Schedule and Comp

To help you plan your trip, here’s a preliminary schedule. Last updated 25 November 2025.

Thursday
7:45pm: Code 03 Swing’s regular class - free entry for all Shakedown attendees!
10pm: Head out with Tom’s Social Club and get to know our local community


Friday
10am - 5pm: Activities including Tom’s Social Club: on tour!
5 - 6:30pm: Mini private lessons with our advanced dancers
6:30pm - 7:25pm: Floor trials
7:30pm: Workshop
9:30pm: Show including routines
Social dancing until late


Saturday
10am: Workshops
2pm: Jack and Jill competitions
5pm: Dinner
7pm: Finals
10pm: Invitational Jack and Jill
Social dancing until late including power hour and a classic kiwi sausage sizzle


Sunday
11am: Workshops
1:30pm: Lunch
2:30pm: Workshops
5pm: Finish and pack down
6pm: After party


Monday
We’re working on some discounts for activities around Christchurch. Keep an eye out for more information coming soon, and check out our international visitors page for recommendations.


(This schedule is subject to change)

Tom’s Social Club

On Friday, our local extrovert Tom Swarbrick is running Tom’s Social Club: on tour! Around Christchurch. Keep 10am-1pm free, more details to come.

IAC update

Zoe Klomp, New Zealand’s representative on the International Advisory Council to the WSDC, will share an update and get feedback on changes that affect the New Zealand community

Competition

We offer a WSDC-pointed Jack and Jill competition on Saturday.

We don’t charge extra to compete in this division - it’s included in your pass.

You can see the rules here.

Teams

We invite teams to come to Shakedown as part of the show on Friday night - please let us know before Friday 7 August if your team wants to perform.

Routine division - Whetū Maiangi

We’re excited to announce a routine division on Friday night - and we’d love to see you out there!

The purpose of this category is to give you a chance to learn new skills, perform a choreographed piece for a community who's behind you every step of the way, and get a taste of what it’s like to compete in larger routine divisions like Rising Star.

Ready to sign up?

Entry is $20 per couple (not included in your Shakedown pass) and 100% of all entry fees go into a prize pool - meaning the more routine entries, the bigger the prize pool. Registrations close Sat 25 July 2026.

Sign up through DanceConvention - just add the routine competition to your entry.

Rules

While this division is mainly here to help you build new skills, we do have some rules to guide you in the right direction:

  • Whetū Maiangi is open to anyone at any level, and partnership combinations of any level.
  • You choose your own song, and may cut/edit it however you like. Please avoid songs with explicit language and heavy swearing.
  • You’re restricted to one lead and one follow in your partnership for the entirety of the song. You may switch roles throughout the performance.
  • A maximum of three lifts/aerials/’in the air’ moves are permitted.
  • Performances must be between 2 and 3 minutes, and are judged from the first movement after your song begins.
  • Performances must include at least 70% swing content - it’s not a hard and fast rule, but this is a west coast swing event!
  • You must join with your partner within 32 beats of the music starting, and breakaways must be less than a maximum of 8 beats.
  • Costumes are encouraged.
  • Props are not permitted, this includes clothing that’s used or discarded as part of the performance.
  • If there’s a technical issue or a costume malfunction, you’ll be allowed to restart at the discretion of the head judge - this restart may be immediately or after the other competitors, depending on the issue.
  • All routines will be entered and judged in one category - but if we have enough interest we may separate competitors into skill levels. We won’t have prelims regardless of numbers, so you’ll perform your routine once.
  • Floor trials will be held from 6:30pm - 7:25pm on Friday. We’ll be in touch closer to the time about specifics.

Questions?