2023-2024 Competitive Program Info: 

Come join our DDA Family – and our Competition Team Program!  If you have questions about our Teams, please email our Competition Teams Director Miss Jeni – [email protected].  Please see Teams tryout page for additional information.

Regional Competition Teams : These teams are meant for dancers who are not fully ready to commit to all of the expectations for our Nationals Competition Program and/or for dancers who need extra experience and/or technical training. Dancers may be placed on one more teams offered in hip hop, jazz, lyrical or tap. These classes are each a 45 minutes per week commitment. Dancers are also required to take a 45 minute leaps and turns class and a one hour ballet technique class per week.  Our Regional Team Dancers will be required to attend one showcase (in KC), 2 regional competitions (both in KC area), and our end of season recital. To audition for our regional competition teams, dancers need to attend as many weeks of our July session as possible. For placement in our summer classes please consider taking our end of June Competition Prep Camp. If unable to attend this camp, please reach out to our Competition Director Miss Jeni at [email protected].

Nationals Competition Teams: These teams are meant for dancers who are ready to commit to all of the requirements it takes to ensure a successful competition dancer. Dancers may be placed on one or more teams offered in hip hop, jazz, lyrical, tap, ballet, contemporary, musical theatre and modern. These class lengths depend on style and are either a 30 minute or 45 minute a week commitment. Dancers are all required to take a 45 minute leaps and turns class a week, regardless of which level a dancer is placed in, what style they are placed on or how many teams they are a part of. Our National Team Dancers will be required to attend one showcase, 3 regional competitions (in KC), an end of the season recital and an out of town Nationals Competition.  National team dancers will also be asked to take 6 total hours of master classes offered at our studio or a full day convention offered to fulfill this requirement. To audition for our nationals competition teams, dancers need to attend as many week of our July session as possible PLUS enroll for a technique placement workshop audition.

      • Beginning Level Teams: these national team dancers are required to take one hour of ballet a week in addition to their leaps and turns requirement – one 45 minute class per week.
      • Intermediate/Advanced Level Teams: these national teams dancers are required to take two hours of ballet a week in addition to their leaps and turns requirement. Production opportunities are also available to these level of national teams dancers. Production classes meet for an hour a week.
      • Travel Teams: Our travel team program consists of studio and guest teacher choreographed pieces. Dancers will audition for the lyrical and jazz travel teams in our July session. Our Contemporary, Hip Hop, Tap and Jazz Character teams will be created from a separate audition. (look for more information on this to come soon).  Dancers on our travel teams will be required the 45 minute leaps and turns class a week, 2 hours of ballet a week and a 45 conditioning/cardio class a week. Our Travel Team Dancers will be required to attend one showcase, 3 in town regional competitions, 1 out of town regional competition, an end of the season recital and an out of town Nationals Competition.

Competition Team INFORMATION for the 2022-2023 Season:

Teams Enrollment Fee: $100.00 per dancer –  This fee covers yearly enrollment fee, teams competition rehearsals,  and other costs associated with teams.   This fee is due in September.

Tuition for all Competition Teams – link here – Tuition Page

Regional Entry Fees: $60.00-$75.00 (price varies) per dancer per dance. Mandatory attendance at 2-3 regional competitions is required of all team dancers (depending on levels).  There will be optional competitions available for those interested. Regional events will be within the local Kansas City area and do not require hotel stays. These events usually happen anytime between late March and late May. These fees are due @ 12 weeks prior to the event.  Entry fees are non-refundable.

National Entry Fee: $75.00-$100.00 (price varies) per dancer per dance. Mandatory attendance at 1 National competition is required of all National and Travel team dancers. Additional National competitions will be available for those interested. If DDA attends a National event held outside of the city. Hotel, travel and all other expenses are the responsibility of the dancer and family. This event usually takes place during the month of June. These fees are due @ 8 weeks prior to the event.  Entry fees are non-refundable.

Additional Fees:

Costume Fees: (non-refundable)

$160.00 per dancer per team (1/2 due October 1st, 1/2 due November 1st)

Showcase/Cleaning Fees:

Showcase – $30/dancer – showcase fee is due in January.  Additional fees apply for solos, duos, trios.

Cleaning Fees – $40/dancer – this is a one time charge that covers when we bring in an outside adjudicator for a week.  This fee also includes one free master class with our guest teacher.

Conventions/Master Classes:

Conventions range in price from $120.00-$250.00 There will be many choices of conventions during the year. Conventions are a great way to learn new styles from choreographers from all over the country.
All National and Travel Team Dancers must attend 1 convention between August 1 and May 30 (or take 6 hours of in-house Master Classes at DDA).  This is NOT required for our Regional Teams.

More detailed information will follow on conventions and will be available at our Teams Meetings.

Stage/Competition Make-Up:

Approximately $60.00 (will be re-used each year, you can order this through our DDA group order or on your own). Products may vary from year to year – but most items remain the same and can be used again.  Please do not buy any new/replacement makeup until you receive a new list.
  
Dance Class Attire
Dancers are required to wear all black/form fitting clothing for team classes. Knees must be covered by either tights (may be tan or black tights) or pants or capris. For Ballet, all dancers are required to wear a black leotard with pink tights. Skirts are optional.

Jewelry/Hair Accessories:

Approximately $40.00 – $50.00 This pricing includes 1 choker, and 1 pair of earrings. If you only need 1 item, you will be able to order them separately.  Dancers on contemporary or lyrical teams will also need to purchase an additional pair of earrings.

DDA Teams Jacket:

All dancers are required to have a DDA jacket to accept awards on stage. Slightly used ones may be available to purchase or new ones may be ordered through DDA. ($85- $105)  We will place orders for new team members starting at our Teams Meetings in August.

Ballet Technique: This one hour class focuses on technique at the barre and center work. Pink ballet shoes, black leotard, and pink tights required. Ballet skirts are acceptable, but not required.  There is no recital or performance with this class – only technique.  There will be an opportunity in January to add another class that will perform a ballet piece in the recital.  Minimum age: 7

Conditioning/Leaps and Turns: This 45 minute class concentrates on the technique involved in improving your leaps and turns, stretching, and strengthening moves. Black dancewear required with tan split-sole jazz shoes. This class does not perform in the recitals.

PLEASE NOTE: All Regional Teams will compete at two Regional competitions.  All Nationals Competition teams will compete at three Regional competitions and a Nationals competition.   All Team Members are also eligible to participate in other performance opportunities.   Past performance opportunities have included dancing at Royals Fan-Fest, Walt Disney World, Disney Springs, Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World, Sprint Center, The Harlem Globetrotters, So You Think You Can Dance Live Tour, Kansas City Zoo Sunset Safari, Arrowhead Stadium, T-Bones Baseball Games, Candy-Coated Christmas, Kansas City Chocolate Festival, Johnson County Fair, Old Settlers Days and many other venues.

Ballet Placement classes will take place at the beginning of the dance year.