Many competition organizations handle ages in different ways to the keep the competition fun and fair for all ages and levels of experience. Below is only one set of classifications as an example.
USA Dance competitions offer nine (9) age classifications. These divisions allow all ages of dancers to compete fairly by dancing against couples in their own age group as well as skill level.
Your age classification is based upon your birth-year not the month or day of your birthday. For example, if you are turning 12 this year, you are eligible to dance at the Junior I classification, even if your birthday has not actually occurred yet, and are also ineligible to dance in the Pre-Teen II classification or younger. Pre-Teen I through Youth may dance up one age category and only one age category. So if a couple is eligible for Junior I they can also dance Junior II, however, they may not dance Youth or Adult.
Competitors may enter two consecutive age classifications but both partners must be eligible for those age levels. For example, if one member of the couple is 40 (and thus eligible to compete in Senior I) and the other is 50 (eligible to dance in the Senior II category), the couple can dance only Senior I and Adult – not Senior II (the younger member of the couple is not old enough to compete in Senior II). See the Age Classification Mountain on the last page of this document for more information.
Age Classification Description
Pre-Teen I Reach 9th birthday or less in the calendar year
Pre-Teen II Reach 10th or 11th birthday in the calendar year
Junior I Reach 12th or 13th birthday in the calendar year
Junior II Reach 14th or 15th birthday in the calendar year
Youth Reach 16th, 17th, or 18th birthday in the calendar year
Adult Reach 19th birthday or more in the calendar year
Senior I Reach 35th birthday or more in the calendar year
Senior II Reach 45th birthday or more in the calendar year
Senior III Reach 55th birthday or more in the calendar year
Senior IV Reach 65th birthday or more in the calendar year
Thank you to Crowder Dancesport for sharing this information and helping us stay educated.