Above IT LINE DANCE VIRTUAL COMPETITION
WILD MOON COUNTRY DANCE PRESENTS:
1st Place: $1,000 + Magic and Bird Merchandise
2nd Place: $300 + Magic and Bird Merchandise
3rd Place: Magic and Bird Merchandise
Eligibility: U.S. + D.C., ages 13+
Under 18? Parent or legal guardian permission required
Cost to enter: Free. No purchase necessary.
Winner: Selected by judges based on skill — not likes, views, followers, or popularity.
Selected entries may be reposted or shared by the artist and competition organizers as part of the “Above It” line dance rollout.
Learn the dance (tutorial below).
Grab 1-3 friends (no solo submissions) and film your crew.
Follow the judges on IG to gain insights into scoring dimensions.
Upload your video from a public Instagram profile (as a reel). Tag the artists and judges (@AndyMineo @WordsPlayed @TwirlyTess @Wild_Moon_Country @Katie_Can_Line_Dance). Hastag #AboveItLineDanceCompetition in description.
Submit video link through the form below for judging (IMPORTANT).
Compete for the grand prize. Entries will be scored by our panel of judges based on: choreography, showmanship and production quality. The highest-scoring eligible entry takes home the Grand Prize.
HOW IT WORKS
SCHEDULE
All times are Pacific Standard Time
August 12th - 19th Preparation week
Learn the dance, build your team and follow the judges for tips and insights.
August 19th 9am Submission Window Opens
Upload your dance video, tag the artists and judges, submit the video link to the competition
September 1st 9am Submission Window Closes
Judging begins on all entries.
September 2nd 7pm Finalist Annouced
Finalist announced on Wild Moon Country Dance instagram account.
CASH PRIZES* awarded digitally (e.g. Venmo, Zelle, etc) within 24 hours of winners announced. Merchandise prizes shipped within 24 hours of winners announced.
*CASH PRIZES must be awarded to an adult (18 years of age or older). Age verification may be requested from competition organizers.
Winners Announced live on
Ceast and Desist Boys PodCast
September 3rd 5pm
SCORING DIMENSIONS
Choreography (50%)
The first wall of the dance must match choreography exactly with all dancers visible in frame. Judges will score on crispness and step unison.
After that, additional points will be awarded for styling and individuality of each dancer and the group.
SHOWMANSHIP (35%)
Judges will score based on wardrobe, enthusiasm, overall “stage” presence in the video. This is meant to be a creative accent for groups and completely up to your specific style and taste. The dance is genre blending and open your group’s stylistic interpretation.
PRODUCTION QUALITY (15%)
Judges will score video and audio production quality. It is highly encouraged to film in an environment with good lighting, a clean and aesthetic background and no distractions. It is encouraged to use the song audio rather than audio from camera mics.
Both the Practice Demo and Production Example below are the kind of quality judges are looking for.
TIPS FOR Preparation WEEK
Follow our judges on IG during preparation week to gather tips, insights into scoring and follow competition announcements.
JUDGES
Tess Bernard
Above it Choreographer
Bryan Cleary
Competition Director
Katie Robinson
Special Guest Judge
SUBMITTING YOUR ENTRY
Read full contest rules here
SUBMISSION WINDOW NOT OPEN
SUBMISSION WINDOW OPEN AUGUST 19th - SEPTEMBER 1st
Until then, work on your steps AND SHOWMANSHIP and reach out to the judges if you have any questions
GET TO KNOW OUR JUDGES
Tess has been dancing since she was 3 and choreographing since the age of 6. In college, she earned dual degrees in ballet and physics, and danced professionally for several years thereafter. During that time, she also choreographed for ballet companies, colleges, and dance schools.
Eventually, Tess decided it was time to return to science, and she completed a PhD in plasma physics. Research in fusion energy brought her to San Diego, where she caught the surf bug and discovered line dancing. This year she began choreographing her own dances. She loves how line dancing makes dance accessible to everyone!
Tess is the choreographer for Above It.
Bryan of Wild Moon Country Dance has been an active part of the Southern California dance community for the past five years. When local bars began opening their doors to new instructors, Bryan found the opportunity to turn a passion for dance into a journey as a line dance and partner dance instructor.
While Bryan loves teaching line and partner dancing, what they enjoy most is being part of each dancer’s story—sharing in their growth, building confidence, creating connections, and helping make every step of their dance journey memorable.
Bryan is the competition director and co-owner of Wild Moon Country Dance along side his girlfriend Marina Chaw.
Katie Robinson, known online as Katie Can Line Dance, began her dance journey 15 years ago studying jazz, lyrical, and hip hop before finding her passion for line dancing eight years ago. She teaches at multiple venues throughout California and enjoys helping dancers build confidence, improve technique, and have fun on the dance floor.
Through her social media platforms, she has built a library of more than 450 dance demos that reach dancers across the country and beyond. While she enjoys helping dancers prepare for competitions and achieve their goals, her true passion is creating opportunities for growth at every skill level.
Katie believes the best dance communities are welcoming, supportive, and just as focused on fun as they are on success.