Company Information

What are Junior, Apprentice, and Senior Company?

The Performing Companies are designed for advanced dancers looking to further expand their dance experiences. Being a Performing Company member requires a higher commitment level than students in regular session classes. These groups perform energetic and challenging dance numbers at numerous community events, attend an annual dance convention, perform at all Red River Dance recitals, and compete in statewide and regional dance competitions. Performing Company members learn dedication, responsibility, teamwork, and stage presence. Company ages are as follows:

                               Junior Company Beginning Intermediate Levels (roughly 7+)

                               Apprentice Company Intermediate Levels (roughly 11+)

                               Senior Company Intermediate Advanced Levels (roughly 13+)

There may be exceptions for each group (older or younger) depending on their ability. Age is decided by how old the dancer will be as of February of the following spring for competition purposes.

Auditions

Company members are selected through an audition process. Auditions for the 2011-2012 competition teams are to be held at the Red River Dance studio on Saturday, September 10th. Those auditioning for Junior Company will audition first in the early afternoon. Those auditioning for Apprentice Company or Senior Company will audition after the Junior Company auditions in the mid-afternoon. Please register in advance at the front desk. Dancers will perform center and across the floor skills, and then learn a dance combination to music. They will perform the combination in groups of 3 to 5. Ages 7-12 audition at 12:30 and ages 13+ 2:30 - please call with questions.

Audition Results

The results will be posted on our website (www.redriverdance.com) by the evening of auditions and students will be notified by phone. Students must arrange a meeting with Karin Rudd, Artistic Director by the first rehearsal date of September 11.

What are the costs and yearly commitments of being a member of Company?

The tuition for Junior, Apprentice and Senior Company is $500.00 for the entire 2010-2012 dance year (September–May). At least $250 will be due by the first night of rehearsal. The second half will be due in January. This includes cost for studio time, group choreography, instruction during Company time and extra rehearsals that are called. This cost doesn’t include any regular dance class expenses. Additional costs do exist for each Company. The following are only estimates of expenses associate with the Companies:

• Solos, duos and trios each have a separate choreography fee.
• Each choreographer will require a certain type of color of shoe and tights for their dance numbers.
• Each Company member will be required to purchase matching make-up and jewelry for competitions and performances. Dancers will purchase their make-up from the stores. The jewelry will be purchased from RRD.
• Each Company will have approximately three to four costumes to buy at approximately $50 - $75 each. (This doesn’t include recital costumes for regular dance classes.)
• Competition fees will run approximately $30-100 per routine. Food, 2 nights for hotel, and transportation is not included in this estimate.

RRD&PC attends four competitions - two in Fargo, at least one in the Cities and will be attending nationals in the Wisconsin Dells June 2012

Convention fees are approximately $150 - $190. Once again, food, 2 nights for hotel, and transportation is not included in this estimate.

RRD&PC attends one convention

Competition and convention fees are due 90 days prior to the event.

We do not ask for all costumes, regular class tuition, and company tuition to be paid all at the same time. We recommend that you spread the payments out throughout the year and create a credit that can be applied to your costume and tuition balance.

What are the Requirements and expectations involved of a Company member?

Parent and Dancer Responsibilities

Parents and dancers must stay current with notes we send home. New information could be handed out weekly. It is the dancer's responsibility to read the note, bring it home and hand it to their parents. If you fail to give the note to your parents and you miss a rehearsal, it will be counted as an unexcused absence. It is the parents' responsibility to read these notes and make sure their child attends the event or extra practice. It is also the parents' and dancer's responsibility to inform the director if there is a conflict with the schedule as soon as possible so another schedule can be arranged.

Mandatory Extra Practices

In addition to weekly scheduled Company rehearsals, extra rehearsals are scheduled in the spring to prepare for upcoming competitions and/or performances. Extra rehearsals will be held the weekend prior to the competition and will be scheduled shortly after the competition dates have been scheduled. It is mandatory for all Company members to attend, or they will not be eligible to perform at competition. If a dancer misses rehearsal for any reason, including illness or injury, she/he will not compete at the competition. Usually extra practices are scheduled in advance, but sometimes we may schedule them with only a week's notice if the instructors fee 1 it is necessary to hold the extra rehearsal.

The night prior to a competition, we may hold a small informal rehearsal at the hotel that the instructors will be staying These rehearsals are mandatory. Please speak to the Artistic Director if you are unable to be there at the scheduled time.

Performances

Company performs at many different events throughout the year. We have performed at Clara Barton/Hawthorn Arts Night, with the Concordia Orchestra, in parades and half-time shows, at the Festival of Wreaths, the West Acres Mall, the Competition Send-off Performance in mid April, and the recital in May. We also perform at other events that we may be invited to attend. Dancers should always arrive 1/2 hour before the performance unless it is stated differently in your notes. Dancers must wear the required attire as stated in your note given out prior to the performance. Everyone must look alike and look like a team.

Company members are expected to attend these outings, parades, performances, or any other activity where the Companies are representing Red River Dance & Performing Company (unless marked optional by the Director). If you are unable to attend, you must contact the Artistic Director ASAP to inform her.

Company Member Rules

• Expected to dress appropriately for their company classes, regular classes and rehearsals.
• Expected to be early for rehearsals and are expected to use that time to warm themselves up properly for the rehearsal.
• Expected to attend each company class during the scheduled rehearsal time for the dance year on Monday or Thursday.
• Expected to attend 80% or more of their regular dance lasses. Attendance is very important to maintain proper technique, flexibility, and skills. This will be monitored and warnings will be issued if necessary.
• Given two (2) unexcused absences from Company for the entire dance year. Excused absences include school activities where grades are at stake, illness where the dancer is highly contagious or a family emergency. If there is an injury, we recommend that the dancer attends class to view the choreography, to listen to the teacher's notes, and to maintain her attendance record. If a dancer has an extreme number of excused absences, has missed more than 2 Company classes, or has attended less than 80% of their regular classes, they may be taken out of a number.
• Expected to find another Company member to help them catch up if they do miss a rehearsal.
• Expected to call ahead if they know they will be late or will miss rehearsal. The absence will not be excused unless it is a family emergency, event or vacation, a graded school function or an illness. Company members are asked to come and observe rehearsals if they do not have a serious illness or if they are injured and are not able to dance.
• Expected to receive advance written permission from the instructor and Director to perform RRD&PC choreography for any event and/or any competition. There will be forms to fill out that require the Director and instructor's signatures.
• Expected to conduct themselves in public so as to present the best possible image for the Company and RRD.
• Expected to receive advance written permission for the Director to provide dance instruction or engage in choreography for hire. There will be forms to fill out that require the Director's signature.
• Expected to keep their academic grades a priority.
• Expected to keep their bodies healthy and not consume alcoholic beverages, smoke or take illegal drugs.
• Expected to respect other Company members and the RRD&PC instructors and staff.