What is a Performance Team?
The Dance Affinity Performance Teams are groups of students who have a passion for dance and performing. Throughout the year, students learn routines which they perform at dance competitions throughout the year in the Illawarra region.

Being part of a performance team will allow students the opportunity to develop:
• Teamwork skills
• Discipline
• Precision
• Confidence
• (and above all) A positive self esteem
As a member of a Performance Team, you will represent The Dance Affinity in the wider community, demonstrating the studio values and culture of which it prides itself on.

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How Can I Be Involved
For students who wish to be involved in a performance team, the main thing we require is their commitment & enthusiasm towards dancing, learning, cooperating and improving. The only class we require students in our performance teams to take part in is our Skills Training class. These classes focus on specific skill improvement such as kicks, turns and leaps as well as overall technique and flexibility. For further development, we highly encourage students to take part in a ballet class to create a solid grounding and foundation for all their dance work. Ballet can be thought of like vegetables, they’re generally not the most ‘enjoyable’ foods to eat, but they play a vital role in our overall health. Ballet is much these same. Our jazz and contemporary classes are also highly beneficial in developing the students own personal dance style as they can explore the various styles of movement in each genre.

Why is ballet not compulsory for Performance Team students?
At The Dance Affinity we recognise that not all students enjoy every style, therefore we will not force students to participate in a class they have no interest in. Studies show that learning is most beneficial when students have a positive association with the subject. A student is more inclined to fully apply themself to the learning process if they enjoy what they are studying,
therefore are more likely to improve in that area.  For this reason we do not make ballet compulsory, but again, we could not recommend it more highly for improving overall dance technique!

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What are the costs involved with Performance Teams?
Below are the costs involved in being in a performance team:

• Regular weekly class cost at same rate as all other Dance Affinity classes

• Costume per routine (to wear for all performances and keep afterwards) < $100

• Dance Affinity uniform jacket $85

• Performance Team levy $100 per season

• Performer entry ticket to some eisteddfods (up to $30 per competition - some have no fee)

How many performance opportunities will I get?
Each Performance Team will participate in 4-5 eisteddfods throughout the year in Term 1 and 2. All our competitions are local and within the Illawarra area to try and minimize the commitment of travel hours and cost. At the start of the year, a performance team schedule is sent out with a list of all the eisteddfods we intend the teams to perform at.

What happens if I can’t make a performance?
We expect students to be available for majority of performances but understand there may be circumstances that prevent them from performing eg. sickness, formal event, family holiday. Each time students are absent for a performance, the team will rearrange positions to ensure the dance is still visually presentable. The student absent will then be reallocated their position for the next eisteddfod. We realise that senior students may have a part-time job they work on a weekend however a work shift will not be a reasonable excuse to miss an eisteddfod. By committing to a Performance Team, you are committing to exactly that, a team, and we expect you will uphold and respect your position as a team member when making these decisions.

Which Performance Team would I be in?
Students will be allocated into their age group. Participation in performance teams will be by selected by Teagan based on a students dance ability, learning skills and overall class commitment. If we feel a student is not of the ability to participate in a Performance Team, we may recommended that a student participates in an additional weekly class to improve their technique. We are dedicated to ensuring we can help all dancers reach their goal of meeting the team’s entry level. This is done to ensure the student does not stand out on stage for the wrong reasons and so the team can all work together in the same standard.

Can I be involved in more than one performance team age group?
Yes, you sure can! Being involved in more than one group will mean extra routines, an extra weekly class and additional costume purchases, but double the FUN and performance opportunities. It gives students the chance to work with the older age group in a more challenging environment with more difficult choreography and a more mature demographic of students. We find these are a fantastic way for dedicated students to accelerate their growth and feed their passion for dance. Dancers must first participate in their own age group, and where their ability allows, Teagan will assess if their suitability of that. 

Additional details
We sometimes combine performance teams to learn additional routines where larger numbers on stage is preferable eg – Musical Theatre & Hip Hop. We also have a separate performance team for the genre of tap. This is separate to our regular performance teams.