2018 Youth Ballet Company, Junior Company and Apprentice Company Packet Apprentice Company: Junior Company: Company:

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1 2018 Youth Ballet Company, Junior Company and Apprentice Company Packet TADA is committed to excellence by providing high-quality dance instruction in a positive and encouraging atmosphere, where students feel accepted, challenged, and inspired to grow and perform at the very best of their abilities while delighting in the discovery of their own potential. TADA s Youth Ballet Company (YBC) program not only aims to shape students into strong, confident, skilled ballet dancers through training and performance, but also teaches the values of goal-setting, healthy competition, good sportsmanship, and teamwork. Membership will require a higher level of discipline, a greater demand on training time, and a promise of commitment from both dancers and parents to uphold the rules and requirements of the company in the spirit of trust, camaraderie, and unity. There are two separate companies in YBC -- the Apprentice Company and the Company. Apprentice Company: The Apprentice Company of YBC is comprised of ballet dancers ages 9-18 (Levels 4a and above), who train 5 or more hours a week in ballet, rehearse on most Sunday afternoons (and a few Fridays), and participate in TADA s production of The Nutcracker and the Spring Production ( Sleeping Beauty in 2019). These dancers will train together, as well as with the YBC Company members. Youth Ballet Company Apprentices must take at least 2 Ballet Master Classes throughout the year, offered at TADA (YBC Apprentice members will receive a discounted rate). Youth Ballet Company Apprentices will also participate in performances throughout the year, other than The Nutcracker and the Spring Performance. Youth Ballet Company Apprentices will rehearse and train together on Wednesdays, in addition to Sundays (and a few Fridays), as well as during the YBC Flex Time (depending on that week s schedule). Junior Company: The Junior Company of YBC is comprised of highly-attentive and driven ballet dancers ages 9-18 (Levels 5b and above) who train 6 or more hours a week in ballet, rehearse on most Sunday afternoons (and a few Fridays), and participate in TADA s production of The Nutcracker and the Spring Production ( Sleeping Beauty in 2019). Youth Ballet Junior Company dancers will also participate in performances throughout the year, other than The Nutcracker and the Spring Performance. YBC Junior Company dancers will understudy and perform Company-only roles, in addition to their own roles, in the performances they are a part of during the year. Junior Company dancers will also be considered for YBC Company-only pieces choreographed by outside choreographers (if they wish to participate). Junior Company dancers will be strongly considered for YBC Company for the following year, more so that Apprentice Company members. Youth Ballet Junior Company members must take part in at least 2 Ballet Master Classes throughout the year, offered at TADA (YBC Junior Company members will receive a discounted rate). Youth Ballet Junior Company dancers will rehearse together with the Company on Wednesdays, in addition to Sundays (and a few Fridays), as well as during the YBC Flex Time (depending on that week s schedule). Company: The Company of YBC is comprised of highly-attentive and driven ballet dancers ages 9-18 (Levels 6a and above) who train 7 or more hours a week in ballet, rehearse on most Sunday afternoons (and a few Fridays), and participate in TADA s production of The Nutcracker and the Spring Production ( Sleeping Beauty in 2019). Youth Ballet Company dancers will also participate in performances throughout the year, other than The Nutcracker and the Spring Performance. YBC Company dancers will perform leading roles in the performances they are a part of during the year. Youth Ballet Company members must take part in at least 2 Ballet Master Classes throughout the year, offered at TADA (YBC Company members will receive a discounted rate). Youth Ballet Company dancers will rehearse and train together on Wednesdays, in addition to Sundays (and a few Fridays), as well as during the YBC Flex Time (depending on that week s schedule).

2 MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THESE OPTIONAL, RECOMMENDED, AND MANDATORY EVENTS: Fri April 20: OPTIONAL 5-6pm Parent Info Night for prospective and current YBC families who are interested in our company. Sat May 5: YBC Company and Apprentice Auditions, 9am-12pm May 7-13: Registration opens for current students & new YBC members. May 14-20: Registration opens for new students. May 19-20: TADA 2018 Studio Recital June 1: Earlybird discount deadline receive $50 off the TADA Ballet Intensive, Summit, and Camps! June 5: Summer Classes Begin. Summer classes are recommended, as dancers should continue training while in town. June 11-14: TADA Musical Theater Camp Age 8 and up (optional) June 15: YBC Contract Due with Membership Fee Deposit June 18-22: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: TADA Ballet Summer Intensive Age 7 and up- with Houston Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, and Houston Area guests! Register by June 1 for $50 off! June 23: Additional YBC Company Audition (If you cannot attend the May 5 th Audition Date) June 25-29: Noblemotion Summer Dance Intensive for int/adv teen dancers (optional). Visit noblemotiondance.com for details July 28: TADA Summer Classes Conclude Mon August 20: TADA Fall Classes Begin Sun August 26 th : MANDATORY: Nutcracker Auditions (roles will be announced Labor Day Weekend the weekend after auditions) Sun September 9 th : Nutcracker Rehearsals Begin Sun October 21 st : YBC Fall Performance at MATCH Theatre November 4 th : MANDATORY Nutcracker Photos, and Sleeping Beauty Auditions December 1-2, or 7-9: Nutcracker Performances January 4-6, 2019, 10am-6pm: MANDATORY: Sleeping Beauty Rehearsals (While these rehearsals are important for ALL YBC members, these three days are especially important for dancers who are also on Team TADA, since they will most likely miss a few weekend rehearsals leading up to the performance in March, due to Conventions and Competitions) Mon, January 21 st : MANDATORY: Sleeping Beauty Rehearsals (While these rehearsals are important for ALL YBC members, these three days are especially important for dancers who are also on Team TADA, since they will most likely miss a few weekend rehearsals leading up to the performance in March, due to Conventions and Competitions Sun February 10 th : MANDATORY: Sleeping Beauty Tea Party Fundraiser February 14-17, 2019: OPTIONAL: Youth America Grand Prix (must have permission from Ballet Director to participate) March 2 nd and 3 rd : MANDATORY: Sleeping Beauty Performances TERMS OF COMMITMENT Dancer Attendance & Code of Conduct: v Youth Ballet Apprentice Requirements: Two ballet technique classes are mandatory (not including Wednesday YBC), as well as one pointe class (PrePointe, Beginning Pointe, etc) and Wednesday YBC Apprentice Rehearsals, along with at least one elective (a teamtada class, jazz, tap, leaps/turns, hip hop, etc): total, at least 5 classes per week. Dancers must REGULARLY attend the classes within which they are registered; and must inform the Director if taking privates or other supplemental classes. The director will be monitoring attendance in regular classes to make sure attendance is consistent. DO NOT REGISTER FOR A CLASS IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND CONSISTENTLY.

3 v Youth Ballet Junior Company Requirements: Three ballet classes are mandatory (at least two technique), as well as one pointe class (PrePointe, Beginning Pointe, etc) and Wednesday YBC Company Rehearsals, along with at least one elective (a teamtada class, jazz, tap, leaps/turns, hip hop, etc): total, at least 6 classes per week. Dancers must REGULARLY attend the classes within which they are registered; and must inform the Director if taking privates or other supplemental classes. The director will be monitoring attendance in regular classes to make sure attendance is consistent. DO NOT REGISTER FOR A CLASS IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND CONSISTENTLY. v Youth Ballet Company Requirements: Three ballet classes are mandatory (at least two technique), as well as two pointe classes (PrePointe, Beginning Pointe, etc) and Wednesday YBC Company Rehearsals, along with at least one elective (a teamtada class, jazz, tap, leaps/turns, hip hop, etc): total, at least 7 classes per week. Dancers must REGULARLY attend the classes within which they are registered; and must inform the Director if taking privates or other supplemental classes. The director will be monitoring attendance in regular classes to make sure attendance is consistent. DO NOT REGISTER FOR A CLASS IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND CONSISTENTLY. v Attendance in rehearsals: No more than TWO unexcused absences per semester in each Wednesday or Sunday rehearsal, regardless of the reason. More than two may result in removal from a performance, and more than three WILL result in removal for the upcoming performance. An understudy will replace any dancer absent for rehearsals the weekend before the performance, unless in the event of grade-related academic or family-related extenuating circumstances with approval. v Absences from mandatory events are prohibited unless there are grade-related academic or family-related extenuating circumstances with approval. v Attitude & work ethic in class/rehearsals: Members must maintain a positive, respectful attitude, accept constructive criticism with grace and humility, maintain focus and drive at all times, which means no repeated sitting out, lack of effort, falling behind, and consistent health issues. v Attitude & behavior overall: Members are expected to be an example of excellence to everyone, and to strictly follow TADA Studio Policies, which includes cleaning up and respecting studio property & grounds. Under NO circumstances may a member smoke, consume alcohol, curse, engage in public displays of affection with partners, bully another student, perpetuate negativity against another student via gossip or any other way, post/comment inappropriately on social media, or engage in any other behavior that is against our code of conduct v Dancers choosing to do other time-consuming activities (athletics, choir, drill, theater, cheer) must be sure these other activities do not cause them to fall behind in technique, do not cause them to miss more than 2 YBC rehearsals per semester, and do not conflict with our mandatory YBC events, such as Nutcracker and the Spring Performance. Additionally, dancers cannot be a part of another Pre-Professional Ballet company while a member of the YBC. v Dancers will be evaluated mid-year by the Director to evaluate work ethic, attendance in classes and rehearsals, technical progress, and conduct. Parent Responsibilities/Involvement: v Parents are responsible for doing their utmost to help their dancer uphold the requirements and membership, to be as positive and encouraging as possible, and to assist in some capacity with prop help, costuming, fundraising, or any other committee on the booster club. They must bring any concerns to the director/teachers immediately, and refrain from having discussions with other parents that would foster negativity. Concerns must be stated in a calm, rational way in a private setting. Parents may not approach any person in an offensive or inappropriate way. The poor behavior of a parent can directly affect his/her dancer, as the family may be asked to leave the Company or the studio entirely for repeated offenses. v Parents must make payments when they are due by the 1 st of each month, and are encouraged to reduce their bills via fundraising. v Parental assistance at performances is to support their dancer during events in a positive manner and to make sure that their dancer is dressed in full costume, has make up on and hair done at least 1.5 hours before performance time. Parents must refrain from negative comments or arguments. Parents must not attempt to rehearse, remark about dances, run dances, or give instructions to dancers before they perform. No parents are allowed during the warm up, run through, or backstage for any reason (unless it's an emergency or helping with a prop).

4 FINANCIAL TERMS: TUITION, MEMBERSHIP FEE, MISCELLANEOUS COSTS, AND CREDITS v TUITION o Tuition is the same as per regular TADA tuition costs listed below. Families will pay the YBC Membership Fee, in addition to regular tuition fees. o If student is a member of Team TADA and pays for Unlimited Class Tuition, the unlimited classes apply to YBC mandatory classes as well. o TUITION BREAKDOWN: v 1 Class/week: $750 for the year, or $75 installment per month for 10 months v 2 Classes/week: $1150 for the year, or $115 installment per month for 10 months v 3 Classes/week: $1450 for the year, or $145 installment per month for 10 months v 4 Classes/week: $1650 for the year, or $165 installment per month for 10 month v 5 Classes/week: $1850 for the year, or $185 installment per month for 10 months v 6 Classes/week: $2050 for the year, or $205 installment per month for 10 months v 7 Classes/week: $2250 for the year, or $225 installment per month for 10 months v 8 Classes/week: $2500 for the year, or $250 installment per month for 10 months v 9-13 Classes/week: $3000 for the year, or $300 installment per month for 10 months v 14+ Classes: $320 starting, $20 per additional class - Recital fee waived for 14+ classes First/Last Month Installment YBC policy: Last month s tuition installment (May 2019) is due upon registration with the registration fee of $50 for the first child and $25 for additional children; first month s installment (August 2018) is due on August 1 st. All tuition, costume, etc fees must be paid VIA BANK DRAFT. You can bring in a check or cash if you would like, but payment by credit card will incur a 4% convenience fee. v YBC Membership Fee: $500 flat fee for the year. $400 is due June 15; the remaining $100 due February 1 st. Dancers who are in both YBC and Team TADA will only pay $450 for YBC membership fees for the year ($350 on June 15, plus the additional $100 on February 1 st ). This fee includes director, admin, office, & assistant salaries, music fees, props, trailer expenses, PR, media, admin resources, reduced room rental for privates, reduced recital fee, and Nutcracker Performance fees. v Additional Information - For both The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty, dancers will have the opportunity to designate how many roles they wish to perform in each of the performances. If your dancer s time is limited, they can still participate in the mandatory performances, but only perform one role per show, if that is what you wish to do. v Miscellaneous additional fees NOT included in the above: o COSTUME expenses per performance that can range between $75-$150 per costume, though we do try and keep those costs down o COMPETITION FEES, which incorporate staffing travel costs. This applies to Youth America Grand Prix in Normally, these fees are $200, if competing one solo; $105 more for each additional solo. o SPRING PERFORMANCE (Sleeping Beauty 2019): $50 per dancer o OTHER: TADA YBC tentatively $100, TADA YBC tentatively $50 each, Recital fee at a discounted rate of $30/family (waived if on unlimited tuition), and Recital costume fees ranging from $65-$70/dancer if applicable. For General Information, please contact balletprogram@dancetada.com

5 v 2018 YOUTH BALLET COMPANY CONTRACT DUE ON JUNE 15, 2018 By signing below, myself (print parent name) and my dancer(s) understand the TADA Terms of Commitment and agree to comply with the rules and requirements stated, particularly financial policies, attendance requirements for rehearsals and events, the code of conduct, and the terms of dismissal as follows: In the unlikely and unfortunate circumstance that a dancer or parent does not hold to the rules stated in the contract, he/she will be warned once, and then dismissed from the team if the problem continues without refund. Dancer Signature: Additional Dancer Signature: Additional Dancer Signature: Parent/Guardian Signature: Date: This Contract is Due by June 15 to the YBC Directors, along with your $400 deposit. For General Information, please contact balletprogram@dancetada.com

6 v YBC Apprentice and Company Audition Information Please be aware before auditioning: Dancers are ONLY eligible to audition if they are available for our productions of The Nutcracker in December 2018 and Sleeping Beauty in March Dancers must audition with the age/level they WILL BE as of January 1 st, Audition ages/levels are as follows: Levels 4, 5a (Ages 9+), and Levels 5b+ (Ages 9+) Fri April 20 Parent Info Night: Optional. 5-6pm Parent Info Night for new/prospective YBC families who are interested in auditioning. Sat May 5 YBC Apprentice and Company AUDITION: Age/Level as of Jan 1, FYI Team TADA auditions are also on this day, in the afternoon. YBC Audition times are as follows: Register online at $20/dancer returning members, $30/new members. 9-10:30am: Levels 4, 5a (Ages 9+) 10:30am-12pm: Levels 5b+ What to bring to the audition: Bring a picture of yourself (headshot/recent photo) and your completed audition form (see next page). Audition attire: Wear black or current level leotard. Please wear pink tights and pink ballet slippers; pointe shoes will be worn in both auditions, if dancers are on pointe. Hair must be up and in a bun. Please look polished and professional. Audition Process and Scoring: Dancers must arrive to the audition ALREADY WARM. The audition will be primarily a regular ballet class. After class is given, dancers on pointe will do a few combinations. After pointe, all dancers will learn a phrase of choreography, and will perform that choreography for the panel of judges. Dancers will be scored by a panel of judges based on technique/skill level, ability to execute choreography properly, timing, focus, stage presence, quality of movement, spatial awareness, precision, and strength. Returning members have the benefit of possibly receiving history points, if throughout this past year they showed excellent work ethic, consistent class attendance, positive teacher feedback, and significant improvement. Results: Results will be ed within a day or two of the audition. You will be informed whether you made the Apprentice Company, Full Company, or neither. Parents must accept the results of the audition WITHOUT COMPLAINT, and understand that the decision is made by a panel of judges, plus the director, who come to a consensus on each dancer.

7 v YBC Apprentice and Company Audition Form Bring this form with you to the audition, with a recent photo attached. AUDITION NUMBER: (Will be filled out by staff at audition) Dancer Name: Birthdate (month, day, year): Audition Age, or age dancer WILL BE by January 1 st, 2019: Ballet Level for School Year: Height: Primary Parent Contact Name: Primary Parent Contact PRINT CLEARLY Cell Phone: Home Phone: PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY: 1. Were you a member of the YBC Apprentice or Company last year? Circle one: YES NO 2. Are you hoping to be a part of Team TADA this year, as well as YBC (knowing that it is very much possible to be a part of both! ) Circle one: YES NO NOT SURE Parents, please initial that you ve read and understand the following, and sign at the bottom. I will accept without complaint the outcome of this audition, and I understand that a panel of judges will be making this decision. I understand there is a chance my dancer may not make YBC, and I have prepared my dancer ahead of time for this possibility. My dancer IS available for The Nutcracker in December 2018 (probably December 7-9), and the Spring Performance (Sleeping Beauty) in March 2019 (probably March 8-9). Dancers cannot audition unless available for both. Please note that the Team TADA schedule will be taken into account for Sleeping Beauty rehearsals, so that dancers in both YBC and Team TADA can take part. I have registered online prior to May 5 th, and paid my audition reg fee of $20 for returning members and $30 for new members. I have read and understand the requirements as far as classes, finances, team rules/regulations in the TADA team packet. I am attaching a headshot, or recent photo, of my dancer to this sheet, which I am bringing with me to the audition. Parent Signature Date: For additional information, please contact balletprogram@dancetada.com

OFFICIAL PREMIERE DANCE COMPANY

OFFICIAL PREMIERE DANCE COMPANY COMPETITION COMPANY HANDBOOK 2016-17 PREMIERE DANCE COMPETITION COMPANY AUDITION/PLACEMENT Required company auditions will be held on Sunday, May 22nd 3:00-4:00 (ages 6-8)