Step In Time Dance - Competitive Information

COMPETITIVE INFORMATION

Here at Step In Time we have 4 groups of competitive programming to accommodate different interest, skill and commitment levels. If you are interested in our award winning competitive program, please attend one of the following competitive evaluations for the 2025-2026 season! Please scroll all the way down for a master list of important dates for our current competitive dance teams.

COMPETITIVE PREP
Competitive Prep is a technique class that recreational dancers can take in addition to their regular mash-up or ballet class. This class is designed to introduce young dancers to foundational technique and skills required to participate in a competitive program in the future. Dancers must be selected for a competitive prep technique class by an instructor and can receive recommendations for this class during competitive auditions or during their regular class. Competitive prep dancers do not attend competitions as a group.
Dancers must have the following in order to participate in a competitive prep class:

At least one year of dance training

An ability to follow class structure with minimal distractions

An ability to receive and apply corrections

A positive attitude

Dancers in the competitive prep program can choose to audition for competitive programs in the spring and fall during evaluations.

LEVEL B COMPETITION TEAM
If your dancer is selected to be on a Level B Competition Team they are required to take 1 choreography class and 1 technique class per week. Acro and ballet are optional and are available at an added cost. Auditions for our Level B teams take place before the 2024-2025 season.

Choreography Team: Their choreography class is determined by which team they are placed on. Teams are chosen based on fit. After evaluations take place and teams are chosen, teams are final and will not change during the regular season. Level B teams will learn routines in jazz, lyrical/contemporary, tap, hip hop and possibly others. They will compete most but not all of their routines.

Technique Class: Technique class is determined by their skill level and may be different from their choreography class. Dancers can change technique levels throughout the season as recommended by an instructor. There are some small items that dancers will need for technique/ballet class (yoga block, a small ball, exercise/stretch bands-all of which can be found at the Dollarama).

Competitions: Level B Teams attend 2 competitions per season and compete 2-4 routines at each of these competitions. Fees for competition are extra and are not included in regular tuition fees.

Shoes: Level B dancers are required to have turning shoes, all white sneakers for hip hop and full tap shoes (not the shiny ones). They also may be required to get jazz shoes as determined by the instructor.

Attire: Dancers must wear form fitted clothing for all dance classes unless it's hip hop choreography. For ballet and technique hair must be in a secure bun (preferably with a hair net) and all required dance shoes. For choreography dancers may wear their hair in a pony tail instead of a bun but it must be up and off of their face.

Attendance: Attendance is monitored and dancers are expected to attend all classes unless absolutely necessary. An absence should be reported to the instructor. Excessive absence may result in removal from the team.

LEVEL A COMPETITION TEAMS

If your dancer is selected to be on a Level A Competition Team they are required to take 1 choreography class, 1 technique class, 1 ballet class and 1 acro class per week. Note: dancers aged 13+ can opt out of acro but there is no reduction in cost for removing acro. Auditions for our Level A teams take place before the 2024-2025 season.

Choreography Team: Their choreography class is determined by which team they are placed on. Teams are chosen based on fit. After evaluations take place and teams are chosen, teams are final and will not change during the regular season. Level A teams will learn routines in jazz, lyrical/contemporary, tap, hip hop and possibly more styles. They compete some routines at the first competition and the rest at the other two competitions.

Technique Class: Technique, ballet and acro classes are determined by their skill level and may be different from their choreography team. Dancers can change technique levels throughout the season as reccommended by an instructor. There are some small items that dancers will need for technique/ballet class (yoga block, a small ball, exercise/stretch bands-all of which can be found at the Dollarama).

Competitions: Level A Teams attend 3 competitions per season and compete 3-6 routines at each of these competitions. Fees for competition are extra and are not included in regular tuition fees.

Shoes: Level A dancers are required to have turning shoes, all white sneakers for hip hop and full tap shoes (not the shiny ones). They also may be required to get jazz shoes as determined by the instructor.

Attendance: Attendance is monitored and dancers are expected to attend all classes unless absolutely neccesary. Absences should be reported to the instructor. Excessive absence may result in removal from the team.

QUEENS BALLET

Dancers for Queens Ballet must be selected by an instructor. This team is for dancers who are focused on the discipline of ballet and will learn routines to compete at 2-3 competitions per season.

TRAVEL TEAMS

SELECTS: Selects dancers are chosen by instructors and are invited to participate in this program. There are no auditions for this team and dancers are selected based on their performance in class throughout the season. Selects team members can expect 6-7 competitions in the season and their routines can be any dance style. Select team members learn choreography at a faster pace than is typical for our competition teams. Selects dancers are required to also participate in a Level A or B competitive program with Step In Time.

KINGS CREW: Kings Crew dancers are selected by open audition. Kings Crew will compete at 6-7 competitions per season and will learn 3 routines in Hip Hop and Open categories. Kings Crew members are required to also participate in a Level A or B competitive program with Step In Time.

EVALUATIONS & COMPETITIVE TRYOUTS

It’s that time of year again where we look ahead in preparation for next season! Dancers who are on a competitive team currently and wish to dance again next season need to attend the competitive evaluations listed in the schedule below.

Some things to chat with your dancer about as they prepare for auditions

Remind them that dance is a marathon, not a sprint. They may want to do it all (extra teams, private lessons, extra routines, etc…) but we also want them to be well rounded, have friends and have a healthy balance of their mental and physical health as well. Everyone is different in what their drive is. It’s also important that families discuss the commitment level both for time and financially to ensure what you sign up for is do-able for your family.

We look for progress, not perfection. Absolutely no one is perfect. Your progress is going to look different than my progress and that’s okay. Progress takes time, dedication and commitment. Everyone learns and progresses at their own pace and while we are tempted to compare ourselves to others, it’s important to remember that we all have our strengths and some of us have to work harder than others to obtain the same goals. That is life and it’s an important lesson to learn at a young age. Development ebbs and flows and some years are rocket years and others are more stagnant. All of it is okay and it's important to focus on your personal growth rather than compare with others.

Set goals that YOU can control. You want to make a certain team? That is not a goal you can control. Teams are determined by instructors and you have no control over where you are placed. Set goals that you can obtain on your own. Struggle with turning? Set a goal to practice holding turn position in releve for 30 seconds each day. Struggle with flexibility? Work on stretching a little bit each day (after your muscles are warm- do not stretch cold muscles) at home and watch your flexibility improve. Struggle to pick up and retain choreography? Watch dance show videos and try to learn other people’s routines so you can work on picking it up a little quicker. Get frustrated learning things that don’t come naturally? Come up with some strategies and things you can remind yourself of to help with emotional regulation. These are things you can control and are way more valuable to you as a dancer.

You may not be on a team with your friends. This is by far the most difficult part of this process for us as instructors. We do not enjoy separating friends. We know their confidence is fragile. At the end of the day, we need to make sure that dancers are placed on teams where they best fit so their confidence doesn’t suffer in the long run. The main reason we can’t always put friends on the same team is that not all people learn at the same pace. If we place a dancer in our competitive program and they aren’t ready they will end up frustrated in class. If we move a dancer from Level B to Level A and the choreography pace is quicker, they will end up frustrated. A challenge is good, but constant struggle is not good and hinders their development. It also slows down the class for dancers who are ready to move on and creates some tension amongst the group if they feel someone isn't keeping up. I have also found that if dancers are placed in a level that is too challenging, their development can sometimes get missed because I can’t stop the class to go over foundational things that still need work. This is why it’s important to make sure that dancers are placed with other dancers who have similar skill or learning pace so they don’t fall through the cracks. It has less to do with age and more to do with where you fit best. Dancing with new people is an excellent opportunity to make new friends and connections you might not have otherwise made! :)

It’s okay for kids to feel frustrated, nervous or have fear of the unknown. These feelings are natural and are a part of the process. As we head into a new season, I know we as instructors also feel that way. It’s a little awkward in the beginning as we navigate new dynamics with new groups of kids but by the end of season the kids look great, have fun and create bonds and memories that are lasting. Trust the process.

With all that said, dancers will need form-fitted clothing (preferably black) and all of their dance shoes for evaluations. Hair should be up and out of the face. Some dancers will come once and others will come twice (depending on age). Please see below for schedule: