Dance Competition

Several Pokémon during the Dance Competition

The Dance Competition (Japanese: ダンス審査 Dance Examination) is the second round of a Pokémon Super Contest in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.

In the games

During the Dance Competition, all Coordinators' Pokémon dance on the stage. The objective is to stay in rhythm to the music. Players command their Pokémon to perform a dance move by using the stylus to tap on the red, blue, green, and yellow castanets. Alternately, the directional pad and the face buttons can be used instead of the touch screen.

Castanets

There are four castanets: red, blue, green, and yellow. The number of castanets that can be tapped by the player varies depending on the rank of the competition they have entered. In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, players can tap up to three castanets during the Normal Rank and Great Rank, and up to four castanets in the Ultra Rank and Master Rank. In Pokémon Platinum, the Normal Rank is the only rank in which players can tap up to three castanets; players can tap up to four castanets in all the other ranks.

The following is a list of castanets and the effect they produce when tapped:

• Red castanet - The Pokémon will jump up.
• Blue castanet - The Pokémon will step forward.
• Green castanet - The Pokémon will step to the left.
• Yellow castanet - The Pokémon will step to the right.

Dancers

There are two types of dancers: the main dancer and the backup dancer. The Dance Competition is divided in four turns and each Pokémon gets one turn as the main dancer.

The main dancer is in charge of leading the backup dancers. However, it is the main dancer's goal to cause the backup dancers to make mistakes. As the rank goes higher, the NPC main dancers will be harder to follow. The backup dancers' goal is to imitate the lead dancer's movements. As the rank goes higher, the NPC backup dancers will make fewer mistakes.

Results

Depending on how well the Pokémon danced and it matches the lead dancer's, the game will determine whether it was "Excellent", "Good", or a "Miss". A Pokémon earns 2 points for each step judged as "Excellent", and 1 point for each step judged as "Good". A step judged as a "Miss" does not score. The maximum score for the Dance Competition is thus 48 points in ranks with 3 steps, and 64 points in ranks with 4 steps.

In the manga

A Dance Competition in Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon Adventures

Diamond & Pearl arc

While preparing to enter their first Pokémon Super Contest in Perturbed by Pachirisu, Platinum and her Prinplup practiced for the Dance Competition by watching old videos of Johanna performing with her Glameow.

While performing in the Dance Competition herself, Prinplup was constantly bumped into by the other competitors' Pokémon in an attempt to sabotage her performance.

In other languages

Language Title French Épreuve de Danse German Tanz Italian Saggio di Danza Korean 댄스심사 Dance Simsa Portuguese Brazil Prova de Dança Portugal Torneio de Dança* Spanish Ronda de Baile Vietnamese Nhảy múa

Related articles

This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.