Davidson Middle School
Dance Team
Tryout Packet
2017-2018
Be sure to pick up a copy of the Athletic Packet too!
Dear Parents,
Your child has expressed a desire to become a member of the dance team at Davidson Middle School. The attached packet of materials has been put together to give you an understanding of the personal and financial responsibilities of becoming a dance team member. Please read all of the information regarding costs and policies with your child. Your signature is required to signify that you have read and understood the policies.
A clinic to prepare your student for tryouts will be held in the DMS gym on May 8th and 9thfrom3:30 p.m. to 5:00p.m. Tryouts will be held on May 10that 3:30 p.m. in the DMS gym. Cost for the clinic is $30.00. This fee will cover a tryout shirt,judge’s fees, andchoreography. Clinic and tryouts will be closed to spectators.
Members of the team will be selected based on judges’ scores for performance and technique. Technique consists of the fundamentals of dance. Technique evaluations will include splits, leaps, and turns.
A dance will be taught the first two days of clinic. The applicants will perform the dance on the day of the tryout. Points are based on remembering the choreography, confidence, and timing, execution of technique, facial expressions, and overall impression. (Recording devices are encouraged for the first day of the clinic, so that students can reference the tryout dance at home!)
All forms, along with a $30.00 check made payable to Davidson Middle School, are due by April 28th before 2:00 p.m. in the front office at DMS.
*Late forms will be accepted until the first day of the dance clinic, but the dancer will not receive a tryout shirt.
Please do not let the team expenses keep you from trying out. Efforts in fundraising give the ability to cut the costs significantly.
I look forward to meeting you and wish you the best of luck at tryouts!
Sincerely,
Heather Willard
Sponsor
DMS Dance Team
Important Information
Clinic Dates:May 8th& 9th
Clinic Time: 3:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m. in the DMS gym
Clinic Clothing: shorts or yoga pants, t-shirts, tennis shoes or dance shoes, hair in ponytail, no jewelry
Tryout Date: May 10th
Tryout Time: 3:30 p.m. in the DMS gym
Tryout Uniform: Tryout shirt, black shorts/yoga pants, tennis/dance shoes, hair in ponytail, no jewelry, and makeup is optional
Tryout Paperwork Checklist
In order to participate in clinic and tryouts for the 2017-2018 dance season, the following paperwork must be completed and turned in by April 28th, 2:00 p.m. in the front office at Davidson Middle School. (Completed late paperwork will be accepted, but the dancer will not receive a tryout shirt.)
______Tryout fee of $30.00 (make checks payable to Davidson Middle School)
______Physical Form (must be signed by physician and notarized)
______Emergency Medical Authorization Form (must be signed, dated, and
notarized)
______FHSAA Concussion and Heat Release Form
______Contact information complete
______Rules and Regulations/Demerit Sheet signed
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Mandatory parent meeting for new team members: Monday, May 15that 5:30 pm at Davidson Middle School room 702. First payments will be collected and summer practice schedule will be distributed.
Dance Team Expenses:
The following is a list of general expenses for the dance season. Actual costs WILL exceed this amount but will be covered through fundraising.
Summer Camp/choreography$250.00
practice attire$100.00
performance attire$150.00
warm-ups $100.00
shoes$50.00
poms/bags$50.00
technique instruction (paid to the instructor) $40.00 a month
Some expensesWILL be defrayed through fundraising and sponsorships.
Total estimated cost per dancer for the regular dance season (excluding studio technique class) is approximately$700.00.
Payment should be made in the following manner:
- Payment in full: on or before May26th...... $700.00
or
- Installment Plan:Payment is due by the 15th of each month
May payment (due at parent meeting)$150.00
June payment$150.00
July payment$150.00
August payment$150.00
September payment$100.00
Make checks payable to Davidson Middle School and include your student’s name and phone number on the check.
Each dance team member will be responsible for purchasing her own sports bras that will not show under performance tops and no-show black socks for hip-hop performances.
Dance Team By-laws and Policies
- ELIGIBILITY:
A. Grades: Candidates must have a minimum of 2.0 GPA by the end of the third nine weeks in order to try out.
B. Insurance: Parents or guardians must assume responsibility for a candidate’s health, medical, and accident insurance. Proof of insurance must be on file at the school before the first day of clinic.
C. Physical Exam: Each candidate must have a complete physical examination, by a physician of choice, to be paid for by the parents or guardians.
- RULES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Conduct: Because you have been selected as a leader and a representative of Davidson Middle School’s BEST, it is imperative that each of you display exemplary behavior at all times. Any conduct, by any dance team member that is deemed detrimental to the image of Davidson Middle School, such as smoking, drinking, fighting, truancy, etc., may result in permanent suspensionfrom the team.
B. Social Media:Inappropriate comments, pictures or statuses on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other social media will not be tolerated. This includes (but is not limited to): the use of profanity and pictures of the dance team member drinking smoking, making vulgar gestures, making extremelyrude/malicious/demeaning/threatening comments about others will result in demerits and/or the immediate removal of the dancer from the next performance/or team.
C. Commitment:Dance Team should be an activity that each member can and will be fully committed to until tryouts for the following school year. Like other dance teams in the county, it will be our mission to help promote school spirit during football season as well as basketball season.
D. Captains:The method of selecting captains shall be left to the discretion of the sponsor. Captains will be chosen based on attitude,performance, knowledge, responsibility, and seniority. Captains will remain in this position as long as they exhibit the qualities listed above.
E. Uniforms:Uniforms will be selected by the sponsor. Dance team members are responsible for the cost of personal uniform articles. All uniform articles are only to be worn during dance team functions.
F. Camp:Since the majority of dance routines for the year are taught at camp, summer camp attendance at the expense of the dance team memberis requiredby all who make the team during spring try-outs.(Camp will be held mid-July)
G. Technique Day:Members of the dance team will be required to attend a team technique class one day a week. The instructor will meet us at DMS to teach this class. Cost is $40 per month.
H. Practice:ALL PRACTICES ARE MANDATORY! There will be at least one day each week when there is no after school practice. The designated “free” days might change based on performance schedule. Medical and Dental appointments should be scheduled for those days.Exceptions would require prior approval by the sponsor. If a dancer is absent for the practice before a performance, the dancer will be required to attend the event, but must sit out of the performance.
I. Attendance:Dance team is a demanding extra-curricular activity whichrequires a tremendous amount of time and effort. In order to participate,a student must maintain their G.P.A. In addition, a student cannot participate in afterschool activities if he/she is not present in school. Therefore, we must monitor student attendance. Truancy will not be tolerated. The studentmay be required to attend events and sit with the sponsor
J. Financial:Dance team members will be expected to participate in a minimal number of fundraising projects scheduled andplanned by the sponsor. A list, which estimates the cost you will be expected to pay if you become a danceteam member, is provided in this packet. Please understand that everything possible is done to keep your cost at a minimum therefore, we will fundraise throughout the year to cover expenses that go beyond the budget. If for some reason, approved in advance by the coach, a dancer is not able to participate in a mandatory fundraiser, she/he will be responsible for paying a $50 “opt out” fee to the general dance account.
K. Grades:A GPA of 2.0 must be maintained through the entire danceseason. Any member whose GPA falls below 2.0 will be suspended from the team for the remainder of the year.
L. Demerits:Team members will start each year with zero demerits. If a member acquires 10 demerits in one season, she/he will be dismissed from the team. “Seasons” include: Summer – Begins at the time the student makes the team until the first day of school, Football – August-November, Basketball – November-Tryouts. Also, if a student is terminated for any reason, she/he will not be eligible to try out the following year.
CLASSIFICATION AND NUMBER OF DEMERIT POINTS
1. Missed Practice-excused/unexcused2/5
2. Missed game/Pep Rally - excused4
3. Tardy 5-45 minutes for practice2
4. Missing all or part of correct uniform or poms1-3
(practice or performance)
5. Minor disrespect(to coach, teammates, teachers, etc.)1-3
6. Major disrespect(to coach, teammates, teachers, etc.)4-6
7. Office Referral 4
8. After School Detention5
9. STP/OSSRemoval at the discretion of the Coach
* In order for an absence to be considered excused, the student must bring a doctor’s note or note from parent indicating major emergency. Validity of excuse will be determined by the sponsor.
I HAVE READ, UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE POLICIES AND RULES FOR DAVIDSON MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE TEAM MEMBERS. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE COSTS INVOLVED AND MY RESPONSIBILITY IN PAYING THESE COSTS.
______
Jay Sanders, PrincipalHeather Willard, Sponsor
______
Student NameParent Signature
Address______
Phone______Grade in school next year ______
Circle your child’s desired shirt size for the tryout shirt: YSYMYLSMLXL
To be filled out by student:
- What qualities do you possess that make you a good choice to represent DMS as a dance team member? ______
- Do you have any dance experience? If so, how many years and with what studio? ______
- What would you say is the style of dance that you are the best at performing? ______