DanceCats Competition Team

DanceCats Competition Team Membership Information Commitment to the Team Time Commitment Competition Etiquette Costs Solos, Duets, Trios Contact Information Table of Contents Page 2 Pages 3-5 Pages 5-6 Pages 6-7 Page 8 Page 9 Updated 1/24/19

Commitment to the Team DEDICATION By joining the DanceCats Competition Team, you are committing to a team run by dedicated staff who not only strive to train the dancers to be the best they can be, but to challenge them also to become confident individuals with dedication and a strong work ethic. It is expected that dancers are just as committed to their teachers and their teams, as their teachers and teams are to them. TEAM MENTALITY Once the Dancer/Parent contract is signed, we ask that you respect the time and dedication of our other families and commit to the team for the entire year through the June Recital. A dancer quitting mid-year may not seem impactful for that dancer, but the dancers on their team now have to redo their routine or the understudy has to fill in. This can be very stressful, depending on the age of the dancers and the amount of time the team has to regroup before a performance. We always want to put our best foot forward at competitions and teach the girls about reliability and seeing things through. EFFORT Dancers are expected to always give 100% effort when they are in class or performing. If it is perceived that a dancer is not trying their hardest and it s affecting the team as a whole, the dancer may be asked to sit out from a performance. It is our goal to portray the DanceCats team as a professional and skilled dance team to the Las Vegas/Henderson community. CLASSROOM RULES/ATTIRE 1. Dancers are expected to keep a professional attitude and appearance in the dance room as well throughout the rest of the Gymcats building. 2. Food is not allowed in any of the dance spaces and only water should be brought to class. 3. Dancers are required to have proper clothing and footwear for each of their classes. Should a dancer forget their shoes for class, they can either borrow or they will be sent to a ballet class to work on technique. 4. Hair must be pulled off of the face and neck. Dangling jewelry removed. 5. Cell phones are not allowed during class time and if they are in the dancer s bag they must be silenced. 6. If dancer takes gym ballet, the teacher will report the behavior of the dance competition students to the Dance Director on a regular basis and if there are any concerns she will disucss with the parents. 7. Dancers should arrive to class on time. A tardy dancer should enter the room quickly and quietly to prepare and join the class. 8. Respect should be shown to the teachers and teammates at all times. P2

Time Commitment TEAM TRACKS: DYNAMIC & FIERCE This year the DanceCats competition team is splitting into two tracks, in order to better suite the goals and schedules of each dancer. DYNAMIC TRACK The Dynamic track is the recreational competition team and maintains the previous expectations held by the DanceCats. Dancers who do not intend to make dance their main sport or who have copious amounts of extracurriculars are encouraged to make this their track. Below are requirements for this track based on their crew level. FIERCE TRACK The Fierce track is the newly added track for the competition team created to give select dancers the opportunity to train more intensely in dance, compete at a more challenging level, and place dancers in classes with like-minded students. Dancers on this track will attend more competitions in the spring, in addition to training more hours in new styles. DYNAMIC & FIERCE TRACK FIERCE TRACK Level Class Class Req. Technique Req. Additional Class Flexibility Class* Petite Mini Jazz Mini Tap Mini Acro Mini Hip Hop Novice Jazz Novice Hip Hop Novice Acro Junior Tap Junior Jazz Junior Acro Teen Jazz A Teen Jazz B Teen Lyrical Petite Thu 4:30-5:25 Mini Jazz Mon 7:00-7:30 Mini Tap Mon 7:30-8:00 Mini Acro Tue 5:30-6:00 Mini Hip Hop Wed 5:30-6:00 Novice Jazz Thu 6:30-7:00 Novice Hip Hop Wed 5:00-5:30 Novice Acro Tue 5:00-5:30 Junior Tap Tue 4:00-4:30 Junior Jazz Mon 6:00-6:30 Junior Acro Mon 3:30-4:00 Teen Jazz A Mon 6:30-7:00 Teen Jazz B Mon 7:30-8:00 Teen Lyrical Tues 6:30-7:00 Additional 5/6 yr old combo Any Jazz 1 combo Any Tap 1 combo Acro 1 Tue 6:00-6:55 Hip Hop 1 Wed 6:00-6:55 Jazz 2 Thu 5:30-6:25 Hip Hop 2 Wed 4:00-4:55 Acro 2 Tue 4:00-4:55 Tap 3 Tue 4:30-5:25 Jazz 3 Mon 6:30-7:25 Acro 3 Mon 4:00-4:55 Jazz 4 Mon 7:00-7:55 Jazz 3 Mon 6:30-7:25 Lyrical 3/4 Tue 7:00-7:55 Technique I or Ballet 1 combo Technique I or Ballet 1 combo Technique I or Ballet 1 combo Technique I or Ballet 1 combo Technique I or II or Ballet 1 combo Technique I or II or Ballet 1 combo Technique I or II or Ballet 1 combo Technique II or III or Ballet 2 or 3 Technique II or III or Ballet 2 or 3 Technique II or III or Ballet 2 or 3 Technique III or IV or Ballet 3 or 4 Technique III or IV or Ballet 3 or 4 Technique III or IV or Ballet 3 or 4 Level 1 or higher class, non-jazz Level 1 or higher class, non-hip hop Level 1 or higher class, non-acro Level 2 or higher class, non-tap Level 2 or higher class, non-jazz Level 2 or higher class, non-acro Level 3 or higher class, non-jazz Level 3 or higher class, non-jazz Level 3 or higher class, non-lyrical P3

COMPETITION SCHEDULE Time Commitment The entire DanceCats team will attend 8 competitions between February and May. The schedule is subject to change. Specific performance times for competitions are not released until a week before the competition so please keep the entire weekend free. All competitions will take place in the Las Vegas area. February 15-17 - Groove Dance Competition - Texas Station - SELECT ROUTINES February 22-24 - Sheer Talent Competition AND Convention - UNLV March 8-10 - Thunderstruck Dance Competition - Texas Station March 22-24 - World Class Talent Experience - UNLV March 29-31 - Inferno Dance Competition - Location TBD - SELECT ROUTINES April 5-6 - Axis Dance Competition - Cheyenne High School May 3-5 - Rainbow Dance Competition - UNLV May 10-12 - Velocity Dance Competition AND Convention - Hilton Lake Las Vegas SOLOS & DUETS AT COMPETITION Dancers who have a solo or a duet can choose which of the above competitions they would like to attend. Please let Hilary know at least 2 months ahead of time if your child s solo or duet will NOT be attending a competition on the list. Dancers who are also gymnasts will not be entered into competitions that conflict with gym competitions unless otherwise instructed by a parent. EXTRA REHEARSALS If extra practices are needed when competitions approach, the teacher will call these. It is expected that a team member will do everything they can to make these extra practices. A dress rehearsal will take place in the studio in order to prepare for the competition stage, sometime near the first competition date. You will be notified of this dress rehearsal date and time as it approaches. OUTSIDE PERFORMANCES We look for community events to perform at throughout the year and will notify you as these come up. The community events are fun for everyone and a great opportunity for the dancers to gain experience performing in front of an audience. These events are also advertising for Gymcats and our Dance program. Dancers are expected to treat outside performances like a competition. They should arrive fully prepared with hair, makeup, costumes, tights, and shoes. Any dancer who performs less than their best or arrives unprepared to the performance will be benched from the next performance. There is no extra charge to families for participating in a special performance. P4

CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY Please stay in touch with your teachers and/or Dance Director and let them know if you have to miss class for any reason. It is expected that team members will not miss class unless it is an excused absence that the teacher is made aware of ahead of time. If you have more than 2 unexcused absences per term then you may be asked to schedule a private meeting with your teacher to learn what you missed or asked to sit out of the next competition. Absences will not be permitted during the week of a competition. Absent students (other than emergency) will not be allowed to perform at the competition that weekend. COMPETITION ATTENDANCE Time Commitment The competition schedule will be emailed a week before each competition along with parking instructions and the phone numbers of the teachers who will be present during your child s performance times. Please make sure you save the numbers into your phone in case you get lost. All dancers need to make every reasonable effort to attend their group routine performance at each competition. Competition fees are non-refundable. If a dancer cannot make a performance, Hilary must be texted immediately and arrangements made for the costume to make it to the competition so the understudy can fill in. Please give as much time as possible if there is an emergency. COMPETITION ETIQUETTE BEHAVIOR At competitions, all the dancers are representing the DanceCats and furthering the reputation of Gymcats amongst other studios in the area. Dancers are expected to show professionalism and sportsmanship, no matter what the outcome of the judging. Dancers are also encouraged to support their fellow teammates by cheering for them in the audience during performance and camaraderie backstage. Any dancer portraying unfavorable behavior during a competition will be met with individually. TIMELINESS Dance competitions almost always run early and the order of dances can sometimes be changed last minute. Dancers are required to arrive to a competition at least one full hour before their performance time with their hair and make up completely finished. The hour before performance time gives the dancers a chance to run their routine a few times, it should not be relied upon as time for the dancer to get completely ready. If you would like a teacher s assistance with hair/makeup, please arrange to arrive two hours early. P5

COMPETITION ETIQUETTE PREPAREDNESS Before competitions begin in the spring, you will be given a list of items to consider purchasing to have on hand for dance competitions. Please make sure (and we recommend you have your dancer get in the habit of the responsibility of checking) your child s dance bag has everything packed the night before. Tights will be on hand in case there is a run and other similar items. All female dancers are required to wear makeup to some degree. Please speak with the Director if you have concerns about this. AWARDS CEREMONY Depending on the proximity of the awards ceremony to your child s performance time, you are encouraged to stay and support the team during the awards ceremony. Any child attending awards is required to wear the DanceCats or Gymcats warm up over their costume or street clothes. The teacher for each competition group will select the student assigned to go up and collect the award for the group. All awards (except for solos, duets, or trios) needs to be turned into the teacher after the awards ceremony to be distributed fairly across all dancers at the end of the season. Individual pins can be kept by each dancer. CLASS COST & TERM CALENDAR Competition classes are the same rate as other dance class. All classes also follow the term calendar. Students are expected to be enrolled and paid in full before the beginning of each term. If a student is behind on their tuition or fees they may not be allowed to perform in an upcoming competition. Make-up classes can be scheduled at the front desk. TEACHER FEE Upon signing and returning the dancer/parent contract, a one-time $75 teacher fee is charged to each student. This fee covers the teacher wages throughout the year to make it possible for them to attend competitions or community performances. This fee is non-refundable once the contract is signed. COSTUME FEES Costs Competition costumes are ordered in November in order to receive costumes prior to the first competition, we will begin collecting costume payments in November. This costume will be the same costume your child will use for the June Recital so there will not be an additional costume to purchase. However, competition costumes can be a little more expensive in order to receive a better quality costume. Cost can range from $60-$110 per costume, hip hop costumes can be more expensive due to the purchase of multiple pieces. P6

Costs COMPETITION FEES Each competition has an entry fee for each dancer per routine and varies depending on the type of entry. These can range anywhere from $40 for a small group routine up to $110 for a solo. Fees and due dates will be communicated to you before the winter break. The fees will be added to your account 1-2 weeks prior to the due date. If you are not on auto-pay, you will need to see the Front Desk before the due date to pay. If you are on auto-pay, the fee will be charged on the due date. Dance competitions do not have an entry fee for spectators. ACCESSORIES Attached to your contract is an Order Form. Please fill out and turn in with your contract to order the items desired. Female dancers must order competition earrings if they do not already have them. As stated previously, all dancers must wear makeup to some extent. Once costumes are selected, you will receive a Costume Requirements sheet for each dance in which your child participates which will outline tights, shoes, jewelry, and hair. A bun shaper is a great choice to assist with hair styling. Any purchases selected on the Order Form will be charged to your account when they arrive. Exchanges for shoes and other attire may be possible, please speak with the Director if you have concerns about the fit of an item on your dancer. RECITAL COSTS Each crew has an adjoining style class dancers need to attend in addition to their crew class. (ex: Mini Acro needs to also take Acro 1) For the Winter Recital, crew dancers will ONLY perform a piece in the recital with the style class. (ex: Mini Acro will only perform an Acro 1 routine) Families will be charged for one costume per class for the Winter Recital and a recital fee, usually in October. For the Spring Recital, each crew will perform their competition piece, utilizing the costume they purchased for competition. Dancers will have a choice if they want to purchase and participate in the Spring Recital routine for their style class, or if they only want to perform their crew routines. All dancers in the Spring Recital are charged a recital fee. (ex: dancer could dance their Mini Acro piece and also purchase a costume to perform with the Acro 1 class) Select crews may be asked to perform in more than one show at the Winter or Spring Recital. Solos/ duets may or may not have the opportunity to perform in recitals or outside performances. Technique I-IV classes DO NOT perform in any recitals or outside performances. Ballet classes, however, are subject to participation. P7

Solos, Duets, Trios SELECTING DANCERS TO RECEIVE A SOLO, DUET, OR TRIO Students interested in a solo, duet, or trio must prepare a 30-second piece for auditions. They can also perform 30 seconds of a past piece of work. It is recommended the student(s) audition in the style for which they would like their solo, duet, or trio. Auditions take place annually in August. Multiple factors including the audition influence if a student is granted one of these special routines. The first and most important is their work ethic. These special routines only receive 4 hours or rehearsal time with their choreographer, so it s imperative they practice at home in between meetings so the teacher can move on each rehearsal. If the student has had a solo, duet, or trio in the past, the teachers look at their past work ethic as well as their stage presence and performance history. While the number of wins does not affect if a student is granted a solo again, we look for dancers who are excited to perform onstage and exude their love of dance. A solo, duet, or trio is a special honor for a dancer and is meant to elevate a dancer to the next performance level. EXPECTATIONS & COST Solo cost is $320, Duets are $160 per student, Trios are $120 per student. Dancers in these groups must select 3 song choices for their choreographer to review. Until the solo, duet, or trio fee is paid the teacher will not be permitted to meet with the student to begin choreography. The choreographer will schedule the rehearsal times that are most convenient for all parties involved. Please let the choreographer know as soon as possible if you need to reschedule. Rehearsals usually begin in October and meet every other week. At the end of each rehearsal the choreographer or the parent(s) can film the dance so the dancer(s) can practice at home before the next rehearsal. It is expected the dancer(s) arrive to the next rehearsal ready to go on. Past choreography should take minimal time to review. If a dancer consistently arrives to their rehearsal unprepared, the teacher may decide to pull the dancer s routine. The choreographer will select costume options for the routine and share those with the dancer(s) and parents. Costume cost can vary and will be purchased in November with the rest of the competition costumes. The choreographer will also let you know about shoes, tights, hair, accessories, etc. needed for the routine. DANCER AGES & LEVELS Dance competitions segment their dancers into 4 or more age categories, varying by competition, but most commonly those age divisions are Petite (8 and under), Junior (9-11), Teen (12-14), and Senior (15-18). Each competition calculates a dancer s age for the year by their age as of January 1 of the competition year and that s the age category they are assigned. Groups, duets, and trios have their ages averaged to assign an age to the routine as a whole. P8

TEACHER CONTACT INFO Hilary Nelson 724-972-8578 (text is fine) or h.nelson@gymcats.com Kaci Shupe - k.shupe@gymcats.com Ciana McFadden - c.mcfadden@gymcats.com Aubrey Colvin - a.colvin@gymcats.com Kimi Sturgis - gymchickie@gmail.com Jess Reely Cantu - jessreely@gmail.com GYMCATS WEBSITE The website is an excellent resource to find information that you may have misplaced. Dance Home Page: www.gymcats.com/dance.html Competition Schedule Info: www.gymcats.com/documents/dance/2019dancecats.html Practice Music/Videos: www.gymcats.com/music.html QUESTIONS? Contact Information If you have any questions about anything in this packet please do not hesitate to contact me at h.nelson@gymcats.com. We are very excited about a brand new year and I appreciate your feedback! P9