Hello, Company Dancer!

Hello parents & dancers, 

Whether you are a current In-Step Dance family in a recreational class who is considering joining The Dance Company Program, or you are a family of a competitive dancer who is looking to transfer to In-Step Dance Center and join our team, I welcome you with the biggest Texas sized hello you can get!

Our dance company is something special! ISDC has been “turning out” beautiful dancers for 24 years. We compete regionally with exclusive and highly sought after events in addition, we enjoy performing locally at schools, and events such as The Woodlands Children’s Festival!

If after reading the details below you think that The Dance Company might be a wise choice for your child, we recommend that you register your child for our 2nd round of auditions August 6, 2022.

Blessings,

Ms. Dana Loving-Sparks, Director/Owner

Purpose

The In-Step Dance Company Program is a pre-professional team designed for providing promising dancers ages 6-18 with accelerated training, additional performing opportunities, and frequent occasions to learn from elite dance professionals and ISDC instructores. Our Company Program typically has 30-45 students.

We developed the ISD Company Program for dancers with talent, drive, and commitment. Not all dancers possess all the above mentioned qualities; In-Step Dance Center offers recreational classes in all genres and all levels to accommodate non-company dancers. The ISD Company Program places demand on both the dancers and their families, requiring many hours of practice both in and out of the studio, extra expenses besides tuition, and sacrificing other activities. Our Company  is a rigorous course of study, but it is not without rewards, of course!

For example, spending so much time together builds relationships that can last a lifetime. Company dancers enjoy a sense of pride over the accomplishments they achieve together with their team. They learn the value of hard work and sacrifice and build character as they learn to deal with the highs and lows of competition and time management. They benefit from feedback from teachers from around the country at conventions, competitions, and master classes. They also develop their dance potential to a greater degree and faster due to more time spent training and practicing. This is just the tip of the iceberg!

Admission/Auditions

Acceptance into our ISD Company Program is by audition only with the exception of our new WCC Pixies team. These auditions are held in either May or June and are hosted at our main studio location on Sawdust Rd. Please refer to the Studio Calendar on our Events & Extras page for exact dates for this year’s auditions, as well as for the date/time of our annual parents meeting.

Dancers who are interested in joining our ISD Company after we have already held auditions may still be able to do so, depending on what time of year it is. Please call our office directly at (281) 298-7837 to set up a meeting with our director to discuss your unique situation. We will gladly include you if we can!

On Audition Day, dancers will be divided into small groups of 3 or 4 and asked to perform the combinations that they learned. Our judges, consisting of Ms. Dana, ISDC instructors and outside elite dance professionals, will be objectively looking for things like technique, style, memory, confidence, and stage presence. 

Dancers who are not selected for The Dance Company Program or for the groups they tried out for will be emailed a Personal Letter of Explanation containing technique to work on with suggestions for classes to take to prepare them for next auditions.  In addition, the prospective dancer may be asked to take additional courses and/or summer classes before the next audition.

All Company dancers and their parents are given a Company Info Packet prior to auditions. This packet contains every detail of what’s involved with being a Company dancer at In-Step Dance, including the tentative schedule for the coming year’s events. Participation in the In-Step Dance Company Program requires that both dancers and a parent sign a contract. By signing the company contract, the dancer and parent are stating that they have been informed of, understand, and accept the terms of the Company Program and are committing to abiding by them and fulfilling all duties that come with being involved with Company. It helps to ensure that both dancers and their families understand the level of commitment that we expect from company kids and the time and financial responsibilities that involvement with Company places on families. We abide very strictly by the contract and expect our Company dancers and their families to do so as well.

Structure

We consider the In-Step Dance Company to be a dance family; one big unit composed of dancers of various ages, skill levels, and dance genres. The dance genres represented include ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, tap, musical theater, contemporary and hip-hop.

Modeled after professional ballet companies, our ISD Company is structured in a hierarchy based on skill level, artistic expression, and experience. Every rung on the ladder is important to the overall success of the company. Our Company Info Packet details the responsibilities and limitations of each level of involvement.

Solos, duets, and trios are given at the discretion of our Director and instructors; students do not get to choose whether or not they receive one, nor do they have a say in the dance form or fellow dancers they are cast with. Our professional staff discusses the best plan for each dancer for the coming season.  We are once again happy to share with families the reasons behind why we cast kids as we do, but no changes will be made because of these discussions. 

Company Events

In-Step Dance Company dancers attend 4-5 regional competitions per year. These competitions are usually held in the spring, and they often last the entire weekend, from Friday until sometimes late Sunday night. Regional competitions will be mostly located in Sugarland/Stafford. Occasionally we may travel to Katy, Pearland, or Austin.

The Company dancers enjoy a major summer event at the end of the season, for example  this event could be a national competition either in-state or out-of-state. Each year we select an event that we believe fits both our goals for our dancers as well as what their families are hoping to gain from their Company experience.

All Company dancers are required to participate in 3 in-studio Monthly Master Classes per year. We bring in guest artists in dance and dance-related fields to expand our students’ understanding of teaching and dancing styles, their own physiology and staying healthy, and the possibilities of other careers in the dance field besides just performing. These master classes are held on select Saturdays for 90 minutes each.

In addition to the above exciting adventures, The Company will have an exclusive Sleepover, which is a lock-in in February. Together we embellish costumes and props, enjoy a potluck dinner and breakfast, and play fun games that endear the dancers to each other. 

Also in February, we have offsite dress rehearsals in preparation for competition where we can spread out and use our largest props with ease; these rehearsals are exciting, because it means the first competition is drawing near! Each Company dancer is assigned a Big or Little Sis to love, encourage, help, and give special attention throughout the dance year. We also celebrate the accomplishments of the season and kick off the next season with a Company bonding event such as a day at Main Event or the bowling alley in the summer. This event always involves great food, games, and purely social time with our dance buddies!

Company Costs

We work hard to keep Company involvement as financially feasible as possible, but it’s just simply an expensive venture despite our best efforts! We present the financial projections for the season in the Company Info Packet prior to auditions, so when a family commits to our Company Program, they have as complete a picture as possible of what they’re getting themselves into. We also go over these costs in detail at the Parent’s Meeting. These financial projections are as accurate as we can make them with the info we have at the time the Company Info Packets are printed, so costs may be subject to change slightly as well as they may vary from year to year. For more detailed cost information, please stop by our office during business hours and speak with an assistant or our director.

Interested?

If you are interested in your child becoming part of the In-Step Dance Company Program, please contact our office via email at instepdancecenter@sbcglobal.net. If it is after May and you would like to discuss having your transferring dancer audition, please share your situation with our Director, Ms. Dana, and she’ll contact you to set up a private tryout. Best of luck!