All Star Dance Team

Being on an all star dance team is an amazing experience. There are many differences between school dance teams and all star dance teams. So, what is an all star dance team? This kind of dance team is comprised of dancers from all different schools. Most all star dance teams form in a dance studio or a cheerleading gym. The main focus of an all star dance team is competition.

Tryouts
Tryouts for all star dance teams may be executed in many different ways. Some all star teams choose to have just one large tryout in the spring. Other teams may choose to have a large tryout in the spring and another in the fall. Many all star dance programs even choose to have year-round open tryouts where anyone can tryout at any time during the season.

The tryout process for a dance team at your high school may run differently than for an all star team. Some all star teams choose to have a more laid back tryout process. “Cuts” may be made throughout the tryout week. You also may be evaluated more intricately on your pieces of technique. Tryouts may also be open to the public, where as many school tryouts are closed. If there is an all star program that you are interested in becoming a part of, it is best to check with the particular program to see how and when they run their tryouts.

Camp
Hopefully the all star team that you are joining will choose to attend camp. At dance camp, you will have the opportunity to learn choreography, bond with your team, practice technique, etc. All of the activities are a lot of fun, and camp is a great way to “kick-off” the season with your team.

Recently, all star teams have begun to attend one day camps and clinics in the fall. At these camps and clinics, dancers have a chance to meet and work with famous choreographers. Some camps and clinics also provide a competitive outlet.

Practices
Competition is the main focus of an all star dance team. With that said, you will likely practice a good amount each week. Fall and winter seasons provide the most competitions for all star dance teams, so it is likely you will practice a lot around that time to ensure that your team is prepared. Many all star teams have adopted a year-round “season,” making it hard to distinguish a particular time when you would not have practice or at least be polishing up on technique. Quality practices usually produce quality performances. So whether you practice twice a week or five times a week, always give 110% when you are at practice.

Most teams have mandatory practices to ensure that the team performs well as a whole. However, not every dance team will run practice in the same way. If your team is a nationally competitive team, be prepared for some strenuous practices as the big competition approaches. Don’t let this make you nervous though… strenuous practices do not have to be stressful practices!

Competition
The opportunity to compete in many large competitions attracts dancers to all star programs. All star dance teams can compete regionally, nationally, and even internationally. Participating in many of these competitions would most likely require you to travel. Before you decide to tryout for a specific all star program, you may want to inquire about which competitions the team will participate in, the cost of the competitions, the location of the competitions, etc.

You will also want to find out if the all star dance team that you are interested in provides any outlets for fundraising. Many all star dance teams have come up with very unique and successful fundraisers that are capable of raising thousands of dollars to cut down on the cost of being involved.