DANCE TEAM AUDITIONS COMING SOON!

INTERESTED IN AUDITIONING? CONTACT MISS SHELBY- DANCE DIRECTOR

DANCEWITHSTARLIGHTSHELBY@GMAIL.COM

Beginning through advanced level dancers ages 6 and up are welcome to audition! Placement on intermediate & advanced teams requires prior dance experience. Prior dance experience strongly encouraged for new dancers. Wear comfortable workout and/or dance attire. bring a water bottle and all styles of dance shoes you have. New dancers are required to have a parent/guardian fill out a liability form at check in, prior to auditioning. No need to prepare anything in advance. Arrive ready to dance!

Note: all aspiring dance team members are REQUIRED to join us for the Dance Intensive this summer!

Here is the link


WHAT IS DANCE TEAM?

With seven different dance teams, we have a program for every dancer, offering a variety of levels of time and commitment tailored to what each dancer is ready for. Rehearsal times can vary from 3 - 20 hours per month plus technique classes depending on your level of commitment. All team members will perform together on our Galaxy production number, learning and refining one flashy dance number to be performed again and again throughout the year. As they advance from year to year, they may be invited to join more individual style-specific teams in addition to the Galaxy team, allowing them to hone and focus their skills and perform in more and more routines. This gives our dance team students as many opportunities as possible to build skill, technique and confidence.  Teams will perform at multiple non-competitive shows, 4-5 competitions, a parade, and participate in a dance team exclusive end-of-the-year event!  We have several teams to accommodate all budgets, lifestyles and skill levels, so please do not be discouraged if you are a beginner or can’t commit to multiple hours every week. Our teams accommodate beginning through advanced, pre-professional dancers starting ages 6 through senior in high school.  Each student will receive a team uniform, team-specific t-shirt, and one or more high quality costumes ALL INCLUDED in monthly dance team tuition & fees. An exclusive dance team backpack and rhinestoned jacket are also available for all dance team members (new members required to purchase separately)! Teams will rehearse from August through June and will perform/compete roughly once per month, every month from December through June.  Team members will be charged a monthly tuition (partial, need-based scholarships available) to cover classes, choreography, staffing, and registration/admission to our various events throughout the season. Please note, all dance team members are required to enroll in a minimum of one Starlight dance class at the studio. Enrollment in more than one class may be required depending upon the team level a dancer is placed on (theatre classes do not cover this requirement). The cost of all your classes is bundled into your program as your dance team membership includes unlimited dance classes from September through early June!

WHAT MAKES STARLIGHT DANCE TEAM SPECIAL?

Our dancers are confident and empowered in their bodies. Despite industry norms, we passionately believe that when children dance it should be in costumes, to music, and performing moves that are age appropriate and do not showcase tiny bodies in adult ways. All body types are welcome here.

TRANSPARENT PRICING

Competition dancing is a significant financial investment. We respect that and work hard to calculate every single cost up front—from costumes to entry fees and even photo packages. We bundle the overall costs, factoring in a steep discount, and break the total into 11 even payments. We map out the whole year for you up front, including all dates and prices. Because it is bundled and discounted the overall price is lower than most other companies in the Bay Area and there are no a la carte prices later. There are no secrets and no surprises, so you know exactly how to budget for your family.

NEW 2024/2025 SEASON:

MULTIPLE LEVELS

TO MEET YOU AT YOURS

Dancers are placed according to their skill, experience, and desired level of commitment. Dancers on production team rehearse once per month while dancers on our most advanced level rehearse several times per week.

Dance team levels are as follows:

GALAXY: Production team, beginner friendly; all accepted dance team members are automatically placed on Galaxy Production team and are required to participate in this routine to meet eligibility requirements for placement on higher level, select teams. Galaxy team members are required to participate in team intensives to learn choreography, and take one recreational class of their choosing per month. Galaxy team rehearsals meet once a month, with rehearsal tuition being FREE for all dancers!

LUNA, ZENITH, POLARIS, AND EQUINOX STYLE TEAMS: Intermediate level, select group teams; all dance team members who are accepted and commit to Galaxy team are eligible for placement on a STYLE team. These teams will meet weekly and are required to take one recreational/technique class per week, matching the style of dance in which their team performs.

SUPERNOVA ENSEMBLE: Advanced level, pre-professional team; Dance team members placed on the Supernova Ensemble level will receive pre-professional level training. These dancers have the greatest time commitment, with 1-2 weekly rehearsals and multiple required technique classes per week. Supernova Ensemble members will participate in Galaxy production team routine, as well as multiple various style routines of Supernova Ensemble members ONLY throughout the season.

IS THIS A BIG COMMITMENT?

Yes and no.  In terms of time, the commitment varies based on your level team. With either one team rehearsal per month, per week, or multiple rehearsals weekly, Starlight has teams that can work for every dancer’s schedule. All team members are required to take one to two recreational classes and an average of one event per month.  In terms of hard work and commitment, yes, we are asking you to work HARD.  Regardless of team level, we expect our team members to be working hard in all classes and rehearsals throughout the season. Students are expected to be in every class and at every performance on time, in costume, and focused, working diligently, depending on their teammates and earning their teammates trust.       

WHY JOIN?

You will definitely become a better dancer but that is only a fraction of what you gain from being a part of Dance Team.  This is a safe, welcoming environment where our dancers will build a community and hopefully develop friendships they will keep for the rest of their lives.  We are commited to creating a space where dancers wear appropriate, full coverage clothing, and dance to age appropriate music.  Dancers learn discipline and focus, build strong bodies, self confidence, positive body images and a healthy relationship with themselves.  Imagine mixing the teamwork and commitment of a sport with the vulnerability of a physical art and you’ll get a good idea of the sense of community these kids build together. 

SOLOS/DUETS/TRIOS

REHEARSALS for 2024-2025 Season

WHEN ARE REHEARSALS?

Dance Intensive Camp July 29th- August 7th:

Students are REQUIRED to attend. Teams meet for intensives as follows:

LUNA AND POLARIS: July 29th-31st, 9am-3pm

ZENITH AND EQUINOX:    July 30th-August 1st, 10am-4pm

SUPERNOVA ENSEMBLE: July 31st & August 1st, 12-4pm, August 5th-7th 12-6pm

GALAXY ONLY: July 29th-August 1st, 9am-3pm

Saturday, July 20th from 12:00-3:00 PM: Orientation/Welcome Mixer 

Everyone accepted on team must attend this mandatory orientation / welcome mixer Sat July 20th from 12:00 PM- 3:00 PM with at least one parent.  Additional parents and siblings are welcome.  

Regular rehearsals start the week of Aug 12th and run through JUNE 2025

LUNA Fri 4:30 - 6:30

POLARIS Weds 6:00 - 8:00

ZENITH Fri 6:30 - 8:30 

SUPERNOVA ENSEMBLE Mon 6:00-8:30pm every week AND Every other Tues, 7:30-9pm

EQUINOX Tues 6-7:30PM

• See our Calendar Page for details on studio closures and holidays

CAST LISTS

GALAXY PRODUCTION team

Coach: ASHLEE/SHELBY

ONE SATURDAY per MONTH (dates coming at orientation)

2PM-5PM

INTERMEDIATE TEAMS

ADVANCED TEAM

sUPERNOVA ENSEMBLE

dance team

Coach: SHELBY

MON 6:00 - 8:30

Kylie Takita

Ananda Jallepalli

Aislinn Robbins

Ky Grammer

Mikayla Trautvetter

Gigi DeLa’O

Pippa Hendrix

PRICES for 2024/2025 Season

New this year and included in tuition: No separate costume or photo or uniform fees, everything is bundled together including your new uniform, all your costumes for dance teams, photo/video packages for recital and three of the competitions and all entrance fees. Click here for a detailed accounting of exactly what is included in your tuition

Not included in tuition: shoes, tights, team jacket (if you need a new one), team backpack (if you need a new one), $75 costume fee per recreational class that performs in the recital and you keep the costume, solo/duo/trio fees

**If we plan a large optional trip to somewhere exciting it will be an optional separate item.

Team Registration/Tuition (1st payment due Aug 1st) All teams include unlimited recreational/technique classes for your whole family (a $350/month value in and of itself)

GALAXY PRODUCTION TEAM ONLY : $299/month

GALAXY PRODUCTION TEAM PLUS 1 STYLE TEAM (LUNA, ZENITH, POLARIS, OR EQUINOX ): $359/month

GALAXY PRODUCTION TEAM PLUS 2 STYLE TEAMS (LUNA, ZENITH, POLARIS, OR EQUINOX ):$449/month

GALAXY PRODUCTION TEAM PLUS SUPERNOVA ENSEMBLE (PRE-PROFESSIONAL) TEAM: $499/month

GALAXY PRODUCTION TEAM PLUS SUPERNOVA ENSEMBLE (PRE-PROFESSIONAL) TEAM AND EQUINOX: $499/month

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Dance Team 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 Chirstmas 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.

• If you were throwing up / had a fever in the last 24 hours DO NOT COME TO CLASS but if you are able, find a friend to facetime you in. Otherwise you may still be asked to do some homework to make up the class

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.