CATEGORIES:

GROUP (A) – Choreographic groups and soloists

• I category: classical ballet;
• II category: folk dance, folk-stylized dance, ethnic dances;
• III category: ballroom dance;
• IV category: sport dance (hip-hop, disco, techno, street, electric boogie, break dance, pop locking and other street styles);
• V category: modern dance (jazz, modern, neoclassic etc.);
• VI category: variety dance;
• VII: Social dance (argentine tango, balboa, bachata, boogie-voogie, waltz west coast swing, zoom, Irish network dance, country, lindy-hop, merengue, reggaeton, rueda, salsa, samba, samba de gafieira, forro, hustle and etc.)

GROUP (B) — instrumental music (soloists, ensembles, orchestras)

• I category: percussion instruments’ ensembles;
• II category: guitarists’ ensembles;
• III category: jazz style ensembles;
• IV category: chamber orchestras;
• V category: symphony orchestras;
• VI category: accordion and button accordion players’ orchestras;
• VII category: folk orchestra ensembles;

Group (C) – singing (choirs, musicals, ensembles, duets, trios, soloists)

• I category: Academic singing;
• II category: Jazz singing;
• III category: rock and rap;
• IV category: folk singing;
• V category: pop singing;
• VI category: musicals;

GROUP (D) – artists and authors of the decorative and applied arts’ products, fashion theaters:

• I category: fashion theaters;
• II category: students of art schools and child art schools;
• III category: students of art colleges, academies and institutes;
• IV category: young professional artists;
• V category: photo and video works (photo workshops, photo exhibitions, studios, authors).

GROUP (E) – Original genre*

• I category: circus, clownery, acrobatics, original gymnastics, juggling;
• II category: illusion;
• III category: pantomime, variety miniature, theatre miniature;
• IV category: art of speaking word, readers.

*Air, fire and animal acts are prohibited.

AGE LIMITS:

• I) younger than 9 years old
• II ) 10-12 years
• III) 13-15 years
• IV) 16-19 years
• V) 20-25 years
• VI) from 26 years
• VII) Mixed aged category “Mixta”ESTIMATION OF AGE
  — For DUO/TRIO/QUARTET – the group age is calculated from the oldest participant’s age.
  — For ensembles, groups of 5 or more people and choirs, the age is calculated based on the average age of the group.

TERMS OF PARTICIPATION:

TERMS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE NOMINATIONS OF GROUPS A, B, C, E

• For the international contest each team needs to provide 1 or 2 competitive compositions lasting 2-5 minutes each. Each soloist – one number up to 4 minutes.
• All backing tracks must be provided to the Competition Organizer 2 weeks before the start of the competition via email. It is also obligatory for the contestant to have backup copies of the tracks on a usb flash drive during the competition. Only the following audio formats are accepted: MP3, WAV, AIFF.
• In the application it should be indicated whether a break between numbers is needed or the work will be carried out as one block.
• It is necessary to indicate in the application the soloists, duets, and small form groups from three to five people.
• During competitive performances, both groups and soloists are prohibited from using plus-phonograms.

TERMS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE NOMINATIONS OF GROUP D

• Each participant can provide no more than 2 competitive works, format of the work is no more than A3;
• The subjects and technique of execution of works are various;
• Tablets (cameras for photographers).

JURY:

The jury of the BlackSeaFest competition is staffed by outstanding artists, educators and producers. The exact list of jury members will be published closer to the beginning of the competition.

The jury has the right:

• not to award all the prizes; 
• to share prize among performers;
• to award special prizes to teachers for outstanding achievements;
• to make a decision about breaking a performance which exceeds the bounds of the regulations;
• the jury evaluates the participants on one hundred-point system, the final result is made up of the average quantity of the received scores and the average value of the progress scores;
• the jury’s decisions are final and are not subject to review.

Evaluation criteria:

• GROUP (А) – choreographic groups and soloists
• – mastery – technique of movements’ execution;
• – compositional creation of the performance;
• – suitability for the theatre (flexibility, costume, properties, performing standards);
• – choice and correspondence of the musical and choreographic materials;
• – artistic skills, disclosure of an artistic image.
• GROUP (B) – instrumental groups and soloists
• – degree of the complexity of the repertoire;
• – degree of virtuosity and technical capability;
• – scenic culture, artistic skill, posture.
• GROUP (С) – singing (choirs, ensembles, duets, trios, soloists)
• – purity of the intonation and quality of sound;
• –  beauty of the timbre and the voice strength;
• – scenic culture, artistic skill
• – Mastery – technique of movements’ execution
• GROUP (D) – artists and authors of the decorative and applied arts’ products, fashion theaters
• – author’s creative personality and mastery;
• – composition methods skill
• – skills in the technique the work is done;
• – uniqueness of the idea and execution;
• – colour solution.
• GROUP (E) – Original genre
• – level of preparation and mastery;
• – suitability for the theatre (flexibility, costume, properties, performing standards);
• – artistic mounting of the program.

JURY:

The jury evaluates the participants on 100-point scale.

Regarding the genres of performing and nominations the awards are distributed due to seven age groups

• participants who received up to 70 points become diploma holders;
• participants who received from 70 to 79 points – laureates of the third degree;
• participants who received from 80 to 89 points become laureates of the second degree;
• participants who received from 90 to 99 points become laureates of the first degree;
• participants who received 100 points become Grand Prize winners of the contest “BlackSeaFest”.

*Groups of 5 people or more, receive a special engraving from the city authorities.
*Each leader and sponsor of the group receives a letter of thanks on stamped paper of the Kingdom of Spain.
*Each contestant in the group can request a personal diploma and medal for an additional fee (before the competition)

DRAFT PROGRAM:

1st day
– Arrival of the foreign participants,
– transfer from airport to hotel (extra charge)
– check in to a hotel (from 14:00)
– free time
– dinner at the hotel
(night at Batumi hotel)

2nd day
– press conference;
– presentation of international festivals committee Fiestalonia (Spain).
– registration of the participants;
– Tour in Batumi (2 – 2,5 hours)

DURING THE EXCURSION YOU WILL VISIT:
– Old and New Boulevard, with its amazing singing fountains
– The statue of Ali and Nino – a symbol of eternal love and understanding between nations
– Piazza Batumi Square

* The tour of Batumi is included in the price.
(night at Batumi hotel)

3rd day
– Breakfast and dinner at hotel
– Transfer (Hotel – contest venue – hotel)
– Contest day;
– Awarding ceremony;

4th day
– Breakfast and dinner at the hotel;
– Free day;
– Optional excursions: Mountainous Adjara – Gonio Fortress; Colchis Reserve – Poti City – Picnic in the Reserve; Martvil Canyon; Tsitsinatela Amusement Park; Travel to Imereti region; Travel to Imereti.
Martville Canyon; Tsitsinatela Amusement Park; Journey to Imereti region.

5th day
– Breakfast at the hotel
– Check out from the hotel before 12:00.

ATTENTION! Organizers have opportunity to modify the program.