Hi, and welcome to the home of the West Austin Dance Team! 

West Austin Dance Team is a group of dedicated and focused dancers looking to take dance to the next level.  The 2009-10 Team has had an AMAZING YEAR!  Winning overall's, platinums, technique, and style award to name a few.  They won numerous category high points at Starbound Nationals, as well as had 3 numbers make it to the top 10 showcase!!!

TEAM AUDITIONS

Team Auditions will be held Saturday July 24th, and Saturday August 14th

10-1130:  9 years of age and under

1130-1:  10 - 12 years of age

1-230:  13 and up

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**Team Camp - Mandatory (guest choreographers in to start setting pieces)

                          Dates:  August 16-20

                           Times:  Vary - I know that Cavalettes have morning rehearsals here - they   

                                        will not conflict.      

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      2010-11 Team Information!!!

Dear Parents,

We are looking forward to the 2nd year of the West Austin Dance Team! The past year was a huge success, and that was due to the dedication and work ethic from the students and support from the parents. I believe that when you set up a competition team you set yourself up to compete to be the best while having fun. I have learned through past experiences that it is better to be up front with your expectations for the students and parents so that everyone knows what is expected. I expect great success through hard work, and commitment from the students and the staff. I promise that I will work to make them the best team they can be as dancers and an important part of this community. On that note, all teams are different, and this team is for the child that wants more out of his/her dance experience. The serious dancers who lives and breathes for dance. I am very excited about this season and getting to participate in the growth of your child! I am looking forward to an incredible season!  Please feel free to contact me with any questions at amyswift@westaustindance.com, or 512-263-2277.

  **** OBJECTIVE

 At West Austin Dance Academy we offer a highly competitive competition team. It is comprised of dedicated students who want to take their dancing to the next level, have a love for dance, a spirit of a performer, and a desire to be pushed. The West Austin Dance Team will be composed dancers ranging in ages from 6-18.  We do not divide our team up into A's, B's or minis, seniors.  That is what the casting into the pieces is for.  Obviously there are times when the seniors need to be with seniors and juniors with juniors.  However, we also do not want to limit abilities by only letting children dance with other students their age.  We believe that each child has different strengths and casting them into the appropriate dance will grow them and be beneficial to the team. 

The team competes at a minimum of three regionals and one national a year. They will also participate in a minimum of one workshop through out the season.

****CASTING

For WADA team:
The students auditioning for team will all be judged on the following criteria:

1. Performance
2. Flexibility
3. Turning ability
4. Stage Presence
5. Leaping Ability
6. Ability to take a correction
7. Ability to pick up and retain choreography
8. Others which include tumbling and tap
9. Readiness (are they ready for the kind of commitment)
10. Overall


For choreography pieces:
Casting for choreography pieces will be set on ability, age, attendance, and what classes they take. In order to be considered for a piece you must take that style of dance. This is because in order to be proficient and growing in a style of dance you must be studying that style.

***PRE-REQUISITES (although I have these divided into different squads, they will take class and be looked at as one team.  Some dances they will perform seperately and some together.  This division is solely what they need to do to be eligible to audition for the team at their age)

8 and under:

The 8 and under dancers will be required to take a ballet and a tap class.  We would also like to see them add in jazz at this time.  In order for them to compete jazz they will have to be taking it. 

9-11:

These students are required to take one ballet class (although we suggest two), one jazz or turns and leaps class, and the appropriate team and performance class.  In order to compete in any other style you must take that style

12 and up:

These students are required to take one ballet class (although we suggest atleast two), one jazz class, turns and leaps, stretch and tone, the team performance and technique classes.  In order to compete in any other style you must take that style!

****COMMITMENTS

Time Commitment:
The WADA dance team is a dedicated squad. The students are expected to attend their regular classes weekly, as well as their team classes. If for some reason your child has to miss please place a call to the studio to let us know. This way we all stay in the loop. If attendance become a problem in their technical or team classes casting will be affected.  They are also required to attend on average one weekend rehearsal a month. This time is for pieces being set, rehearsed, and cleaned. This is also time we will be doing team bonding and other fun activities important to being able to perform as a team. The team is also required to participate in the team camp in August.  This is when guest choreographers will be setting pieces.  At the auditions the students will fill out a conflict form. I urge you as a parent to help them with this. This rehearsal scheduled (which - to the best ability - is made around your conflicts) will be handed out at the beginning of the season, so that your schedules and your dance schedules will not conflict.

Financial Commitment:
The WADA team has a $45.00/month fee. This covers the students weekly technique and performance classes, and any weekend rehearsals done as a team. New this year we will be doing an unlimited team program.  Our unlimited classes in the past have been $265.00 with a $45.00 team fee.  We have so many students wanting to take more classes, and we know that is the key to their success, so this year we have an unlimited program for the team students of $285.00.  This also includes their team fee. 

We will compete three regional competitions a year. Entry fees for students range from $32-$40 per dance depending on the competition. Costume charges for team costumes usually range on average from $65-85 a dance depending on the genre and the age of the students. The students will attend at least one workshop a year. The average for a workshop classes runs $250-375. If we decide to travel that is additional. Lastly, there is the Nationals Competition. This will be discussed in detail at the parent meeting after the team auditions, but it is the most exciting time of the year! There are hundreds of options available. The cost of entry fees for this range from $45-60, and the travel expenses rotate as to where you attend. In my past experiences I have learned some incredible fundraising techniques that our parent fundraising committee (volunteers once team auditions are completed) will get everyone involved in.  I have some great ideas and am open for suggestions for the fundraising for this team!

11420 Bee Cave Road, Suite B100 - Austin, TX 78738 - Tel. 263-2277