You Got Cut~~Now What?

This blog is for no one in particular but that girl that has tried out for her number one and did not make it to that next round! 

 

You went to your audition and you believed you had the sun shining in your corner and then:

• They don't call your number
• They don't post your number on the board
• The director cuts you from bootcamp

It happens time and time again.  This could be your 2nd or 3rd time trying and you just can't seem to nail it.  What are you doing wrong? Should you tryout again? Or should you set your sights upon another team goal?

There are many ways to turning this positive into a negative.  I mean let's face the facts; this may not be the year you are meant to be on that squad so prepare for next season or tryout for another team altogether.

The best of the best NBA and NFL dance pros have gotten cut at some point in their lives at something.  Some of the pros that you see cheering and dancing at a game have auditioned more then once for that team.  It's about determination, persistence and training.

It's a hard pill to swallow when you are not what they are looking for. It can be a dagger to the heart and a self-esteem pincher but with that said it can also be an enlightenment factor to step up your personal game.  Accept it as a challenge that you will make that team. 

We encourage and advise you all to not give up.  Take a day to wash your wounds and lay in bed with a gallon of ice cream but ONLY a day.  The next day make a timeline, set goals, start planning.  Get into dance classes.  If the team is more technical or that was the part of the audition that you struggled with; take technique classes or if the team is funky and your hip hop is a little weak, take hip hop classes.  If you have trouble with your stage presence and you are stage and camera shy; take some improv or acting classes.  Dance for a local dance team or company to learn about and conquer performance pressure and structure!  Find out if you can assist or intern with a high school dance team coach to gain experience in picking up choreography and understanding the dynamics of being a part of a team.  You may need to get a personal trainer or a new stylist or look!!!

If you got cut, the reasons could be millions on top of millions.  The fact of the matter is, is that you must be appealing to all the judges on the panel and to the director.  You have to catch the eye of a variety of people.

So you got cut~~~now what?

It's time to step your game up, channel that athlete in you and show up to the next game even though you lost this one.  If this is what you really want; go for it with all that you have.

It will pay off!

XOXO
Arena Dance Pros

***Our Clients Make ALL of their teams***

Okay let's be real...

Many people ask us "What is your percentage on girls that make their teams vs girls that don't?" or
"Is it true that all of your clients make their teams? It sure seems like it."

Honestly?  We have a 97% success rate.  Out of the 25-30 clients that we have had in the past 2/3 years; only one did not make it...

Why?  What happened?  How can only 1 fall between the cracks?

And this has inspired:

How To Properly Use Arena Dance Pros

Many girls that hire us are not "virgin" hopefuls.  We do have a few that contact us without any audition experience at all (Which we love because we can mold).  For the most part, our clients are returning hopefuls.  (They have auditioned once, twice and sometimes up to four times for their respective team of choice)....then they decide to contact us or a consulting company like us.

The best way to utilize what we offer is to digest everything that we give you.  We don't have connections, hook-ups or insides to ANY of these teams.  However, we do come from a place of having danced on teams, choreographed, coached and judged for many of them.  Bottom line, we know or have a good grasp of what they could be looking for.

The rest is up to the client...We can only give the tools, they need to use them.  And we can't force them to take the tools.

Quite honestly, if a client hires us we highly encourage them to meet with us more then 3 times.  Having one session with us and then never seeing us again is not beneficial.  Our clients that are successful in their audition process are the ones that we see multiple times.  

One client we had, who made an NFL team, we had seen about 15 times for 3 hour sessions before the "prelims" (that is not even counting after the prelims to semi-finals to finals).  A client that we currently have sees us once a week and she has made two of her team choices for this upcoming season. 

The one client that did not make her team was on the West Coast and unfortunately we had spent one whole weekend with her.  It was honestly not enough time. 

For some, one may ask well how much time does a client need?  

It depends on how well she is trained, her confidence, her style, her appearance, her weight, her energy.  There are some where we need to completely transform them where there are some that we just need to fix what it is that the judge may not score high on.  

If we meet with a client and we tell her what she needs to work on, it is up to her to work on that and work on it proficiently.  If we tell a client she needs to tone up or loose weight or get into technique classes in between the time she sees us; then she NEEDS to do it. 

Currently we have an NFL client who is close to perfect.  We have met with her about 3 times and she has been a challenge to us because she is such the complete package that we are accentuating her "IT" factor even more. 

We, also, are very honest with our clients.  The key question for a client to ask is rarely asked. 

"Why did I get cut last season?"  We can assess how they are today and give them our opinion on why they got cut but we tell them the honest truth...

If they are overweight or underweight.  They could have no energy; no "stand out" appeal.  (Which is very important).  They may need to add extensions or get a better outfit.  It really varies.  

If a client does not inquire, we don't expand because some are not even prepared to hear that.  Or they are living in a fantasy world because if it were us; we'd want to know.  

Some clients that we get think they already know it all and that they don't need us; then why were we contacted? And why aren't you on a team?  For the most part though, in order to utilize our service in the correct way; it's all about, training, training, and more training.  You can't expect to go to a cooking class once and know all the gourmet meals and what to do for the rest of your life.  It takes practice, drilling and messing up a lot of times.  

So no...all of our clients do not make all of their teams.  We have just been drill sergeants to the ones that show us they really want it.  Fortunately, the majority of them do want it.  Will the ones that don't make their respective teams this season?  One could never really know.  

We don't guarantee that any of them will make the team but we do provide them with all that it takes and more to get to their ultimate goal.

So how do you use Arena Dance Pros?

1. Book, at least, 3 private sessions with us.  The first one is the initial assessment and getting her prepped.  
2. If we give you homework...DO IT. (Gym, classes, nutritional benefit, skin, learning the team)
3. She must go to every prep class offered.  
4. She must check in with us.  For example; do not purchase an outfit before consulting with us.
5. Really WANTING IT and WANTING TO WORK WITH US.

....we can't guarantee you will make your team but we will sure get you noticed!

XOXO
Arena Dance Pros

{What's The Difference?}

You have NBA/NFL vs. AFL/NBA-D League/UFL/NLL/AMNRL, etc....and so on and so on.....

So what's the freakin' difference????

They are all great leagues with some of the most talented dancers in the country.  We highly respect all the wishes of our clients.  If a client tells us "I want to audition for the Warrior Girls."  We proceed with her training for that respective team; however, we do encourage her (especially if she's a rookie) to also try for the other leagues.

We have clients that are auditioning for the NFL but whom are also auditioning for a few teams in the AFL, UFL, etc.  We highly encourage this for our newbies; only because it gives a girl great experience and time to prep for the NBA/NFL.   Is one better then the other? No.  The reason we say this is because every choreographer, director and team is different for every league.  You could audition for a very strong NBA-D League dance team that has a choreographer with NBA experience.  You may also audition for an NFL cheer team where the director does not have any arena choreography experience but the product is still grade A.

It's all about the research that you do.  These teams are auditioning for you as well as you for them.  Fortunately, there is so many out there to audition for.  We have a couple of clients that are auditioning for about 4-5 teams this NFL season plus the other leagues.

Please don't take the "snob" approach with this topic.  The only difference with all of these leagues is that:

1)NBA/NFL is where the money truly is. (not for you but you get our drift)~~~which is why the NFL may have a lockout.  You are talking  major investors, season ticket holders and regular revenue coming in on game day.  The athletes are treated differently and so are you.  It's a different caliber.  BUT if you are auditioning for these two leagues; it really helps to have experience on those other teams.  That will only boost your reputation, your experience and your knowledge to what it truly takes.

It's awesome for us dancers because it broadens our opportunities.  Dance Teams are busting out the seams in some of these smaller counties, towns and cities!  That makes it better for our experience.

Take advantage of it and learn as much as you can from each team, director, choreographer and franchise!  It will only make you better and more well rounded as a pro dancer!!!


XOXO
Arena Dance Pros

Keep It Consistent...

Prep Class Monologues

Ladies~~~Word of advice for this prep class madness that is so essential in your lives:

Keep It Consistent

What does this mean?

Simple.

The way you present yourself at a prep class is the way you should at the auditions.

We are speaking the neck up!

Of course, the outfit changes but do NOT go to prep class with short hair and then get a full length silky weave for the prelims....

Why?

You must, must, must keep it consistent.  What if the director/choreographer/judge liked you at the prep and you came back w/ a different look?  Would they recognize you?  Would they try to recognize you?  No.  Not with over 100 other girls in the same room.  

Now, would this totally ruin your chances? Not at all BUT it's best to maintain that same image until the day you are CHOSEN.  This is mainly for rookies.  They don't know you; all they know is your first impression which is....an important lasting one.

We advise our clients to be well versed on the dance team.  What is the overall look? How many have long hair as opposed to shoulder length...and if you have shoulder length you better WORK.  How many girls have curly over straight? blonde over burnette or red or highlighted? How many minorities are on the team? etc....that list goes on and on and on.  

The defining line is this~~~keeping your look consistent over the course of the experience is vital unless you are just that FIERCE.  (and don't listen to friends & family because they are bias).  What matters is the opinions of the pros and if you aren't fierce in their eyes; all you are going to be doing is dancing for your friends & family from your living room watching your fav team.  Sorry.  

One thing about ADP is that we keep it Funky.  (and not the literal sense)  We are very straight forward w/ our girls.  

Please keep your look consistent rookies!!! And don't hand in a headshot that doesn't look like you NOW!  All you will do is confuse the judges and director and make it harder on them...nine chances out of ten you will get tossed.

Think about it...

XOXO

Arena Dance Pros

Prep Class Anxiety

Panic is a sudden desertion of us, and a going over to the enemy of our imagination.  ~Christian Nevell Bovee

First & foremost, if you are planning to audition for a pro dance team, it is ESSENTIAL that you attend their prep classes.  It is ESSENTIAL that if the director or head choreographer is teaching somewhere that you attend her classes.  Which leads us to...

How do you handle the anxiety of a prep class?  How do you focus, have a great time & just do what you love?


It's a lot easier said then done.  Let's face it, it is a prep class but you are still being observed.  What you wear matters.  How you do your hair matters.  Your dance energy, execution and attitude MATTERS.


We decided to do this blog because tonight is the start to a few of our clients prep classes and anxiety levels are high.  We are going to give a few tips to get you through your experience.  


1) The prep class matters.  So please attend with the mindset of an audition.  


2) Bring light snacks with you.  (Blueberries, Almonds, Power Bars, Granola, Water, Gatorade)  Eat a light dinner before you attend.  Nothing too heavy; however, you must have something on your stomach.


3) Try to stand in the front two lines.  If the choreographer instructs you to switch lines.  SWITCH!!! DO NOT stubbornly stand there.


4) Try to relax. I know it's easier said then done but do your best to go in with a positive, calm way of thinking.  Remember have fun!!! Do not focus or compare yourself to the other girls.  


5) Smile.  Be friendly.  Who would want a miserable, expressionless girl on their team?

Having anxiety before and during a prep class is not unheard of.  We give our clients many counseling sessions with us prior to their prep classes (if needed) and advice on how to approach it.  Once again, we can't give away all of our tips here but these are the essentials.  

We don't want you to consciously treat it as a leisurely dance class; however,  in the same sentence, you must.  Already envision that you are on that team and you are in a rehearsal instead of a class.  Imagine the girls around you are your teammates.  Focus on the choreographer; not the girls dancing around you.  If you have a question, do NOT be afraid to ask.  Do NOT ask a girl next to you.  


On top of everything, have FUN!  Be excited! Smile a lot!  Have energy!


Secret Tip:  Have you ever come across a real shy, quiet girl that is an introvert and never has anything to say?  What are your perceptions of her?  Come on ladies, the first thing you think, WITHOUT ever having a conversation with her...she's a SNOB.  She's stuck up.  Arrogant.  When in fact, she is not!  BUT she doesn't smile, she stares straight ahead at times when focusing, she doesn't talk much if not at all.


Do not go to that prep class like that.  If that is your personality, dance team may not be for you or you need to get an adjustment session.  First impressions are lasting and if you have a personality like the one described above, that could potentially hurt you in an undeserving way.  Be open, friendly, energetic, smile & have fun!!!


With those attributes, you will be remembered!


XOXO
Arena Dance Pros


PS: if you want more, you need to hire us! *wink*