...what elements do you think should be "required", specifically for a beginner's ballet solo (recreation level, ages 5-7) and in a beginner adult jazz group (beginner in the sense of competitions that have 2 or more levels of competition)

In other words, rather than having free choreographic rein, let's suppose competitions required certain elements be performed by every competitor within their routines...What would/should these be?

*When I refer to "beginners" I am talking about those levels of competition for recreational/novice students taking less than 2-3 hours a week of class

I am trying to pitch a competition track at the YMCA I work at, and as part of the proposal I need to have a list of elements required for those students wishing to move from the regular "recreational" dance program into the more serious "competition program".....

I hope this question makes sense!!

Thanks for your input in advance!

Then we'd get even more schools just working on tricks and nothing else.

I'm not a fan of the idea, there are too many dance schools that think the tricks are the be all and the end all of dancing.

Well that's just the point....Wouldn't it have the OPPOSITE effect? If routines were judged on a set of required criteria/technical elements (ie: single pirouette from 4th position, pas de chat, pique, etc...) similar to how RAD exams are graded, wouldn't that somewhat discourage the routines that are nothing more than back to back tricks and 90 thousand fouettes?

I would rather that it was stated that dancers couldn't do certain steps before a specific level and that they had to perform them all on the right and the left. A bit like the Irish Dance rules, however this would really stifle the creativity of some pieces, as would having to add in certain steps.

I can see your point regarding how this would stifle creativity...However, supposing there were a competition like this, what elements would you deem appropriate to require for dancers at the levels stated in my original post?

This question is more about creating a list of requirements for dancers to have accomplished in order to move into the competitive program (or, technically, for me to propose in order to get the program created) as opposed to creating a competition of this nature....I just wanted to use a hypothetical competition as the basis for my question because for some reason that is how my thinking is working at the moment...Blame it on all the holiday madness! LOL

In a way there is already a competition like this. The Adeline Genee awards is a competition run by the RAD, in order to enter you need to have passed your Solo Seal exam.

But this competition starts off with classwork and only a few people who enter will ever get to perform their chosen dance. but it's not a piece of original choreography it's a solo variation that they get to perform.