Competition dance teams are a significant part of many dance studios, providing dancers with opportunities to refine their skills, build teamwork, and showcase their talents at competitions. Organizing these teams effectively ensures a structured and positive experience for both the dancers and the studio. Whether you're a new studio owner or an experienced instructor, understanding the best ways to organize your competition dance teams can help create an environment that fosters growth and success.
In this post, we'll explore different methods to organize your competition dance teams and provide tips and best practices for conducting tryouts to ensure a smooth and fair process.
1. Age-Based Team Organization
One of the most common ways to organize competition dance teams is by age group. This method helps to group dancers of similar ages together, ensuring that each team has a dynamic that is appropriate for their developmental stage.
How to Organize:
Junior Team: Dancers typically aged 6-10 years.
Teen Team: Dancers aged 11-15 years.
Senior Team: Dancers aged 16 and above.
Pros:
Age-appropriate routines: Choreography and performance expectations can be tailored to the dancers' age and ability.
Promotes fair competition: Dancers are competing against others in similar age brackets, which can reduce pressure and stress.
Considerations:
There may be some overlap in skill levels, as dancers grow at different rates, but this can be mitigated through additional evaluation beyond age alone.
2. Skill-Based Team Organization
Skill-based team organization focuses on the dancer's technical abilities rather than their age. This method works well for studios that prioritize skill development and want to challenge dancers based on their dance capabilities.
How to Organize:
Beginner Team: For dancers still mastering the fundamentals of technique.
Intermediate Team: For dancers with solid technique and the ability to perform more complex choreography.
Advanced Team: For highly skilled dancers capable of executing intricate routines with precision and artistry.
Pros:
Challenges dancers appropriately: Ensures that dancers are placed in teams that match their technical abilities, fostering personal growth and development.
Reduces frustration: Dancers aren't held back or overwhelmed by being placed in teams that are too advanced for their current skill level.
Considerations:
Dancers may need to undergo additional assessments to ensure fair and accurate team placement, and some dancers might find themselves in teams with older or younger peers.
3. Style-Based Team Organization
For studios that offer a wide range of dance styles, you can organize competition teams by dance genre. This allows dancers to focus on mastering a specific style, whether it's jazz, ballet, contemporary, hip hop, or tap.
How to Organize:
Jazz Team
Ballet Team
Hip Hop Team
Contemporary Team
Tap Team
Pros:
Focused training: Dancers can dedicate themselves to mastering a particular style.
Specialized routines: Teams can perform in a specific style, showcasing their expertise in that area.
Considerations:
Depending on the number of dancers in each style, some teams may be smaller than others. Balancing the competition roster to ensure fairness may require mixing ages or skill levels.
4. Hybrid Team Organization
A hybrid approach combines elements of age, skill, and style. For example, you could have separate teams based on age and style, but dancers may also be placed in specific skill levels within those teams.
How to Organize:
Age and Style-Based Teams: Grouping dancers by both age and dance style.
Skill Levels within Each Group: Within each age and style-based group, dancers are then assessed for their skill level and given appropriate training and challenges.
Pros:
Flexibility: Combines the benefits of all other methods, allowing for a balanced approach.
Fairness: Ensures that both age and skill level are taken into consideration for team placement.
Considerations:
This approach requires more careful planning and additional evaluations, which can be time-consuming.
Tips for Conducting Tryouts
Conducting tryouts is one of the most critical components of organizing competition dance teams. It's essential to create a structured and transparent process that ensures fairness, helps identify the best candidates, and provides dancers with constructive feedback.
1. Set Clear Expectations
Ensure that dancers know what to expect during tryouts. Provide detailed information about the tryout process, including the required attire, skills, routines, and any other criteria they will be evaluated on.
2. Evaluate a Range of Skills
Tryouts should evaluate technical skills, performance quality, and the dancer's ability to work within a team environment. Consider assessing the following:
Technical ability: Jumps, turns, flexibility, etc.
Musicality: How well the dancer interprets the music.
Performance quality: Stage presence, expression, and energy.
Teamwork: Dancers should be evaluated on their ability to collaborate and interact with others.
3. Offer a Warm-Up and Cool-Down Period
Allow dancers time to warm up before the tryout and cool down afterward. This not only ensures their safety but also gives them a chance to showcase their abilities when they are fully prepared.
4. Provide Feedback
Provide constructive feedback to dancers after tryouts. If they didn’t make a team, let them know what they can work on and encourage them to keep improving. This positive reinforcement helps maintain their motivation and fosters a supportive dance environment.
5. Keep It Transparent
Ensure that the evaluation process is clear and transparent. Share the criteria by which dancers will be judged and be consistent in applying these standards. This can reduce confusion and help dancers understand why they did or didn’t make a particular team.
6. Consider Both Performance and Attitude
While technical skill is crucial, don't overlook the importance of a dancer's attitude, work ethic, and ability to take direction. Dancers who are disciplined, respectful, and coachable will often excel in the long run, even if their technical skills aren't yet perfect.
Conclusion
There are many ways to organize competition dance teams, and the best approach depends on your studio's culture, resources, and the specific needs of your dancers. Whether you choose to group teams by age, skill level, or dance style, it’s essential to create a supportive, fair, and engaging environment where every dancer can thrive.
When it comes to conducting tryouts, preparation and clear communication are key. With thoughtful planning, clear expectations, and constructive feedback, you can ensure a smooth process and set your dancers up for success in their competitive journey.
What strategies does your studio use to organize teams? Let us know in the comments or reach out with any questions!
