Junior Competition Team (Grades 5th - 8th)

Rehearse and perform a full production of BeetleJuice JR the Musical and then compete with a competition cut of BeetleJuice JR the Musical. All students in this program are required to attend and compete in 2 competitions. One large 3 day 3 night festival in Southern California and one small local competition (less than 2 hours away). Every student will also develop an individual piece (vocal solo or duet, dance solo, monologue, makeup design, costume design or set design) to compete.

Sundays and Wednesdays 4-6PM

Director: Jaimee Semsky

Vocal Director: Jaimee Semsky

Musical Director: Kevin Weinert

Requires an audition in the fall for acceptance

REQUIRED MEETINGS * Mandatory attendance for performer and at least one parent

Orientation
- Sat Sept 6th from 12:00pm - 2:00PM * Mandatory attendance for performer and at least one parent
Travel Meeting
- Weds January 7th 4:00 - 6:00pm * Mandatory attendance for performer and at least one parent

REHEARSALS AT STARLIGHT (Note: Attendance for the last 7 rehearsals before a tech week or the last two weeks before any performance are mandatory to be allowed to perform)

WEDNESDAYS 4:00 - 6:00PM *All performers called every Wednesday 9/17, 9/24, 10/1, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5, 11/12, 11/19, (no class 11/26 Thanksgiving break) 12/3, 12/10, 12//17, (No class 12/24. 12/31) 1/7, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/18. 2/25 (no class 3/4) 3/11, 3/18, 3/25
SUNDAYS 4:00PM - 6:00PM *Some somedays will only require some performers, detailed schedule to come 9/21, 9/28, 10/5, 10/12, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, (no class 11/23 Thanksgiving break) 11/30, (Tech and performances 12/7, 12/14, 12/21 see below) (No class 12/28, 1/4 Winter Break) 1/11, (no class 1/18 JT show) 1/25, 2/1
TUESDAY 4:00 - 6:00PM 3/24 * Juniors join JT this day to brush up on their comp piece and perform for each other to prep for showcase
TECH REHEARSALS for JT Show #1 At the Starlight Theater (Attendance is mandatory, a student who misses any part of any tech rehearsal will not be allowed to perform)
- Sunday December 7th
  - 11:00 - 2:00 Load In (Performer plus a parent, help set up stage)
  - 2:00 - 3:00 pm All performers released and allowed to leave building for lunch break
  - 3:00 - 9:00 pm Tech rehearsal (Full costume, no hair/makeup required) Pack a nut-free, glass-free meal
- Monday December 8th
  - 4:00 - 9:45 Tech rehearsal (Full costume, full hair/no makeup required) Pack a nut-free, glass-free meal
- Tuesday December 9th Dark Day: No rehearsal, take a rest! (Or go to your regular classes if you are in Tues classes)
- Wednesday December 10th
  - 4:00 - 9:45 Tech rehearsal (Full costume, full hair/full makeup required) Pack a nut-free, glass-free meal
- Thursday December 11th
  - 4:00 - 9:45 Tech rehearsal (Full costume, full hair/full makeup required) Pack a nut-free, glass-free meal

PERFORMANCES / COMPETITIONS (Attendance is mandatory)

Beetlejuice JR at the Starlight Theatre
- Fri Dec 12th at 7:00pm (call time 4:00pm)
- Sat Dec 13th at 2:00pm (call time 12:30pm)
- Sat Dec 13th at 7:00pm (call time 5:30pm)
- Sun Dec 14th at 2:00pm (call time 12:30pm)
Holiday Cabaret Performance
- Sun Dec 21st at 3:00 at the Starlight Theatre (call time 12pm)
Solo Show Day (TBD)
MTCA Competition
- February 5th - 8th in Anaheim California
Showcase Performance:
- Saturday March 28th at 2:00 pm at the Starlight Theatre
Local Competition
- TBD
Required: Black jazz shoes, Team jacket

Tuition: $1295

Not included but required: Black Jazz shoes, Team Jacket
Please note, tuition does not include the price of tickets to the performance, which are sold separately

Competition Fee: $2800

What is included in travel fees?
- Your flights, hotel, competition entry fees, 1 solo fee for MTCA, transportation to and from the hotel/airport, Knotts Berry Farm ticket, most of your meals, competition tee shirt. (does not include team jacket which is required if you do not already own one, it is the same as the dance team jacket)

What to wear to rehearsals: Black jazz shoes and comfortable clothes they can move in (no jeans). Hair pulled up out of face. Please pack a water bottle. (Jazz shoes can be purchased through us on site, or through any dance wear store or on Amazon)

What to wear to performances: We will provide the majority of your costumes. Students costumes will vary but performers will be required to wear black jazz shoes and full stage makeup and hair tbd. Dependent upon the costume student will probably be asked to wear their own black pants or leggings or tights or may be asked to provide simple basics such as plain tank tops, pants or tee shirts.

A NOTE TO PARENTS

PLEASE UNDERSTAND, WHILE WE DO TAKE PARENT CHAPERONES TO MTCA, SPACES ARE LIMITED NOT ALL PARENTS WHO WANT TO CHAPERONE WILL BE CHOSEN. PARENTS WHO ARE NOT CHOSEN TO CHAPERONE ARE NOT INVITED TO JOIN US ON THE TRIP EVEN IF YOU WANT TO BOOK YOUR OWN TRIP SEPARATELY.

HERE IS AN OPEN LETTER DETAILING WHY

IF YOU DO NOT THINK YOUR CHILD HAS THE EMOTIONAL MATURITY TO HANDLE A TRIP LIKE THIS WITHOUT YOU THEN PLEASE RETHINK IF THEY ARE EMOTIONALLY MATURE ENOUGH TO BE IN THIS LEVEL OF PROGRAM. WE HAVE PLENTY OF OTHER WONDERFUL OPTIONS THAT DO NOT INCLUDE A TRIP

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Theatre is the ultimate team activity. It is so important that everyone is at all their rehearsals. It is impossible to adequately rehearse a scene or teach choreography when some of the cast is missing. Please list ALL of absences/conflicts on the conflict sheet. All conflicts must be turned in BY orientation to be considered excused. No new conflicts will be accepted. Please take the time to check all schedules sports, school conflicts, family activities, etc. when listing your conflicts.

HOW TO REPORT AN ABSENCE

ALL absences, whether excused or not, must be reported in the conflict sheet through our website EVEN IF you told the teacher in person. If it is not reported on the sheet BEFORE the class starts you absolutely will be removed from the material addressed in class at that time.

EXCUSED ABSENCES

Anything (up to 3) that is turned in on the conflict sheet by Orientation
Medical Emergency or severe illness reported at least an hour before class starts (must have a doctor’s note)
Family Emergency reported at least an hour before class starts (Requires a phone call from parent to teacher and detailed information)
Unavoidable School Conflict that will impact your grade (requires a letter from the teacher on school letterhead that details the time and day of the conflict, the fact that missing it will hurt the student’s grade and the date the student was informed of this conflict. Note that the date must show that student alerted Starlight teacher of the conflict as soon as possible. (We simply do not believe that you found out two days before your Christmas concert that you had a Christmas concert and the teacher won’t let you miss it.)

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES

Everything in excess of 3 excused absences
Non-emergency Doctors/Dentists/Orthodontist appointments (please schedule them on a different day)
Spontaneous family vacations or dinners (please schedule them in advance)
- Any student with more than 3 Late/Unexcused absences may be benched from performances or competitions and understudies assigned to your role.

NOT ACCEPTED

Any absence in the 7 days before a competition or performance (this are mandatory, no exceptions)
Any absence during a competition or performance

REPERCUSSIONS

After 1 unexcused absence, your child may be removed from the scene and/or song that was rehearsed on that date and or their role in that song reduced, lines in that scene redistributed or their placement moved to the back.
After 2 unexcused absences, your child will be removed from scene and/or song that was rehearsed on that date AND they are required to write an essay, topic given by Director.
After 3 unexcused absences, your child will be removed from the show/program.

WE ARE NOT MONSTERS

We are imperfect, and we understand that you are too. We will work with you and we do not punish or hold to strict rules for fun. Respect our time, communicate early and often and we will do our best to help and understand. We understand that unavoidable things will come up and we will try to make them work when you come to us early. But please, treat us with respect and treat the program like the serious, pre-professional program that it is. Do not wait until the last minute to communicate a conflict you have known about for ages, do not lie about conflicts or schedule other events or trips during our rehearsals. They are precious to us.

MAKING UP FOR MISSED MATERIAL

Regardless of excused or not, if you miss a rehearsal it is your responsibility to reach out to your peers and learn the missed material BEFORE the next rehearsal if you want the teacher to consider keeping you in the numbers or scenes that were rehearsed in your absence. If you know in advance that you will be out of town, reach out to a peer and make sure they record the material for you.

MEDICAL AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH POLICY

If a medical, emotional or psychological emergency of any kind occurs in the 90 minutes before a performance is scheduled to start (meaning if at any point, however briefly, during said 90 minutes, that performer is incapacitated or would have been incapable of executing their role onstage) then the following will occur.

Regardless of whether the performer deems themselves ready by the time the show is scheduled to start, the performer WILL NOT be allowed to perform in that performance.
The performer may rejoin the cast for (if some remain) any remaining performances in the run of the show if they are in good health.
For all performances, there will be one staff member designated to be the “Emergency Lead” during any such an event. That Emergency Lead shall have the ONLY and FINAL say over a performer’s eligibility to perform and cannot be overruled by staff, performers or parents.
The Emergency lead may choose to make a reasonable exception to the rule ONLY if the student is absolutely 100% fully recovered and a medical or mental health professional unrelated to the performer has assessed the performer and given approval.
If an understudy is available or accommodations can be made to allow the performance to continue without the performer then all best attempts will be made to do so, but in the event that the performer is irreplaceable, it is Starlight’s firm policy that the health and safety of our performers is more important than any performance and we will cancel a performance if necessary.
If a student/performer has a known condition that may interfere with their ability to perform, Starlight invites them to develop a plan in collaboration with staff in advance of any performance or event and that any accommodations or plans negotiated in advance and approved by the studio owner will be shared with staff and the emergency lead and may supersede this policy.

BEHAVIOR/SAFETY/BULLYING POLICY

Starlight is, above all, a SAFE PLACE and we take any violations of that safety very seriously. We do not tolerate bullying, violence, cruelty or slander of our students, staff, community or studio.

UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIORS

Physical violence or agression - pushing, poking, kicking, hitting, biting, pinching etc.
Verbal abuse - name calling, sarcasm, spreading rumors, threats, teasing, belittling.
Emotional abuse- isolating others, tormenting, threatening gestures, ridicule, humiliation, intimidating, excluding, manipulation and coercion, homophobic comments
Sexual abuse- unwanted physical contact, inappropriate touching, abusive comments, exposure to inappropriate content
Online /cyber bullying - posting cruel things on social media, sharing photos, sending nasty text messages
Vandalism/Theft/Intentionally damaging property
Slander - sharing information whether online, text, social media or in person that is intentionally cruel or damaging to others or the studio.

REPERCUSSIONS

First offense:
- Student is spoken to by teacher and asked to sit out.
- Parent is informed, a formal note is sent home and must be returned, signed by student and a parent before participating again. Note includes clear explanation of what happened and requires student to write out their version and exactly what they promise to do moving forward
Second offense
- Student is spoken to by teacher and asked to sit out.
- Parent is informed, a formal note is sent home and must be returned, signed by student and a parent before participating again. Note includes clear explanation of what happened and requires student to write out their version and exactly what they promise to do moving forward
- Student must write an essay about what Starlight community means to that student, why their behavior is a violation to everyone in the community and how it impacts the others in their. community. Essay may be required to be read in front of the class
- Parent is called to come in to speak to the teacher and studio owner to discuss the behavior in person.
Third offense:
- Student is benched from performing at next event (but still required to attend, in uniform)
Fourth offense:
- Student is dismissed from company and ineligible to return
***At Teachers/Dance Director’s/Studio Owner’s discretion depending on the severity of the offense, several of these steps may be skipped. NOTE: ANY behavior involving weapons, serious bodily harm or sexually exploitative behavior/touching will result in immediate expulsion.

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