Rehearsals

The Middle School Dance Team is considered an after-school auxiliary program. All practices take place at our high school campus. Exact times and days to be confirmed for the 2025-2026 school year. 

Practice two times per week:

• Tuesdays 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
• Fridays 3:45 pm-5:30 pm

Team placement is determined on a year-to-year basis and is based on the total number of students at the time of tryouts. Level placement may be organized according to the sub-groups below:

• Claws - primarily composed of dancers who have had 2 years of prior training and whose skills are suited to perform routines within a similar technical base.
• Fangs - composed of dancers who have had 3 or more years of prior training, whose skills allow them to learn at a fast pace and perform technically advanced choreography. Fang dancers attend the competition and should expect to have additional choreography practices during October-January. 

Over the season, the team will perform 2-3 full team routines (pom, jazz or hip hop) as well as perform two routines separately in their sub-groups (Claws/ Fangs). Additional routines may be added depending on each squad's progress and learning pace throughout the season.

Dancers are expected to attend all scheduled rehearsals and performances. Should a circumstance arise in which a dancer is unable to attend, they should notify their coach directly and immediately. 

Attendance at both team practice days is expected. Participation on the team is considered a year-round commitment. As this is a team activity, dancers may not opt in or out of practices and routines during the year. Students who are not able to attend all practices regularly throughout the school year are encouraged to take recreational recital dance classes instead. 
 

Absence Policy

Consistent attendance is required. Students with more than 3 total absences from rehearsals per semester, whether excused or unexcused, may result in the dancer’s removal from that routine for upcoming performances. These decisions are made in the team’s best interest and at the discretion of the coaches.

 

Dance Training

Team dancers are expected to maintain a high level of technical proficiency throughout the season. To keep up with the demands of challenging choreography, it is expected that dancers are consistently training outside of rehearsal time, which is primarily used for choreography. Additional dance classes are not included in the monthly team practice fees.

• Dance Team Turns/Leaps/Skills class is a required technique class for all team members. Dancers will be automatically enrolled in their assigned class and billed the monthly class tuition. 
• Supplemental classes in ballet, tumbling, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop are highly recommended for all team members.
   

Policies

The purpose of the performance team is to support the school and the greater Ensworth community through dance performance and to prepare dancers who seek to continue dancing at a higher level down the road. 
 
Attendance is crucial to the experience of the individual as well as the team culture as a whole. Repeated missed practices make it difficult for students to feel connected with the group, to keep up with choreography, and to know where they are in a formation. 

Casting for routines is determined by the Coach and/or Choreographer and is not negotiable. Team members are expected to be supportive of their teammates and their placement within a routine, including where they are placed in a formation. 

Important Dates

Choreography Boot Camp 

• Saturday, August 17 (10:00 am-3:00 pm)

Football Performances

• Tentative - September 19 - 1 Friday night home football game performance

Basketball Performances

• Dates TBA - typically January/February

School Assembly

• Fall 
• Winter 
• Spring 2026 - Red Gables Dance Assembly

Ensworth Dance Concert & Tech Week

• April 13-April 16, 2026, with performances on Friday, the 17th, and Saturday, the 18th
• Dancers are required to attend all rehearsals during show week, including Saturday, April 11, 2026.

Competition (FANG team dancers):  

• DTU Nashville Regional
  October 25, 2025, in Nashville, TN *official date yet to be finalized
• DTU Tennessee State Competition
  December 6, 2025, in Nashville, TN *official date yet to be finalized
• NDA Alabama Regional 
  January 10, 2026, in Birmingham, AL
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Additional Information

• Candidates should fill out the Pre-Registration Form by Monday, May 12. 
• Monthly Team Dues are $215 per month for 10 months (August-May)
• $200 Dancewear fee to be billed in August to your JackRabbit Dance account.
• Costume fees are charged per costume for select performances. 
• Competition fees vary from $50-$75 per event, plus any travel expenses, and are required a month prior to each event.