A dance drill team is basically a group of people performing a dance routine based on precision dance patterns and movements. Usually carrying nothing, these teams seldom have props in usage to match field production numbers and carry out a routine. Performances range from being staged to recorded music or under special circumstances, live music due to the accompaniment of a marching band. Let’s Know What Are The Costs Of Being On A Dance Drill Team?
Dance team is hard. There are usually practices involved for four days out of five a week, spending three hours doing kicks and spins and whatever is in the routine that has to be learned. This brings up the implicit cost of time that is heavily required and spent in large amounts, that could have been used for other things like doing school work or starting something new or productive. It is intense, and one needs to realise how big of a commitment it’ll be.
There are many factors to be taken into consideration when laying out an explicit expenditure plan for being a part of a dance drill team.
Uniforms
The range for costumes that dance drill teams take up can range anywhere between $175 – $250 each costume if the attire is expensive. On average, cheap costumes might just end up being about 50 dollars or so. The costumes are usually designed to consider and keep in mind the conditions and settings dancers would work and dance under. Hence the flexible and elastic materials with breathable qualities raise up the cost bar. Of course, then comes in the factor of durability and pattern matching to keep the themes of the routines in check.
Travel
Under this factor, two kinds of costs come in. One is that of bus fares, the other kind— travel and hotel fares. Dance drill teams often take part in competitions that are out of the district or state boundaries of the institution the team is a part of. And the ones out of state boundaries are even costlier due to the involvement of train or air travel. Sometimes bus travels are free of costs as they are the main mode of transportation for dance drill team. But if this is not the case, the fees can range between 20 to 150 dollars.
For airfare and hotel stays, there is also the need for including costs of food. Considering all of it together, the costs might range between 200 to 500 dollars.
Competition Fees
Now, the most important factor of all, since this determines all the hard work that is put into being part of a dance team to begin with, is the fees required to pay for registering and being able to compete in the highly competitive competitions that a sport of this kind comprises. These costs are usually imposed on individual performers if not the entire act. It involves two kinds of costs— participation fee and food costs again. Smaller competitions like local high school or institutional ones usually charge entry fees ranging between 30 to 70 dollars per dancer.
Choreography Cost
Now, what is a dance team without a choreography piece to perform, right? Choreographies, involve a large variety of patterns, movements, outlines, meanings, flexibility requirements etc. On average, a choreographed piece can cost a dancer about 100 dollars, that too depending on the kind and type of choreography that is assigned for performance. Dance teachers sometimes charge differently based on their competence, experience and accomplishments as an instructor. The costs may also vary on the basis of the number of routines and, or pieces a dancer is contributing to.
Larger competitions like those held at regional or national level usually charge entry fees ranging between 100 to 120 dollars, sometimes even imposing an extra charge of 20-30 dollars as late fee along with asking for certain documents to confirm participation.
Dance lessons (if and when necessary)-
When it comes to dance, taking dance lessons can become a thing if prior experience in dance is not involved. This might require you to pay anywhere from 400 to 600 dollars for a 6-to-9-month period. If you are going to pay hourly depending on the school you can pay 15 to 45 dollars an hour.
Miscellaneous Costs
Dance teams include lots of unplanned or planned things beyond practice hours to keep the team members motivated and in tune with each other and maybe even strengthen the bond amongst each other. This all may involve a team dinner or team-building activities or victory after parties that add in some extra out-of-pocket charges. Such required activities and events, like camp, may add up and cost ranging up to 200 dollars per person.
Dance in educational institutions is to teach children an art. So, they can associate with others. And it’s a great ice breaker for boys and girls. Dancing is a great way of exercise as well, of course. If one is passionate about dance, dance drill teams are a great option to explore that interest.
Conclusion
The costs of being a part of dance drill team can range up to 800 to 900 dollars in total, added to that the implicit cost of the time on your hands.
FAQs
- How do I become flexible enough to dance?
You don’t have to be super flexible to dance (over splits, etc) but some level of flexibility is needed. For dance styles where high levels of flexibility aren’t necessary (for example, hip hop, breakdancing, tap) you can start off with just basic calf, quad and hamstring, building your way up if you like.
