2022 COMPANY COMPETITION GUIDEBOOK

Performing Teams Competition Guidebook A Guide for Students and Parents It's here...that time of year that we have been working so hard for! Please read this guidebook carefully so you know what to expect during competition season! It is going to be a great experience! Competing during a pandemic... We don’t know exactly what each competition will look like this year. We’ll discuss possible scenarios at our mid-year team meeting so we can be as prepared as possible. We feel very lucky for our dancers to be looking forward to competition season. Developing and building technique remains our biggest focus this season. We know performances will all look different again this year, and we’re ready to celebrate with our dancers as opportunities for us to take the stage arise! Table of Contents: DEMERIT SYSTEM AND PERFORMANCE ELIGIBILITY............................................................................ 4 THE COMPETITION EXPERIENCE .......................................................................................................... 5 WHAT IS A CALL TIME? ......................................................................................................................... 8 PARENT EXPECTATIONS........................................................................................................................ 8 DANCER BEHAVIOR GUIDELINES ........................................................................................................ 9 APPEARANCE GUIDELINES .................................................................................................................. 9 PERFORMANCE BAG CHECKLIST ...................................................................................................... 10 CONVENTION TIPS!!............................................................................................................................ 10



DEMERIT SYSTEM AND PERFORMANCE ELIGIBILITY All company members must be under 10 demerits to participate in performances. All demerits are encouraged to be worked off in a timely manner. Demerits have to be fewer than 10 before the performance week. If demerits have not been worked off before the 1st rehearsal of the week we will plan to space the dancer out. Negative Demerits are given for tardiness, absences excused/unexcused, proper attire etc. Positive Demerits may be earned by attending workshops, shows, extra classes and cover person. All Company program dancers must attend rehearsals in proper dance attire and appropriate shoes. Demerits also apply to attire that is not properly displayed. Demerits can be reviewed by asking a staff member at the front desk. Our demerit system is put into place to show the same level of dedication from all of our Company members. They can accumulate quickly, please make your commitment to the team a priority as we are heading into competition season and every member is important to the teams success. Demerits are given when a dancer is late for a call time at a performance. Missing Competitions and other important events We inform families of important company performances such as competitions, recitals, and team pictures months and months in advance. These events are the biggest part of our year, and are not optional. Making a commitment to the team is expected for all families on our performing company. There is nothing more frustrating as a parent than feeling like the level of commitment is not equally important to other dancers/families when you are making the effort that you expected everyone to have when you’re involved in a competitive sport. Our company families choose to be part of our teams because they want to see their children progress and succeed, which requires all dancers to be held to the same level of commitment. More importantly, your team is counting on you. When a dancer misses a performance it is a huge letdown for his/her team. Dances have multiple formation changes, which means dancers will have to retrain, from memory, the habits learned over the last several months. They have partner parts that will now no longer work and will have to be majorly adjusted. This is not a small project for us to be able to accomplish in such little time. We CAN'T completely adjust dances in one week because someone can't be there. If arrangements cannot be made for a dancer to be at the competition or equally important event with his/her team, you will be subject to a $150 re-space fee for the extra rehearsals we will need to have in order for us to give these dancers the best experience possible. THE COMPETITION EXPERIENCE For dedicated dancers, the satisfaction of an excellent performance is all the motivation they need to work harder to continue improving. Don’t judge how you feel about your performance by the size of the trophy or the color of the medal.

The Focus Is Not Simply on Competition It is our goal to instill in our students a passion for performing rather than merely the desire to win awards. Our solid reputation for quality reflects our attitude toward competition and our goal to develop in each student a genuine respect for dance as an art form. We consider students’ participation in competitions not merely part of their dance training; it’s also an important part of how we influence their growth as people. With the right focus, the experience gained in competition can be an excellent source of self-confidence. If the dancers feel good about a performance and understand that they become better each time they go onstage, they are truly growing through the competition experience. Hitting that stage and doing the best they can is what it’s all about; whether they win––or which award they win––is secondary. Through participation in competitions, we hope to instill in our students an appreciation for other dancers and schools. We are not out to beat anyone; instead, we hope to motivate both students and faculty by exposing them to the highest caliber of talent available. Only then can we produce the best dancers and teachers possible. For us, competition is an education! General Performance and Competition Policies Performances and competitions are your opportunity to show the world the results of your dedication and hard work. Here’s what you can do to make the most of this opportunity. • Arrive at performances ready to go by your call time. • Be sure you are properly warmed up. • Present yourself in a professional manner, with costumes pressed, shoes cleaned, and all accessories accounted for. • Treat competitors and teachers from other schools with respect. • Treat the directors and staff of the competition with respect. • Treat members of our team with respect, both dancer and parents. • Keep your area of the dressing rooms clean and never bring food or drink where it is prohibited. • Wear your company warmups to all competition events and during the award presentations. Competition Scheduling When planning a competition weekend, be prepared for performances on Saturday, and possibly on a Friday occasionally. Once a schedule is prepared you may find that you do not have to attend the entire weekend, but you must be prepared to do so. There are no exceptions. Final schedules will be emailed to all dancers and their parents by the Monday before each competition.

Competition Critiques At many of the competition events, studios receive performance critiques from the judges. These critiques are the property of the studio and will be reviewed with the dancers during rehearsal or class time. Award Presentations When presented with an award, always show professionalism by thanking the person who presents you with the award. Unsportsmanlike behavior will not be tolerated. Studio 56 dancers will ALWAYS be in Studio 56 apparel at ALL award ceremonies. Soloist/Duets will be in either their costume or Studio 56 apparel at their awards. Our Approach to Sportsmanship We pride ourselves in teaching the very best sportsmanship to all our dancers. We wish other teams good luck backstage and tell them they did a great job when they come offstage, even when we might be competing in the same category. We teach our dancers to be friendly and sincere to other dancers when we pass them in the hallway. We do not allow teachers, parents, students, or dancers to speak negatively about any other dancer or studio. Teaching great sportsmanship to our dancers is just as much of a focus to our studio as teaching great dancing. As teachers and parents of Studio 56 Dance Center we must teach good sportsmanship by example. It is a life skill that will benefit them long after they leave our program. Unsportsmanlike behavior will not be tolerated. Accept the place you were given and work harder for next time if you weren’t happy. The dancers that work the hardest do the best. Tears are absolutely not acceptable. If you feel the need to cry over your results, maybe you aren’t quite ready to be apart for the competitive team. Studio 56 Dance Center Spirit Studio 56 Dance Center members ALWAYS show their studio spirit by attending award ceremonies wearing their studio jacket and black leggings. Parents get involved too! Nothing like looking out into the audience when you are a little nervous to see a sea of support. Please have your student leave his/her cell phone with you during awards! Audience Etiquette Enthusiastic applause is encouraged; however, it is never appropriate to scream or yell out names at a competition event or in any other performance venue. When in an auditorium, remain seated whenever dancers are performing onstage. PLEASE discuss this with your family and friends that may attend an event. Studio Video Policy Parents are allowed to video OUR studio routines so that our dancers can review their performance (unless otherwise posted at the event). We feel that this is a valuable tool for our students to improve. However, recording choreography of other studios is NOT allowed. Doing so could get us disqualified at many events we attend. We also feel that it does not follow our studio competition philosophy or teach proper sportsmanship to our dancers.

WHAT IS A CALL TIME? Your call time is what time you must meet your company COMPLETELY ready to perform. Jewelry off. Nail polish off. If you need to do makeup or hair or change into your costume it must be done BEFORE the call time. This is crucial because if a competition is running ahead they will not wait for us. Parents, please do your part to ensure your dancers are ready for us to take them to rehearse and go backstage. Call Time Policy If a dancer is more than 10 minutes late for a call time, then it is under the director's digression if that dancer will be allowed to perform. When dancer's miss the warmup and practice time it throws off the demeanor of the team and the overall performance. It is unfair to the team and families that planned accordingly to be on time. We understand that life happens, but we need you to do everything in your power to arrive by or before the call time. Communication is key. Please be sure to contact Amy if you might be late for any reason. Unexcused late arrivals will most likely not be able to perform. PARENT EXPECTATIONS Our program relies on a positive atmosphere and educational experience for our faculty and students and their parents. Cooperation between all parents is expected. Showing respect—for other parents, the students, and the faculty—makes an important impression on the children. You are a role model for your child on how to interact with others in a professional setting. Negativity, poor attitude, or disruptive behavior rarely begins with students. It usually begins with parents. As parents, your attitudes, conversations, and behaviors have a direct effect on the attitude of the dancers. Negative attitudes are infectious and can disrupt the entire program. On top of that, it directly contradicts what we are trying to teach every student that enters our program. It doesn’t create a healthy atmosphere. Therefore, dancers whose parents who have lost sight of what is most important will be dismissed. Your child’s presence at all classes and performances is imperative. The spirit of teamwork and the lesson of dedication are a big part of our school’s educational process. Parents and teachers may look at a child’s learning from different perspectives. However, we believe they share a common goal: to ensure that every child receives the best possible training, both physically and mentally. Mutual respect among our faculty and our students’ parents provides the children with the ultimate care and education. Dos and Don’ts Some parents may compare their child’s progress or class placement to another child’s. Watch for this behavior in your children, as well, and encourage them to focus instead on their own accomplishments. Looking to other students for inspiration is good; however, making negative comparisons distracts children from focusing on becoming stronger dancers. In addition, speaking negatively about your child’s teachers, fellow students, or other parents could result in problems far beyond your original concerns. Often children will imitate a parent’s behavior with other adults or authority figures.

Children learn important lessons from their teachers and parents, acquiring behavior patterns through their example. Our school’s faculty takes that responsibility seriously. It’s our philosophy to encourage our students to feel, think, and act respectfully toward their peers, the adults in their lives, and themselves. Based on psychological research, the three healthiest statements parents can make as their kids perform are: BEFORE THE COMPETITION: Have fun. Dance hard. I love you. AFTER THE COMPETITION: Did you have fun? I'm proud of you. I love you. DANCER BEHAVIOR GUIDELINES • Leave any personal negativity at the door when entering the studio or a performance. • Finish every class or choreography session with a thank-you to the teacher or choreographer. • When wearing your school jacket or other apparel to non-dance events, be sure that the activities and your behavior reflect positively on you and the school. • Respect for the school, its teachers, and its choreographers is essential. All dancers must show respect for their teachers at all times. Inappropriate behavior could result in dismissal from the program. • Listen to each correction given, whether it’s directed to you or another dancer. A correction is an honor; it shows you how much a teacher cares about your progress as a dancer. Always say thank you when a teacher or choreographer offers you constructive criticism. Nothing can stop those students who apply themselves in every class and appreciate their teachers’ knowledge and experience. APPEARANCE GUIDELINES We require our company dancers to maintain a professional appearance onstage and off. Jewelry and nail polish is NOT allowed at any performance. This includes toenails too if you are in a routine that doesn’t cover your toes. Absolutely NO underwear is to be worn under tights. Tights must be fresh and clean with no holes or runs. Hair must be slicked back tight. No standout hair colors are allowed during competition. We want a very uniform and natural look. WHAT TO WEAR TO AND FROM PERFORMANCES Company Warm ups (jacket and black leggings) are required when traveling to and from performances. You must keep your costumes covered up in public so that they stay protected and NEVER eat or drink in your costume!!! TIGHTS AND SHOES PURCHASED FROM STUDIO STORE ONLY! In order to maintain a uniform, look all performance apparel must be purchased from the studio. All teams need dark tan tights. We require you to always have a spare pair just in case anything happens! Jazz shoes (aka gore boots) are required for jazz routines. You should have a performance pair that stays nice, and a different/older pair that you wear for class. Lyrical and contemporary dancers need turning shoes. Please also have a spare in your bag.

COSTUME CARE INSTRUCTIONS It is important that dancers take care of their costumes. Costumes orders are placed months in advance to competition. Dancers who lose or ruin costumes will be taken out of the routine as we will not be able to replace the costume. 1. Dancers are not to EAT in their costumes. ABSOLUTELY NO EATING IN YOUR COSTUMES! 2. Dancers are to always wear their warmups over costumes unless we are performing. 3. Costumes should be kept clean. It is a great idea to invest in a garment bag to keep costumes from getting wrinkled and damaged. 4. All costumes and accessories should have the dancer’s names on the labels. 5. Costumes should be kept away from make-up, hairspray, gel, and food. PERFORMANCE BAG CHECKLIST Dancers are to triple check their dance bags prior to competition. Make sure that you have all costumes, accessories, tights, and shoes. Review your checklists! Dancers who are missing costumes, shoes or accessories will not be allowed to perform. Visit our Amazon Competition Shopping list – link in the Performing Company Portal. Items For All Dancers: brush and comb Wet wipes and/or make up remover water bottle small scissors hairspray clear nail polish (for small snags in tights) hair gel nail clippers hair elastics that match hair color safety pins hair net that matches hair color nail polish remover (if applicable) Make Up Kit: eye shadows, eyeliner, blush, bobby pins, matching hair color foundation, mascara, lip liner, lipstick, glue wet wipes and/or make-up remover and eyelashes Q-tips Studio jacket and black pants Sewing kit CONVENTION TIPS!! What to pack: • For hip hop, bring your tennis shoes or sneakers and baggy sweats. Treat hip hop like any other style of dance, even if it truly isn’t your style. You wouldn’t walk into ballet class with your hair down, a big baggy sweatshirt, and sweatpants that say “Kiss It” on the butt, would you? You will look just as odd if you walk into hip hop with your hair in a bun, leotard and tights still on, and barefoot. Bring those warm-up pants and t-shirts with you, and dress like a gansta. This is one time where nobody will care! • For any other class (i.e. jazz, lyrical, tap), wear whatever you want within reason. Most dancers wear biker’s tighter fitting shorts (AKA not gym shorts!) along with a dance-top. • Remember your footwear. Bring you ballet slippers for ballet, tap shoes for tap (if you have them), jazz shoes for jazz, and sneakers for hip hop. For lyrical, a lot of dancers either go barefoot or they wear footundeez (they really get eaten up, convention is generally on a carpet floor) I have also seen some people wear socks to classes, although some instructors do not allow it. • Bring all of your hair supplies that you may/will need. This includes a brush, a comb, bobby pins, hair clips, hair nets, hair ties, hair gel, etc. Whatever you may need to style your hair, bring it! • If you wear everyday make-up (if applicable), feel free to bring that. • Have a lunch plan or money to buy lunch! You will need you fuel throughout the day with all of the classes that you are going to be taking. Most conventions only give you half an hour to an hour for lunch, so I recommend having someone bring lunch rather than wasting your time

trying to find someplace to eat. You may want to pack small snacks in your dance bag that you can eat throughout the day if you feel like you need a quick burst of energy. Some good snack ideas include fruits and veggies like grapes or carrots, crackers, power bars, etc. Also, don’t forget that water! You will be thirsty if you are working hard enough! • Overnight items such as pajamas, tooth brush, tooth paste, hair brush, etc. Simple things like that that you would need if you were staying the night at a friend’s house. Tips for classes: • Try to stand in the front of the room so that the choreographer will more likely notice you. Treat your classes as if they were auditions. (Actually, it is an audition because you are always in the audition process for scholarships) • Force yourself to pay attention to the choreographer and what they are saying and doing. By watching and listening carefully, you are more likely to pick up the details in the choreography and better technique. These little details are what will set you apart from the rest of the group. • Come dressed appropriately for class • Try not to watch the dancers around you, but instead focus on yourself and the way that you are dancing. Try to know the steps before your group is called up to perform. If you do happen to forget, watch your fellow dancers and mimic the steps until you find your place in the routine, and try to pick it back up. • Turn your cell phone off and inside your bag. DO NOT go to your bag during class. • NO talking during classes. It really bugs the teachers and it can be very distracting to the dancers that are actually trying to learn something. If you must talk, wait until the time is appropriate (i.e. not when you are learning a piece) and then talk in a whisper-voice. • There will be a lot of people in the room and you will more than likely be crowded. So if you get hit or kicked, try not to take it personally. If you do end up slapping somebody, wait until the routine is over and then go up to the person and apologize. • Try you’re hardest and try not to get frustrated when you mess up. You will not likely come out of a convention with perfect technique and ten times better than when you went in, but hopefully you learned a thing or two and gained some experience. • Expect to work hard and sweat a lot. RETAINING CHOREOGRAPHY TIPS!! 1. Don’t watch the choreographer Learn with your eyes, but practice with your body. This means studying the choreographer first to properly understand their movement, execution, and timing, but not relying on them to regurgitate the piece. Push yourself to reduce the amount of times you watch the choreographer before you try it without watching them 2. Mess up, then Move on We have a tendency to be fixated on trying to execute every single move perfectly, but sometimes you have to settle for “close enough” and move on. You can always come back and improve upon it later. Go over what you need in between gaps of instruction to make the most of your time, but don’t let it stop you from learning the rest of the piece. 3. Don’t dance and just watch Sometimes there are details your eyes can catch that the choreographer won’t explicitly teach. If they were to explain every single little detail you’re supposed to be executing, then classes would take days. So catch your breath for a second and really watch what the choreographer is doing . 4. Take multiple classes in a day When it comes down to it, the ability to pick up choreography fast does require your brain to do some training. Taking multiple classes is a huge strain mentally and physically, and that’s the exact how it teaches you to pick up choreography fast. 5. Expose yourself to more styles of dance In order to pick up choreography fast, it helps to have an expansive range of dance vocabulary. Being comfortable with moves from different styles will make it much easier to pick up choreography fast because those moves are already ingrained in your muscle memory!