“Permission to Dance”: how to participate in the BTS-inspired dance contest by Somos

The countdown to see BTS in Lima has already begun. Before Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook perform in the capital on October 7, 9, and 10, Somos invites you to celebrate this long-awaited meeting from the dance floor. Permission to Dance is a national call aimed at groups who want to show how much talent, coordination, and creativity they can bring together to the rhythm of the South Korean group’s songs.

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Registration, now open, will allow groups from all over the country to apply with a BTS song that has choreography. The proposal must respect the known movements but can also incorporate an interpretation through costumes, attitude, staging, and those details that reveal each team’s personality. More than imitating, the challenge is to own the stage and give each performance its own touch.

After the call closes, the Somos team will review the applications that meet the requirements and select five finalist groups. The selected will be contacted to participate in an in-person final on Thursday, October 1, at the main headquarters of El Comercio, in downtown Lima. There they will demonstrate to the jury the energy, precision, and creativity they expressed in front of the camera.

The competition will have two rounds. In the first, the five teams will perform live the same song, the same fragment, and the same choreography used in the video with which they applied. Three experts will evaluate each performance and choose the groups with the highest scores, who will continue to the decisive stage. The three qualifiers will then face a common challenge: to perform the same fragment of a BTS song, which will be announced in advance so they can rehearse it. This second performance will allow comparison of how each group approaches the same choreography and will determine the first, second, and third place of Permission to Dance.

During both stages, the jury will consider the technique and execution of the movements, precision, rhythm, group coordination, and joint performance. They will also observe stage presence, energy, expressiveness, and creativity. The winning teams will share a prize package that includes ARMY Bombs, SOS drinks, consumption vouchers at Pickadeli, and a 75-inch television.

Participation is free and open to all of Peru. If you have been rehearsing or meeting to learn your favorite choreographies for a while, this may be the occasion to form your group, turn on the music, and share with other fans the excitement that BTS awakens.

How to participate in the contest?

The group must record their performance in a horizontal video, with a minimum duration of one (1) minute and a maximum of one (1) minute and thirty (30) seconds. All members must appear in a way that clearly shows the choreography and performance.

The video must be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo. Subsequently, the group representative must send the link to somos1@comercio.com.pe, by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Any application received after that date will not be considered.

The email must include:

• Group name.
• Full names and ages of all members.
• District, city, and province from which they participate.
• Name, phone number, and email of the group representative.
• BTS song chosen for the application.
• Link to the YouTube or Vimeo video.

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Terms and conditions “CONTEST: PERMISSION TO DANCE”

These terms and conditions (hereinafter, the “Terms and Conditions”) regulate the conditions to participate in the PERMISSION TO DANCE contest (hereinafter, the “Contest”), organized by Empresa Editora El Comercio S.A., through the magazine Somos (hereinafter, “El Comercio”).

Participation in the Contest implies acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

1. Validity

The call will be valid from Saturday, September 12, 2026, until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

Applications received after the established deadline will not be considered.

2. Participants

Residents of Peru who form groups of four (4) to seven (7) members may participate.

If minors under 18 years participate, they must have express authorization from their father, mother, or legal guardian, according to the procedure and documentation determined by the Organizer.

Each group must designate a representative, who will be the main contact with the Organizer during all stages of the Contest.

3. Registration

Participation is free.

To register, each group must:

1. Record a video with a minimum duration of one (1) minute and a maximum of one (1) minute and thirty (30) seconds.
2. Perform in that video a choreography corresponding to a BTS song.
3. Record the video in horizontal format.
4. Upload the video to YouTube or Vimeo and keep the link available and accessible at least until the end of the Contest.
5. Send the video link to somos1@comercio.com.pe within the call deadline.
6. Include in the email the following information: group name; full names and ages of all members; name and contact details of the representative; song used; video link; and any other information requested by the Organizer.

Sending incomplete, false, or incorrect information may result in the group’s disqualification.

4. Video characteristics

The submitted video must:

• Have a duration between 1:00 and 1:30 minutes.
• Be recorded horizontally.
• Allow clear viewing of all members and the execution of the choreography.
• Correspond to the registered group.
• Not contain discriminatory, defamatory, obscene, violent, illegal material or that infringes third-party rights.
• Not contain commercial advertising or promotion of brands unrelated to the Contest without the Organizer’s authorization.
• Comply with YouTube or Vimeo publication rules, as applicable.

5. Evaluation of applications

Once the registration period ends, valid applications will be evaluated considering criteria such as:

• Dance technique and execution.
• Group coordination and synchronization.
• Performance, attitude, and stage presence.
• Creativity and original proposal.
• Costume and visual proposal.

The Organizer will select five (5) finalist groups.

The decision regarding the selected groups will be final and based on the jury’s evaluation criteria.

6. Announcement of finalists

The selected groups will be announced through the official website and social media of El Comercio newspaper and Somos magazine; and they will be contacted via the representative’s email.

Finalists must confirm their participation in the final within the deadline indicated by the Organizer. If a group does not confirm participation, does not respond to communications, or states they cannot attend, the Organizer may call another participating group as a replacement.

7. In-person final

The final will take place on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at the main office of El Comercio newspaper, located at Jr. Lampa 643, downtown Lima, at a time to be defined, which will be informed via email.

The presence of all registered group members will be mandatory. Changes in members from the video submitted for the application will not be allowed. If any participant changes occur during the contest’s validity, the group will be disqualified.

Finalist groups must perform the same fragment presented in their application during the first round of the final.

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After these performances, the jury will select the three (3) groups with the highest scores, who will advance to a second round.

For the final round, a musical fragment selected by the Organizer, approximately one minute long, will be used.

The jury will determine, after this round, the first, second, and third place.

8. Transportation and expenses

The call is open to participants residing anywhere in Peru.

Selection as a finalist does not include tickets, transportation, lodging, food, per diems, or any other expenses related to the participants’ travel or stay.

Each member will be responsible for covering the necessary expenses to attend the final.

The Organizer will not reimburse or compensate for these costs.

9. Jury

The jury will consist of three external members, whose names will be announced before the final.

The jury will evaluate the performances according to the criteria established by the Organizer.

The decisions made by the jury will be final and based solely on their judgment.

10. Prizes

The winning teams will share a prize package that includes ARMY Bombs, SOS drinks, consumption vouchers at Pickadeli, and a 75-inch television.

Prizes cannot be exchanged for money or substituted for other products or benefits, except by express provision of the Organizer.

11. Image, voice, and audiovisual material

Participants authorize the Organizer, within the scope established by applicable law and the corresponding authorization, to record their participation in the final through photographs and/or videos and to use these records for editorial coverage and dissemination of the Contest through printed, digital media, and social networks linked to El Comercio and Somos.

Also, the participant declares to have the necessary authorizations regarding the people appearing in the video submitted to the Contest.

12. Intellectual property and third-party rights

The Contest is an independent initiative of Somos and Empresa Editora El Comercio S.A. and is not organized, sponsored, authorized, endorsed, or managed by BTS, BIGHIT MUSIC, HYBE, or companies or persons officially linked to these artists.

Participation in the Contest does not grant participants rights over the songs, recordings, choreographies, names, trademarks, images, or other protected elements belonging to BTS or their respective owners.

Participants are responsible for ensuring that any additional material incorporated into their video does not infringe intellectual property rights, image, privacy, or other third-party rights.

13. Personal data

Data provided by participants will be used to manage their registration, contact them during the Contest, verify compliance with requirements, manage finalists’ participation, and carry out other actions directly related to the Contest.

14. Disqualification

The Organizer may exclude a group when:

• They fail to comply with these Terms and Conditions.
• They provide false information.
• The video does not meet the requested duration or format.
• The submitted link cannot be viewed.
• Fraudulent conduct is proven.
• The content presented infringes third-party rights.
• Offensive, discriminatory, violent behavior or contrary to the Contest rules occurs.
• The finalist group does not confirm or does not attend the final under the established conditions.

15. Modifications

The Organizer may make changes to the Contest’s dynamics, schedule, or conditions when justified circumstances require it, communicating it timely through its official channels, according to applicable regulations.

Likewise, it may suspend or cancel the Contest due to force majeure, unforeseen events, or other situations that reasonably prevent its realization.

16. Acceptance

Participation in PERMISSION TO DANCE implies that participants have read and accept these Terms and Conditions.

Matters not expressly contemplated will be resolved by the Organizer in accordance with applicable rules and the characteristics of the Contest.

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