2006 World Yo-Yo Contest August 10, 11, and 12

We have written a letter about how AP works at the moment. We encourage everyone who wants to enter to Read it here.
Teams will be allowed to compete. However, only one trophy or medal will be awarded to the winning contestant or team.
Assistants will be considered team members and therefore they will be allowed to perform yo-yo maneuvers.
No props that can cause a danger to the performer, audience or hotel will be allowed. This includes but is not limited to the use of fire, pyrotechnics or knives.
Prop set up time shall not exceed 2 minutes without prior approval of the Contest Director.
Except for safety issues, there are no particular limits on props that a contestant may use. The use of any unusual props should be cleared in advance with the Contest Director.
If you enter this division you CAN enter any other division of the 2006 World Yo-Yo Contest.

2. What is the AP Division?

The AP (Artistic Performance) Division is designed to be a division judged on performance of the player over the raw number or complexity of tricks that they execute. Choreography, use of music, creative use of the stage, movement and performance will be among the primary judging criteria of this division.

These criteria are designed to promote creativity and freedom to express performance skill over raw yo-yoing power. Some of the judges may be selected from other artistic groups outside of yo-yoing to complement the judges that are also yo-yo experts. Please remember, this is still a yo-yo contest so judges will only take into account the performance that occur while yo-yoing.

3. Rules

Each contestant will have no more than four minutes to do their performance. They can use less time if they wish. The time and judging will start from either the first throw of the yo-yo, or when the music starts, which ever comes first.

There will be between 5 and 10 contestants selected by video pre-judging.

Any contestant will be allowed to play music provided in one of the following formats: CD or Mini Disk. Cassette tape will only be accepted if prior arranged are made.

A microphone on a cable can be made available if the contestant arranges it in advance. There is no current plan to provide a microphone stand. Contestants can hook their own equipment into the sound board. We do have an operator for the sound board, but it is the contestants responsibility to make sure their equipment is compatible and works with the events sound equipment.

4. How to enter the AP Division

Entry Mailing Information:
Each contestant must submit a uncut, DVD, CD-R, or VHS (NTSC format, No Pal or Secam.) Video Tape of their performance to the Contest Director Greg Cohen. The performances in these videos can be up to 4 minutes in length. The entries must be received by July 1, 2006. The final performance does not need to be the same as that of the video but must incorporate at least the same level and variety of skill. The video media will not be returned, and will become the property of the 2006 World Yo-Yo Contest. The 2006 World Yo-Yo Contest is not responsible for video that are lost, damaged or delayed by the shipper.

Alternative Internet Submission: This year you can send videos digitally over the internet. All files must be no larger than 65Mb, and contestants should contact greg@pd.net for upload information and for acceptable file formats. Contestants will be required to use the FTP protocol to upload the videos to a account they are provided for that purpose. It may take up to 5 days to get a password issued, so do not expect to use this option if you are only able to contact us just before the deadline. We will need all of the same information as needed if you mailed in your entry. We will also need your file name and your user name that we issued.

The video must have written on it, the name, address, age, and phone number of the contestant and the contestants' e-mail address. If possible please also include Fax number.

Mail video to:
Gregory Cohen
c/o Infinite Illusions
PO Box 2584
Tallahassee, FL 32316
USA

850-385-6463

Notification
Contestants will be notified by E-mail or Fax if possible, and by mail if not.

5. Judging

There will be between four and seven international judges for this event.

There will be no organized scoring during the performance, although any judge may make any notation they wish. When all contestants have performed, the judges will meet in private and each prepare a ranking of contestants from the best players in their opinion, to the worst. These ranked lists will be combined to figure out final rankings. In the event of a tie, the judges will vote to break the tie. If a tie still remains, the head judge of the 2006 world yo-yo contest will cast the tie breaking vote.

The judges are looking for Choreography, use of music, creative use of the stage, movement and performance in performance. These guidelines are intentionally loose so as not to limit the contestant. There are bound to be many new ways to enter this division that have not been though of before, and we do not wish to limit what people can do, but the judges are looking for more than just a show, they are looking at the layers of performance they can understand and how well it is conveyed to the audience and the judges.

By layers of performance we are referring to not just how many different elements are in the routine (including but not limited to Storytelling, Choreography, Music, skill of yo-yo playing, entertainment value, emotion that is conveyed, the AP Routine having a beginning a middle and and end.) but how well each part of the performance is executed. Remember, if the judges do not understand what you are trying to do, it will be more difficult for them to judge your act.

Each routine is judged in comparison to other routines of this year. Comparisons to past years are not done.

Remember, many of the judges can not speak english well. The performance must be universal enough to be understood by all of the judges.

If you enter this division you CAN enter any other division of the 2006 World Yo-Yo Contest.