Inspire Dance Company

Dancers who are at least four years old and no older than 19 years old by January 1 of the upcoming dance season may audition for Inspire Dance Company. All dancers who are accepted onto the dance company will be placed on one of five leveled company teams based on their age, experience and ability level. Most Inspire team members will also dance in a Production number together.

Dancers with prior competition team experience who are between 11-18 years old can audition for our Hip Hop and Contemporary teams. Our Jazz team is invitation-based, selected according to a dancer’s audition scores, prior experience, and ability level. Dancers who are placed on any of these teams will compete with one dance for each Special Team they are on, in addition to their other group dances.

CONVENTIONS AND WORKSHOPS

In addition to competitions, our team also attends conventions where dancers get the opportunity to take class in a variety of styles from nationally-renowned instructors.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Each year, we have many dancers who are awarded scholarships to dance in New York, Hollywood, and various other locations due to their hard work and talent!

COMMUNITY PERFORMANCES

The team often performs in community events such as the Northeastern State University Lights On ceremony, NSU Pom Showcase and the Red Fern Festival.

SOLOS, DUOS, TRIOS

Returning team members who demonstrate a great attitude, work ethic and commitment may be rewarded with a solo, duo, and/or trio.

AUDITION SCHEDULE

Auditions for the 2025-2026 season will take place on May 10, 2025.

AGE REQUIREMENTS

Dancer must be 4 years old and no older than 19 years old on or before January 1st of the upcoming dance season in order to audition.

EXPERIENCE

Competition team experience is not required, but dance experience is strongly encouraged.

SKILLS

Above all, we value hard work, commitment, grit, and a great attitude. We also look for dancers that are able to pick up choreography quickly under pressure and who have excellent performance quality. Below are potential skills we are looking for when assessing dancers. Team placement is based on a combination of work ethic, ability, and age.

NOVICE	INTERMEDIATE 1	INTERMEDIATE 2	ADVANCED
Single jazz turn	Double jazz turn	Triple jazz turn	Quad jazz turn
Jete/leap	Center leap	A la seconde turns	Aerial/acro tricks
Chaine	Layout	Calypso	Fouette turns
Chasse	Illusion	Ring leap	Turning disc leap
Battement	Tilt kick and tilt jump	Heel stretch	Combo turn sequences

REQUIRED ATTIRE

Dancers should wear a black leotard that covers the torso, tan tights, and tan jazz shoes, with hair pulled securely away from the face.

Dancers auditioning for Tap should bring black lace up tap shoes. Dancers auditioning for Hip Hop should bring clean indoor-only sneakers, and may bring loose-fitting clothing to put on over their leotard and tights.

Dancers will be evaluated on their attire at auditions.

INFORMATION MEETING

Dancers and at least one parent must attend the Information Meeting which will take place within two weeks of auditions, typically on a Monday evening.

FUNDRAISERS

Competition dance can be an investment. We offer fundraising opportunities throughout the year so that you can provide your dancer with the unique and highly beneficial experiences of a competition team stress-free. Fundraisers are optional but encouraged.

SUMMER CLASSES

Dancers must meet dance training requirements during the summer session, and attend a competition team preparation camp which typically occurs during the last week of July for around 3-5 days.

FALL/SPRING CLASSES

Competition team members must enroll in weekly competition classes. Most dancers will have a 60-minute Production class, and all dancers will have a 45-60 minute company team class. Special teams members will have a 45-60 minute class for each special team they are on. All competition classes take place on Monday evenings.

Competition team members must also enroll in Ballet, Tap, and Jazz, and each company team has additional class requirements depending on the level.

COMPETITIONS AND CONVENTIONS

Competition team members will attend one convention in the fall, where they will take a variety of dance classes from nationally-renowned dance instructors, as well as three to four competitions in the spring. Conventions and competitions take place during weekends.

RECITAL

All Inspire Dance Company dances are performed at our annual recital in May, in addition to performing each of their recital class dances.

COMMUNITY PERFORMANCES

Inspire Dance Company performs in many community events in order to provide our dancers with performance exposure and confidence. Some examples of performance opportunities that we have had in the past include the NSU Lights On ceremony, NSU Pom Showcase, Greenwood Elementary School’s Family Fit Fun night, and the Red Fern Festival. We may participate in other community events as they become available to us.