The Dubuque Competitive Dance Team Password Page < Click
More Than a Competition Team
The Dubuque Competitive Dance Team is a child-focused program dedicated to developing strong dancers and, just as importantly, confident, respectful, and responsible young people.
Within our program:
- We encourage healthy, positive relationships among our dancers.
- We teach our athletes to respect, support, and admire their teammates as well as dancers and coaches from other programs.
- We keep choreography, music, costuming, and performance content appropriate for the age of our dancers.
- We encourage healthy eating habits throughout the week, during training, and while attending competitions.
- We reinforce respectful words and actions toward parents, family members, coaches, teammates, and others.
- We teach dancers to appreciate and respect the significant commitment of time and finances their families make on their behalf.
- We provide strong technical training through a comprehensive dance curriculum.
Our goal is not simply to develop successful competitive dancers. We want to help develop wonderful young people who carry these lessons with them outside the studio as well.
Competition Level & Commitment
Competitive Dance Team is a year-round program. Summer training is an important and required part of team participation. Competition members are required to attend practice twice a week.
Team placement, choreography, coaching assignments, studio schedules, and competition planning are established well in advance based upon the athletes committed to the program. Families should carefully consider the time and financial commitment involved before accepting a team placement.
Novice Teams
Designed for our younger dancers and those beginning their competitive experience, with a more introductory competition commitment.
- Two levels
- Practices Tuesday and Thursday
- One competition routine
- One competition costume
- One routine performed in recital
Advanced Teams
Designed for dancers seeking a more intensive competitive experience. Advanced teams include weekly conditioning and flexibility training, with established skill requirements. These teams are generally for dancers ages 7 and older.
Team 1
- 1 routine
- 1 costume
Teams 2 & 3
- 1–2 routines
- 1–2 costumes
Team 4
- Routines, competition plans, and associated fees are discussed and determined as a team between March 1 and June 1.
Final routines and team placement are determined by DDSGC based upon the dancer’s age, level, training, skills, and the needs of the team.
Required Team Equipment
Please refer to our Prices and Online Shop pages for current pricing and ordering information.
Competitive dancers may need:
- DDSGC studio warm-up jacket and pants — required at competition awards
- Competition makeup compact and lipstick
- False eyelashes
- Competition jewelry
- Bun/hairpiece as required
- Appropriate tights for each routine
- Practice shoes
- A clean, separate pair of shoes reserved for competitions
Specific requirements may vary by team and routine.
Competition Costumes & Stage Fee
Each competition routine requires its own costume and may require specific tights and shoes.
Estimated costume costs:
- Novice: approximately $100–$200 per routine
- Advanced: approximately $100–$260 per routine
Competitive dancers do not pay a separate recital costume fee for their competition costumes; however, competition members are responsible for the $30 recital stage fee.
Competition Entry Fees
DDSGC generally attends four regional competitions each season, typically located within approximately 0–3 hours of Dubuque.
Estimated entry fees per dancer, per routine:
- Solo: $160–$220
- Duet/Trio: $65–$95
- Group: $60–$75
These are planning estimates. Actual fees are determined by each competition organization and may change from year to year.
Competition and event registration fees are non-refundable once submitted.
An athlete’s DDSGC account must be current before competition registrations and entry fees can be processed.
Studio Tuition
Please refer to the DDSGC Prices Page for current Competitive Dance Team tuition.
Team tuition is separate from competition entry fees, costumes, required equipment, travel expenses, and other team-related expenses unless specifically stated otherwise.
Solo Choreography
All competitive solos are choreographed during the summer.
Four weeks are designated for solo choreography. During this period, dancers generally meet with Miss Alicia twice each week for approximately eight 30-minute sessions.
Because choreography appointments are individually scheduled, missed sessions cannot ordinarily be made up. If necessary, dancers may arrange an approved appointment swap with another soloist in advance.
Competition Entry Fee Payment Schedule
Competition organizations increasingly require studios to submit registrations and payments well in advance. DDSGC must therefore collect competition entry fees according to an established schedule.
Your DDSGC account balance must be current before competition fees can be processed.
Competition Balances
Competition 1
Balance due: September 15
Final payment deadline: October 1
Competition 2
Balance due: October 15
Final payment deadline: November 1
Competition 3
Balance due: November 15
Final payment deadline: December 1
Competition 4
Balance due: December 15
Final payment deadline: January 1
Late competition payments may result in an additional $15 fee per dancer/per routine after the 15th of the month that is listed.
If required competition fees are not received by the applicable final deadline, the dancer may be unable to participate in that competition.
Important Team Commitment & Withdrawal Policy
Participation on the Dubuque Competitive Dance Team is a year-round commitment.
Our teams require extensive advance planning. Coaches are hired and retained, certifications are maintained, studio hours are reserved, choreography and team placements are established, and competition plans are made based upon the athletes committed to participate.
For this reason, written notice of a decision not to continue team participation for the upcoming team year must be received by DDSGC no later than March 1.
The March 1 deadline is a notice deadline for the upcoming team year; it does not end or alter the athlete’s commitment to the current team year. Team membership and tuition obligations continue through the completion of the current team session. The March 1 deadline allows DDSGC to appropriately plan staffing, scheduling, team placement, and training for the upcoming year.
If written notice is not received by March 1, the athlete will be considered committed to and automatically registered for the next team session/year, and the family’s financial commitment will remain in effect according to DDSGC team and registration policies.
Written notice must be submitted directly to DDSGC management by email or written communication. Telling a coach, athlete, another parent, or team member does not constitute official notice.
Team participation involves a significant commitment from our athletes, their families, and our coaching staff. We sincerely appreciate our families understanding that advance notice allows us to properly care for our dancers, maintain our coaching commitments, and provide the consistent, high-quality training our athletes deserve.
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