The Valdez Dance Company has been dancing in competitions in Anchorage for 15 years We attend two to three regional competitions every season and last year our Acro Team, Mini Company and Senior Company took the top spot. Our competitive team requires dancers to make a larger commitment to their dance training. Ballet and body placement classes become mandatory at the competition level. Dancers in competition usually spend more days & hours at the studio every week than our recreational dancers. We truly believe that becoming a competition dancer helps put students on a track for dance success and a faster pace of progress.



 

We begin each dance year with our four-day long Audition Camp. During the camp our teachers will observe each student in class and determine the appropriate group dance(s) for that individual student based on level and age. Dancers will turn in a tryout sheet in which they detail how many group dances they would like to be considered for, as well as what styles they would like to dance in. Once groups are posted on our website, competition dancers start to learn their new dances in the month of September, and they will continue to work on these routines until January.  After group routines are finished and clean, we spend the remaining months of the year working on style, technique, confidence and going over judges’ critiques from competitions.



 

Our competition dancers also attend conventions and workshops throughout the season, which give them a chance to take from some of the best choreographers in the industry. They can make connections and relationships with these teachers, which will give them a leg up in the dance industry after high school, if they wish to continue on to a dance career.  Our students are constantly challenged through new choreography, being taught proper dance technique and working on improvisational skills. Through this process they will gain a new appreciation and love for the art of dance.

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Company dancers have more performance opportunities in and around Valdez as well.  We do half-time basketball games, Christmas show, Apples and Donuts game and summer performances.