EASTSIDE TEAMS

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Our teams are built on more than just strong technique.  We value dedication, teamwork, and a love for dance.  Our focus is on the joy of dance and growing dancers with skills that can take them beyond the dance floor.

Eastside team dancers are expected to represent our studio with positivity, commitment, and respect. 

We foster a drama-free environment and thank our team family to helping us continue to create a drama free studio including our team program.

Being part of our team means embracing our philosophy: and supporting that dance teaches not only movement, but it is about growth, life skills, confidence, resilience, responsibility, and grace on and off the stage. 

Audition results are sent out by the end of June.

For dancers who aspire to join the team: we understand the disappointment that can come with not being selected. Please know that we truly value every dancer in our studio. Whether you take one class a week or ten, you are an important part of the Eastside family, and we are deeply grateful for every dancer who walks through our doors.

For those who are accepted on the team: you will receive a full packet with detailed information about our team program.  Below is a little bit of details on our program.

At Eastside, our competitive team is typically divided into three (sometimes four) groups. These groups serve as the foundation for dancers' weekly classes.

Team names such as Pink, Purple, Teal, Magenta, and Res are used to organize our schedule. They do not reflect a specific age, grade, or skill level.

While there is a natural age progression to our teams, the starting and ending ages within each group can vary from year to year depending on the dancers currently in the program. This means the age range for each color group is not fixed, and the colors shift from year to year with the dancers. Dancers stay in the same color group for multiple years.  Not because they aren’t progressing, but because the color is used more as a scheduling tool than a measurement of advancement.

We like to share this because sometimes dancers or families assume staying in the same color means a lack of growth. In reality, dancers continue to grow each season through their technique, artistry, and performance opportunities. Each year, our staff adjusts the skills being taught and the pace of instruction based on the specific group of dancers in the classroom—not the color label of the class. The color helps organize the week, but the instruction is always tailored to fit the dancers in the room.

One of the great things about our program is that dancers will compete in tap, jazz, and an additional group(s) each year. These additional groups and the genres may change from year to year.  These groupings may reflect a dancer’s strength, or they may be used to help target areas of needed growth. These decisions are evaluated each season, allowing for flexibility based on the unique strengths and needs of the dancers on the team for that season. 

Additionally, all team dancers will come together to perform in our recital opening number.

As dancers grow, their training and performance opportunities naturally evolve. Our oldest team requires the highest level of commitment, more weekly hours, additional routines, and special opportunities like additional stage time in our opening number and graduating seniors having featured roles in our opening number.

We understand that many dancers wonder. . . 

“When will I be placed in the oldest team?”
For dancers who are committed to continuing in the team program, this transition typically happens by the time they enter high school.

Sometimes the transition happens earlier. However, we encourage dancers not to fixate on when that move will happen and instead view high school as the expected timeline. If by high school, a dancer is not yet meeting the skills or expectations required to be on the team, they may be guided toward our recital-based program, where they can continue to enjoy dancing in a more relaxed setting.

This general timeline is shared to provide clarity for families who are thinking ahead. While every dancer’s path is different, knowing that this shift is expected by high school can help reduce stress and avoid disappointment each year. Again, this transition will happen at different times, but this is a general guide.  We encourage all dancers to be proud of where they are now, stay focused on their current group, and trust the process.

For all dancers accepted onto the team, it’s important to remember that competition is just one day. While we are incredibly proud of our dancers’ accomplishments, we believe the value of dance goes far beyond placements or trophies. The outcome of a competition does not define a dancer. Their joy, growth, and dedication do.

At Eastside, we celebrate hard work, personal progress, and a love for performing. We want our dancers to feel proud not because of a medal, but because of their hard-work, commitment to the art of dance, the joy that they share with the audience, and the growth they have made throughout the dance season.

We look for families who embrace this philosophy. Those who find fulfillment in the journey and joy of dance.