STARTS @ 3:30PM

This year, the HarborPark Jazz, Rhythm & Blues Festival will host a Chicago Style Steppers Contest. This is a fun competition designed to entertain and expose the audience to the art and performance of Chicago Style Steppin'. The first-place winner will receive $250! The following information is offered for potential contestants:

Contest Rules:

• You must buy a ticket to the festival to enter the contest
• Couples can sign up on-site during the day of the event
• Sign-up will begin when the doors open
• Sign-up will close 30 minutes before the Chicago Style Steppin' portion of the event (3:30 pm)
• Each couple will be issued a number at signup
• The judges will pull 15 random numbers and those couples will compete
• There will be three, three-minute rounds of dancing
  a. The first round all 15 couples are on the floor. Judges will narrow down to the top 5
  b. Top 5 couples will compete and judges will narrow down to top 3
  c. Top 3 will dance and the audience will help rank 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners
• Couples will be judged based on the following criteria:
  a. Showmanship – Be creative, show your moves, and enjoy the dance
  b. Musicality and Expression – Musical interpretation is important Demonstrate that you understand the music's temp0, rhythm, and melody
  c. Entertainment – This is for the crowd. Show them what you're working with!