Jazz Team Clinic will be held Monday, August 3rd and Wednesday, August 5th from 5:30-7pm.

Hip Hop Team Clinic will be held Monday, August 3rd and Wednesday, August 5th from 7-8pm.

We are sorry, clinic is closed to parents. We ask that you please drop your child off and return at the end to pick them up. Thank you!

Hip Hop Team Tryouts will be held on Saturday, August 8th. Check in will begin at 9:15 am. Miss Kelley will pray with parents and students at 9:30. After this, parents will be dismissed and tryouts will begin promptly at 9:45am. (Parents are not permitted to stay in the building during tryouts).

You will receive a text when your child is finished with hip hop tryouts. Please pick them up promptly. The studio will be closed to parents and students after hip hop tryouts until doors open again for jazz tryouts at 1:15. We feel it is in your dancer's best interest if they are able to go home, eat a light lunch and rest before returning for their next tryout.

Jazz Team Tryouts will be held on Saturday, August 8th. Check in will begin at 1:15. Miss Kelley will pray with students and parents at 1:45. Again, parents will be dismissed immediately after prayer, and jazz tryouts will begin promptly at 2pm.

You will receive a text when your dancer is finished with jazz team tryouts and ready for pick up.

If trying out for EITHER hip hop or jazz teams, please be available for our “Choreography Weekend” August 21st - 23rd, during which the girls will learn their entire routine(s) from guest choreographers.

Those trying out for jazz team must be the age of 6 by December 1st.

If trying out for jazz teams, you must take ballet in addition to jazz technique (or leaps and turns) during our 6 week summer course.

In addition to a routine learned at clinic, those auditioning for jazz team should be prepared for the following skills:

Ages 6-8:
Left and right splits
Battements
Alternating chasses
Single pirouette
Chaine turns
Pique turns
Right leap
Fan kick

Bonus: Heel extension or double pirouette

Ages 9-12:
Left and right splits
Battements
Double pirouette
Double pique turn
Right leap
Middle leap
Calypso

Bonus: Triple pirouette or disc/renverse

Ages 13 and Up:
Left and right splits
Battements
Triple Pirouette
Calypso
Disc
Right Leap
Middle Leap
Two 8 counts of turns in second

Bonus: Quadruple pirouette or reverse leap/switch leap

*Please note: the age groupings of tryouts are subject to change slightly from year to year, as they have done in the past, in order to accommodate the changing amount of students and ages of those students trying out. However, as always stated - your child is not trying out for any specific team dependent on their age. The team they make is dependent upon their score only, not their age. A student in the 9-12 age range for example, can make any team from petites to seniors.

Those trying out for hip hop team must be 9 years old by December 1st.

Hip hop try outs do not require technical abilities, only the performance learned at clinic.

Bonus: headspring, kip-up, or tumbling pass

*Please note: the age groupings of tryouts are subject to change slightly from year to year, as they have done in the past, in order to accommodate the changing amount of students and ages of those students trying out. However, as always stated - your child is not trying out for any specific team dependent on their age. The team they make is dependent upon their score only, not their age. For example, someone in the 9-12 age range could make any hip hop team, from intermediate to senior.

Jazz - All students must have their hair in a bun, solid black leotards, tights and jazz shoes.

Hip Hop - Students may wear solid black joggers, shorts, etc. over their leotard for hip hop tryouts with sneakers. Hair may be in a ponytail.

There will be a $25 fee per dancer per audition charged to your account.

There will be a mandatory parent meeting for those who made team on Monday, August 10th at 6:30pm that will go into the team contract in more detail.

There will NOT be an optional informational meeting held this year. However, we are ALWAYS more than happy to answer your questions! If you cannot find your questions answered here on the tryout page or “more info” page, you are more than welcome to give us a call! We would be happy to talk with you at length regarding any questions you may have.

Parents will not be invited into clinic to video the routine nor will it be livestreamed, but you may download a video as well as the edited music on our website at misskelleys.com/tryoutmusic. This will be available beginning the morning after the first night of clinic (to allow for any changes after the first night of instruction) so that you may practice at home.

While private lessons are certainly not required, many students like to do them. Private lessons are set up with instructors directly and are $50 an hour.

• Please remember that many of our teachers work full time jobs, or more than one job. We recommend booking private lessons in advance, but don't panic if a few teachers are fully booked. We have 20+ teachers on staff to reach out to. You can also try booking group privates with friends if limited studio time is available, or rent a studio and work with an older team member if you can't find a time to work with a certain teacher.

Studio rentals are always available for just $20 an hour. We have many people to take advantage of this opportunity during tryout weeks. Please email alyssa@misskelleys.com if you wish to rent a studio.

Results will be posted the evening of tryouts to misskelleys.com/tryouts.

There is no need to memorize your tryout numbers. These are for judges’ purposes only. Names will be included on the results page at the end of the day.

Note - an error message will appear until this page is made public. Just refresh!

The girls that make team have started a tradition of going to get a treat after results are posted. We want to make sure everyone is aware that they can join at Bendy’s in Trussville!

At Bendy’s, we will also be distributing yard signs if you would like to continue your celebration at home! If you make team and take a sign in your yard, please return the sign either the following Monday at the mandatory parent meeting, or the first week of dance if you would like to celebrate a little longer!

Signs are numbered and a $25 fee will be applied for any signs not returned.

Yes! We would hate for an only temporary injury to cause your child to miss out on a year's worth of growth and fun on team. We have done video auditions for decades! In order to be allowed a video audition, you must provide a doctor's excuse. Other extenuating circumstances may also be permissible. (For example, we once had sisters who lived out of state tryout via video before moving to Trussville).

Please know, video tryouts are not necessarily "easier” as one might assume. We have had video tryouts to make a team, and not make team.

Thank you for participating in our auditions! We would like to take a moment to explain how tryouts work. We bring in outside judges in order to be fair and impartial. Should a judge know a dancer, they will recuse themselves. Judges scores are based on technique, flexibility, showmanship, musicality, appearance, execution of the choreography, etc.

Students try out grouped by age. However, this doesn’t mean this is how our teams will be grouped. Someone in the 9-12 age range for example could make any team from petite to seniors. Team placement is based on scores and the natural breaks among the scores. For example, if the average of scores were to read: 96, 96, 96, 96, 96, 95, 95, 95, 95, 94, 94, 93, 93, 92, 92... but then suddenly drop to 83, this is where a natural break occurs and how we select a team. Please know out of fairness, we cannot override the scores given by the judges. Whichever team your child makes is a final decision based on score alone. We are sorry, but we do not give out judge’s score sheets.

We would like to say that we feel every child here is a wonderful dancer, and given a different day, the results may be different! Please remember that every audition your dancer goes through, whether it be here or cheerleading, danceline, Colorguard, theatre, etc - you can always learn something to help with your next audition! We sincerely regret not every child today will make out teams. Our teachers would truly love it if each child could be on team!

If your child does not make any team, please know it is not a reflection on your dancer’s potential. The very best dancers can have an off day! We ask that if your child does not make it, please remember they will feed of your own reactions to the results. While dealing with a heartbroken child is so hard, it is important to demonstrate grace. Take the opportunity to instill a strong work ethic, teach them about growth and determination, and motivate them to try again! We’ve had many students to not make it more than one year in a row, but keep working hard and eventually make team! Do not let your child be discouraged from participating in dance. Dealing with disappointment and trying harder is a valuable life lesson and will apply to so many things throughout their life. Please set an example of good attitude and perseverance for your child!

Please note that Miss Kelley’s staff will not be taking phone calls or texts after results are posted if your child did not make a team, however - the following week someone will be in touch with the judge’s input concerning your child. Please remember, this is a decision made by the scores of outside judges and not Miss Kelley or her staff.