Audition Information

Video Audition Due Date: Sunday, March 31^st, 2025 by the end of the day.

Send all required items to umainedanceteam@gmail.com AND cgwhite@maine.edu.

Eligibility

Candidates must be a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student enrolled full-time at the University of Maine.

All levels of experience are welcome to audition but dance experience is required. Not only are we looking for dancers with strong skills and technique, but also excellent performers who are eager to learn and display a positive attitude at all times. Do not assume that a weakness in any one area will automatically disqualify you as a team member.

Game Day vs. Game Day & Competition Team

Audition participants will elect to audition for our Game Day Team or Game Day & Competition Team.

All members selected for our 2025-2026 team will be a part of the Game Day team. The Game Day team will perform at all home football games, Marching Band events, and will attend weekday practices (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday). Game Day Team members will have the option to continue into our Winter Dance season and perform at men’s/women’s basketball games.

Members selected for our 2025-2026 team, who are selected for our Competition Team, will be required to attend all Game Day team practices/performances plus all additional competition practices throughout the year. The Competition Team will be required to continue into our Winter Dance season and perform at the men’s/women’s basketball games, as well as competition in April 2026.

Audition Process

Auditions are held over two rounds. Round 1 consists of submitting an audition video containing the required technical elements to be evaluated by the coaches and Marching Band Staff. Those advancing through Round 1 will then attend our Round 2 in-person auditions.

2025-2026 Audition Schedule

Wednesday, February 25th: Audition Registration Opens
Sunday, March 30th: Round 1 Qualifying Videos Due
Friday, April 4th: Round 1 Audition Video Results Sent
- Results may be sent earlier than April 4th, but should not be expected until April 5th
Sunday, May 4th: In-Person Auditions

Round 1 – Qualifying Video Information

All incoming freshmen, transfer students, and current University of Maine students looking to audition for the team must first submit a round 1 video. Members of the 2024-2025 season team do not need to complete this step but should register and return a Participant Agreement.

Video Audition Due Date: Sunday, March 30th, 2025 by the end of the day

Send all required items to umainedanceteam@gmail.com AND cgwhite@maine.edu.

Video Formatting Requirements:

All required turns must be completed in one take (please do not record each turn individually and splice them all together into one video). This is also required for the leaps, flexibility, and optional hip hop/tumbling elements.
Complete all required elements in the order they are listed below.
Please make sure all filming is done horizontally.
Please try to zoom in close enough for the adjudicators to see you clearly, but not so close you’re cut off on the screen.

On your video audition, please demonstrate the following:

Introduction
- A brief introduction of yourself which includes your first and last name, age, year you will be in school for the 2025-2026 season, city/location.
Technical Elements
- Game Day Team Technical Elements (all elements required)
  - Turns
    - Double Parallel Pirouette (right and left)
    - Double Coupe Turn (right and left)
  - Leaps
    - Sout De Chat/Grand Jeté Developpé (right and left)
    - Calypso/Turning Stag (right and left)
    - Center/A la Second/Straddle (right and left)
  - Flexibility
    - Right Split
    - Left Split
    - Center/Middle/Straddle Split
- Competition Team Technical Elements (all elements required)
  - Turns
    - Double Parallel Pirouette (right and left)
    - Double Coupe Turn (right and left)
    - Triple Parallel Pirouette (right)
    - A La Second: at least 2 full 8-counts/8 rotations (right)
  - Leaps
    - Sout De Chat/Grand Jeté Developpé (right and left)
    - Calypso/Turning Stag (right and left)
    - Center/A la Second/Straddle (right and left)
    - Chainé Straddle/Turning Disc (right and left)
  - Flexibility
    - Right Split
    - Left Split
    - Center/Middle/Straddle Split
- Hip Hop/Tumbling (all elements below are optional for all auditioning for all those auditioning, but considered a plus)
  - Headspring (Optional, but considered a plus)
  - Kip Up (Optional, but considered a plus)
  - Aerial (Optional, but considered a plus)
  - Any other tumbling you might have (Optional, but considered a plus)

Qualifying Video Submission Instructions:

Please submit your video via a Dropbox link, a Google Drive file or an unlisted YouTube link to umainedanceteam@gmail.com AND cgwhite@maine.edu.

WE MUST RECEIVE YOUR ROUND 1 VIDEO SUBMISSION AND AUDITION PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT NO LATER THAN SUNDAY, MARCH 30TH BY THE END OF THE DAY.

We will be accepting Round 1 Video Audition submissions through Sunday, March 31st. The adjudicators will be evaluating video submissions after March 30th, once all videos have been received. Upon review of all qualifying video submissions, a select group of dancers will be invited to our in-person auditions on Sunday, May 4th, 2025. Notifications of this decision will be emailed no later than Friday, April 4th.

Round 2 – In Person Audition

In person auditions are for dancers who have been invited after completing the Round 1 Qualifying Video or were a member of the 2023-2024 season team.

Date: Sunday, May 4th, 2025

Time: 9:00am-5:00pm

Location: Dance Studio in the Class of 1944 Building on University of Maine Campus

During Round 2 in-person auditions, you will be observed and evaluated by the coaches and Marching Band Staff.

Morning Session
- We will start with a warm-up and then continue with progressions across the floor consisting of kicks, leaps, and turns (not adjudicated, simply for warm-up). You will learn a sideline/pom combination and perform the combination in small groups in front of the coaches and Marching Band Staff. The first round of cuts will be posted after this session.
Afternoon Session
- We will start with a short warm-up, and then begin to learn a jazz/hip hop combination. In small groups you will perform the combination and required technical elements (listed above in Round 1 info) for the coaches and Marching Band Staff.

Round 2 Tentative Schedule

8:30-9:00am – Registration/Check In
9:00-9:45am – Warm Up
9:45-11:00am – Learn Sideline (Pom) Routine
11:00-11:45am – Perform Sideline Routine
11:45-12:15pm – Panel Review/Break
12:15pm – First Cut
12:15-12:30pm – Short Warm Up
12:30-1:30pm – Learn Jazz/Hip Hop Routine
1:30-2:30pm – Perform Individual Skill Requirements (listed above in Round 1 info)
2:30-3:30pm – Perform Jazz/Hip Hop Routine
3:30-4:30pm – Panel Review/Break
4:30pm – Announcement of the 2024-2025 University of Maine Dance Team
4:30-5:00pm – 2024-2025 University of Maine Dance Team Meeting

Unable to attend Round 2 Auditions In-Person? We highly encourage all invited candidates to attend our Round 2 auditions in person, but if you are unable to attend auditions, you may audition via video submission. If you are unable to audition in person on Saturday, April 28th, please contact the coaches for more information.

Thank you for your interest in the University of Maine Dance Team!

Questions can be sent to Coach Denise and Coach Brooke at umainedanceteam@gmail.com