Dance Moms: Competition Teams?

[paintnolish]

DD just joined the competition team. She is very excited, but I am wondering what we got ourselves into! They said they try to fund everything via fundraisers, but the girls are ultimately responsible for their own fees, which means a lot of junk buying for Grandma and Grandpa! Most of the competitions are in state and around the Chicago area. Nationals is next year in SC. Anyway, I guess I woudl just like to hear some of your experiences with dance teams. TIA!
BTW, I am hoping for a competition in WDW!

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

My dd just got her letter in the mail last night saying that she made next year's competition team. This will be her 5th year, so it's not a surprise. She still sweats it every year and acts surprised that she made it. She's checked the mailbox compulsively since try-outs.

Anyway, she LIVES for it!! Absolutely can't get enough. Her studio is kind of small. They compete mostly local and I like that it's not CRAZY competitive. Some studios are more into it than others. I like that ours is laid back and it's about the fun - not the trophies. Not that trophies aren't good, too!

Feel free to ask anything. We have a booster club for the parents to raise funds for fees and costuming. I'm not that big into stuff like that but I do what I can. Sometimes it's just easier to write the check. I would be interested in what kind of fundraising your team does....we can exchange ideas.

 

[cabanafrau]

DD just joined the competition team. She is very excited, but I am wondering what we got ourselves into! They said they try to fund everything via fundraisers, but the girls are ultimately responsible for their own fees, which means a lot of junk buying for Grandma and Grandpa! Most of the competitions are in state and around the Chicago area. Nationals is next year in SC. Anyway, I guess I woudl just like to hear some of your experiences with dance teams. TIA!
BTW, I am hoping for a competition in WDW!

Lots of $$$, complete domination of time -- dancer's & generally at least one parent, if not entire family. Oldest DD did this for a few years, but everything was local. I figure for the last 3 years we spent $7,000 to $8,000 annually, if you include everything. If you're talking about competing & reaching the national level, I think you likely need to plan on further spending.

DD enjoyed it for the most part & made wonderful friends. I made wonderful friends. I'm so relieved not to be doing it anymore.

 

[paintnolish]

Well, the actual fees don't seem too bad. We have a list of everything they're doing for the year and like I said, most are fairly local. We are from the Chicagoland area and have plenty of family to room with when we go up. I think the most one cost was $150. Still, it can add up. Luckily, xh foots half of the bill, so that helps. We have to pay $35 a month for a once a week competition practice, but she also has to be enrolled in two classes, so we are looking at 3 hours a week in practices and some more money for the classes.
She loves dance and has been doing it since she was 3 (not that you do much then, LOL). She was excited when was asked. She is kind of competitive with her brother, so this will give her an outlet for that, too.
Thanks for the replies so far!

 

[cabanafrau]

Well, the actual fees don't seem too bad. We have a list of everything they're doing for the year and like I said, most are fairly local. We are from the Chicagoland area and have plenty of family to room with when we go up. I think the most one cost was $150. Still, it can add up. Luckily, xh foots half of the bill, so that helps. We have to pay $35 a month for a once a week competition practice, but she also has to be enrolled in two classes, so we are looking at 3 hours a week in practices and some more money for the classes.
She loves dance and has been doing it since she was 3 (not that you do much then, LOL). She was excited when was asked. She is kind of competitive with her brother, so this will give her an outlet for that, too.
Thanks for the replies so far!

The $ & time commitments you're looking at are significantly lower than what I'm familiar with. DD had to take a minimum of seven classes weekly, but it always worked out to be more -- at the end it was 13 classes per week, plus company practices. Company fee was $50 monthly, plus reg. tuition which was capped at $200 monthly.

Staying w/ family while at competition will definitely be a great help, particularly at the costs of staying in the Chicago area.

One thing to be aware of is some of the competitions may be stand alone events w/ just an entry fee. Others may be in conjunction w/ a convention w/ classes & you can expect to pay $175-200 + for the tuition for those & then a comp. fee. Possibly your studio doesn't do conventions. Possibly your DD is younger & the commitment will be lower, at least at first.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

Yes, the expense involved in competition dance will vary hugely depending on where you are and how your studio handles it.

I'm from a smallish city in NC. Our monthly tuition is only $125 for 7 1/2 hrs a week of class. Next year, dd will compete in a group jazz , a group tap and a production number....those are usually about $35-45 per child at competition. Solos, duets, and trios are more expensive because we pay the choreographer private lesson rates....about $75 and hour and the competition fees are usually over $100.

We also have about $1000 in costumes this year....not including shoes.

 

[autumnpalm]

Not a mom, but I danced competitively when I was young and I remember how much of a time and money commitment it was for my family! Just to help with your budgeting, some things that usually add up quickly:

Costumes- check with her director to see if you can find out average prices, whether they have their costumes custom made or order them in. This is a huge variable but I remember the majority of my costumes costing $150+ and this was a number of years ago.

Hair and makeup- are there any specific hair pieces or makeup sets the dancers have to buy?

Team Suits- A lot of studios have warm up/windbreaker or yoga pant type suits for their dancers to wear backstage that are required. We had to wear these and I believe the jacket and pants were around $100. Again, this was a while ago!

Choreography fees- some studios have these, others don't! It also depends if the studio is bringing in guest choreographers and such.

Master Classes- a lot of competitions will have master classes and open classes that teachers require. Usually at the bigger, national competitions/conventions.

Congratulations to your DD, by the way!

 

[czycropper]

This is the first year in the last 7 that my DD12 isn't competiting because of an injury (she was diagnosed with runner's knee in January and not able to go en pointe or dance for 6 months) and my DH is doing the because we have saved thousands. What I found out is that the competition fees are minimal but when you add the extra dance classes, extra costumes, extra shoes & tights as well as the day of the competition costs (usually 3-meals plus any extra photos, t-shirts, etc) - it really starts adding up!!!

Last year she danced in 7 competition dances which included a production number, solo, a duo and 4-group dances in jazz, lyrical, ballet & pointe - so the competition fees were over $200 each competition; one weekend competition with a two night stay- appx. $800 for gas, hotel stay, food, etc.; 7 costumes at appx. $50-60 per costumes-appx.$420; extra jazz, pointe & ballet shoes & tights-appx. $150 - this gives you a small idea. I'm sure I'm not including something.

I will say that she had missed not dancing this winter & spring but at the same time she says that it's been a nice break. She had classes everyday of the week but Friday & Sunday. Now, she's thinking of going to another dance studio that has been after her to come join their dance team - it's closer to our house and some of her school friends are on the team but we'll see it will depend on what the ortho says when she gets her knee checked out in a couple of weeks.

 

[irish dancer]

Hi paint! DD8 is just finishing her first year on a competitive jazz team. You'll be surprised how many "little" things pop up that you'll have to pay for. DH recently asked me to add up all we've spent this year on her dance and I told him "No Way!". If he wants to know he can add it up but I'm happy not looking at that total.

For the most part our biggest expense has been the class tuition. She is req'd to take 2hr ballet and 2hr jazz per week and fees are based on the number of hours of class you take. Costume was right around $100 plus $13/pr for tights (she needed 3pr). We've done 4 competitions, all local thankfully, those were $35 ea. Our studio does not do convention competitions, those are much more $$. We did however have a req'd in-house workshop. We are also doing a Nationals in the Wisconsin Dells and the entry fee was divided and added into the other fees. How our studio handles Nationals is that they alternate a close location one year then a travel location the next. This year is our close location.

Fundraising is available but can only be used for competition entry fees and membership fees. They offer Manna certificates, candy bar sales, pasta sales, cookie dough sales and Carson's Community Day certificates.

Since we're Chicago area too maybe we'll meet up at a competition next season. DD8 hasn't had auditions for next year yet but I'm hopful those will go well in July. It's an interesting world - hope she/you have fun!

 

[paintnolish]

OMG! These are making me ! Again, this is the only time I will be thankful for having an XH. He pays for half. Plus, dd has a very generous Gma who has helped out with extracurricular expenses in the past. I hadn't thought about costumes.
ID- That would be awesome if we met up! The first one isn't until Fall. I think it is the Monsters of Hip-Hop in October. DD is going to do ballet and hip-hop. They need one classic (ballet or lyrical) and something else (hip-hop, jazz, etc).