Each country has its own system. In Australia Professional with Amateur has just started to suface in a small way. What we have always had is an event called Individuals. This is open to registered or unregistered dancers who have not got a partner.
The person being judged wears the number. That can be the lady or the man who is being judged. The partner can be of any standard. So we could have the State Champion dancing with a beginner or higher. These Individual events are held in the beginning of a normal competition.
The idea was originally for people who were without a partner to put themselves on show. Only the person wearing the number is declared the winner. The event is normaly over two dances.

So the U.S. system has started to take hold-- ( its been ongoing in the states for the past 60 plus yrs )

Terence. Our Individual Competition which is part of the main program need not cost a cent expect for the admission at the door. Some take it serious enough to have a few lessons but they don't have to. It can be completely cost free.

I like the concept-- dont think many Profs in the States or the UK, would dance for free ( after all, it is their living )

Terence. The one who is the partner man or lady, and is not the one being judged is an Amateur . They can be a competition dancer who with their regular partner will be competing later in the program.
The one being judged registered or unregistered would not be in any other event.They are without a regular partner. No Professional is in these events.
So that it is clear. Your very best lady or gent could enter this event with any other pupil who has not got a partner. The pupil will have the number on their back and is the one being judged.
These Individual events are very popular. In some of the bigger competitions there are heats and rounds before a final. In a small competition there could be only two couples on the floor and sometimes only one. They still do their two dances. These events are always held at the beginning of the days preceedings and the winners are announced before the main program starts.

Ah-- this sounds like the Jack and Jill events they hold in the states .

I like the idea-- but again-- have my reservations for stateside, but have actually done a similar thing at Peggy Spencers , back in the late forties ( she did it for fun,sometimes made the men dance as ladies with the lady leading )It was done at social events.

Your comment about ladies doing the mens steps and vice versa reminds me of the weekends our school used to do in Isle of Wight each year, there were 3 or 4 dance schools used to travel to the same venue from Bedfordshire and London for the weekend and the weekend included a competition whereby the contestants used to have to not only dance the opposite sex dance steps but also dress up for the part, it was not ony an amusing event but the dancers gained a great insight into what their partners had to do, and improved their dance knowledge.

Once you get an idea into the head it is sometimes hard to read what is written. There was no suggestion that the lady takes the mans part or vise versor. It is normal dancing man with a lady except the person being judged is wearing the number.When the winners are anounced only one person is the winner. Is that hard to understand. The Individuals are in Standard. Latin and Australian New Vogue. Each event would have two dances. So one person could compete in the three events which are completly seperate and would dance a total of six dances. Which would keep anybody happy and busy. One draw back. They can become as political as the real competition.