriental, modern baladi, golden era, tarab, classical song (drum solo part is allowed but not more than 30% of choreography)

• Adults Folklore - balady, saidy, shaabi (but not mahraganat), eskandarany, bambuti, nubian, haggalah, fellahi, siwa, ghawazi, dabke, moroccan folklore dances, algerian folklore dances, bandari, khaleegy, iraqi. 

 

Ladies - reserved only for ladies from 40 years. Amateur dancers, who do not earn money on oriental dance, such as dance on gigs, commercial shows, do not teach classes or workshops. Each dancer is given the possibility to perform a (choreographed or improvised) routine on stage.Within this level you can perform in 2 different style categories: Oriental and Folklore. You can also participate in Open Level categories: Drum Solo, Fusion/Show and be a member of a group. Choosing the Ladies category  you can not dance at the same time in Adults category or Professionals. 

• Ladies Oriental - mejanse, oriental, modern baladi, golden era, tarab, classical song (drum solo part is allowed but not more than 30% of choreography)

• Ladies Folklore - balady, saidy, shaabi (but not mahraganat), eskandarany, bambuti, nubian, haggalah, fellahi, siwa, ghawazi, dabke, moroccan folklore dances, algerian folklore dances, bandari, khaleegy, iraqi. 

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Professionals - professional dancers, teachers, workshop teachers, professional bellydance show performers. Age limit for this category from 18 years old. 

Each dancer is given the possibility to perform a (choreographed or improvised) routine on stage.Within this level you can perform in 2 different style categories: Oriental and Folklore. You can also participate in Open Level categories: Drum Solo, Fusion/Show and be a member of a group but not as a soloist dancer. Choosing the Professionals category you can not dance at the same time in Adults or Ladies category. 

• Professionals Oriental - mejanse, oriental, golden era, tarab, classical song (drum solo part is allowed but not more than 30% of choreography)

• Professionals Folklore - balady, saidy, shaabi (but not mahraganat), eskandarany, bambuti, nubian, haggalah, fellahi, siwa, ghawazi, dabke, moroccan folklore dances, algerian folklore dances, bandari, khaleegy, iraqi. 

• Professionals fusion/Show Solo Open Level - from 16 years old dancers. Each dancer is given the possibility to perform a (choreographed or improvised) routine on stage. Bellydance fusion with other dance styles: tango, mahraganat, samba, flamenco etc.; fantasy bellydance; dance with props: wings, fan veils, shamadan, tabla, tambourine, swords, poi-veil, veils etc. NOTICE: if there will be less than 5 participants in this category, participants will perform in open level fusion/show category.

 

Open Level categories for dancers from 16 years old. 

•  Fusion/Show Solo Open Level - from 16 years old dancers. Each dancer is given the possibility to perform a (choreographed or improvised) routine on stage. Bellydance fusion with other dance styles: tango, mahraganat, samba, flamenco etc.; fantasy bellydance; dance with props: wings, fan veils, shamadan, tabla, tambourine, swords, poi-veil, veils etc. NOTICE: there is only one level in this category - OPEN.

• Drum Solo Open Level - from 16 years old dancers. Each dancer is given the possibility to perform a (choreographed or improvised) routine on stage. Drum solo or Tabla Solo or Darbouka. Other dance techniques are allowed: tango, samba, flamenco etc., but not more than 30% of choreography. Acceptable props: zills, tabla, tambourine etc. NOTICE: there is only one level in this category - OPEN.

 

Groups

This category is for groups of 3-12 dancers . The maximum number of dancers is set according to the size of the stage. 

This category is for amateur dancers, who do not earn money on oriental dance, such as dance on gigs, commercial shows, do not teach classes or workshops. Each dancer is given the possibility to perform a choreographed routine on stage. Within this level you can perform in 3 different style categories: Oriental, Folklore and Fusion/Show. 

Professionals or teachers of the group can also be a member of a group, but not as a soloist of the group. 

• Groups Oriental - mejanse, oriental, golden era, classical song (drum solo part is allowed but not more than 30% of choreography)

• Groups Folklore - balady, saidy, shaabi (but not mahraganat), eskandarany, bambuti, nubian, haggalah, fellahi, siwa, ghawazi, dabke, moroccan folklore dances, algerian folklore dances, bandari, khaleegy, iraqi. 

• Groups Fusion/Show - bellydance fusion with other dance styles: tango, mahraganat, samba, flamenco etc.; fantasy bellydance; dance with props: wings, fan veils, shamadan, swords, poi-veil, veils etc.

 

If you have any questions about the rules and fees, do not hesitate to contact the Star Shine Festival organizer Margarita via starshinefestival@gmail.com.