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Frequently Asked Questions
Getting Started
RTA membership is £5 per dancer per year, and troupe leaders get free lifetime membership. There is no separate registration fee. Important: the troupe leader pays RTA for all their dancers in bulk from the troupe dashboard. Parents do not pay RTA directly. Any arrangement for reimbursing the troupe leader is handled between the parent and the troupe.
No. Every dancer must be a member of a registered RTA troupe. If you don't already dance with a troupe, use the Find a Team directory on our website to find one near you. Once you join their troupe, the troupe leader will add you to the RTA platform and pay your membership.
Go to our website and click Register, then choose Troupe Leader. Create your account, verify your email with the 6-digit code, and fill in your troupe details (name, location, contact info). Once submitted, your troupe enters pending approval. You'll receive an email when an RTA admin approves it and you can then manage your dancers, enter competitions, and collect payments from your dashboard.
Your child joins the RTA via their troupe - the troupe leader adds them to the RTA platform and pays their £5 annual membership in bulk with the rest of the troupe. Parents can create a free parent account on our website to view their child's membership status, digital membership card (with QR and wallet passes), and competition entries. Parents do not pay RTA membership directly.
First, check your spam and junk folders. Welcome emails come from noreply@royaltwirlingassociation.co.uk. If it's still missing after 15 minutes, try the Resend Code option on the verification page. If that doesn't work, email admin@royaltwirlingassociation.co.uk and we'll sort it out.
Yes. We welcome new troupes. You'll need a valid DBS check, appropriate coaching experience or qualifications, and a suitable practice venue. Register as a troupe leader on our website and our team will review your application. Visit the Troupe Leaders page for the full guide.
Competitions
Troupe leaders enter competitions from their dashboard. Browse upcoming events, select the dancers and disciplines you want to enter, then pay the entry fees online. Parents can see their child's entries in the parent dashboard once the troupe leader has registered them.
Age groups range from Babies (under 6) through to Seniors (16+). A dancer's age group is determined by their age on the day of the competition. Specific age divisions per discipline are detailed in the Rule Book.
All RTA judges are trained and experienced in our scoring criteria. Routines are scored against published criteria specific to each discipline (technique, synchronisation, choreography, presentation, etc). Scores are broken down by category so troupe leaders can see exactly where marks were awarded. The full scoring system is in the Rule Book.
Results are published on the Results page shortly after each competition, and troupe leaders can view detailed scoresheets for their dancers in their dashboard. Parents can also see their child's individual results in the parent dashboard.
Arrive in plenty of time for registration, check in at the troupe desk (you can use your digital membership QR code), attend the leaders' briefing, warm up in the designated areas, and stick with your troupe throughout the day. The competition schedule is emailed to registered troupes beforehand.
Disciplines
We offer 9 disciplines across majorettes and baton twirling: Pom, Dance Twirl, Military Freestyle, Solo Baton, Duo Baton, Solo Pom, Duo Pom, Dance Pom, and Dance Team. Each has its own rules, judging criteria, and age divisions, all detailed in the Rule Book.
Team disciplines (Pom, Baton Team, Military Freestyle, Dance Team) require a matching team uniform. Solo and duo routines allow individual costumes appropriate to the music and style. Specific requirements for hair, accessories, and footwear are outlined in the Rule Book. Avoid heavy makeup for dancers under 12.
Troupes & Leadership
Once approved, your troupe leader dashboard gives you: the Dancers tab (add/remove/view dancers, see membership status), Manage Memberships (select dancers and submit for payment), Invoices (pay outstanding memberships), Competitions (enter events), Settings (public profile, logo, description), and Messages (communicate with parents in your troupe).
From your troupe dashboard, go to the Manage Memberships tab, tick the dancers you want to pay for, and click Submit Memberships. An invoice is created automatically. Head to the Invoices tab and click Pay Now for secure Stripe checkout. Once paid, memberships activate immediately and confirmation emails go out automatically.
Your Troupe ID is a UUID displayed on the Settings tab of your troupe dashboard. Copy it, then head to the /widget page for instructions on embedding the RTA affiliation badge on your own website.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is central to everything we do. All RTA officials, judges, and staff are 100% DBS-checked. We have a dedicated Safeguarding Officer, and our full Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, Photo and Media Policy, Health & Safety Policy, and Social Media Policy are all available on the Safeguarding page.
For urgent concerns about a child's welfare, contact our Safeguarding Officer directly using the details on the Safeguarding page, or email safeguarding@royaltwirlingassociation.co.uk. All reports are treated confidentially and acted on in accordance with our Safeguarding Policy.
Photography is permitted in line with our Photo and Media Policy. Some dancers may not have media consent, and their troupe leader will flag this in advance. Please do not share photos of other people's children on social media without consent. Full details are in the Photo and Media Policy on the Safeguarding page.
Parents & Families
Once your child's troupe leader has paid their annual membership, you'll automatically receive a confirmation email with their QR code and Apple Wallet / Google Wallet links. You can also view and redownload the pass anytime from your parent dashboard.
No. The troupe leader pays RTA £5 per dancer in bulk on behalf of all their dancers. Any arrangement for how parents contribute that fee to the troupe is handled between the parent and the troupe, outside of the RTA platform. Some troupes absorb the cost, others collect it with training fees.
Parents can volunteer at events (gate staff, runners, announcers), support with fundraising, and stay in touch with their troupe via the troupe's Messages tab. Many troupes run their own parents' groups alongside the RTA platform.
For general enquiries, email admin@royaltwirlingassociation.co.uk or use the Contact page. For safeguarding concerns, use the dedicated contact on the Safeguarding page. You can also chat with Polly, our AI assistant, right here on the help centre - she can answer most common questions instantly.
Meet Polly, our RTA assistant
Polly knows the rule book, every policy and how the dashboards work. She's here around the clock to answer your questions.