All-Around Solo Program!
Questions and Answers

Welcome to the All-Around Solo Program in America On Stage!

We are so excited about this new program and hope it will serve you and your studio in making each dancer as great as possible as well as providing you with as much material to use as we can. We also hope it will make each competition as fun and fulfilling as can be.

Read on below and click on the appropriate link to go to the subject which you would like more information.

Table of Contents

What are the All-Around Solos?
What are the purposes of the All-Around Solo?
How long are the All-Around Solos?
How do I earn a 1^st place?
How many All-Around Solos are there?
What is the focus of each All-Around Solo?
Who makes up the All-Around Solo?
What is the best way to teach the All-Around Solos in class?
How much does it cost to do an All-Around Solo?
How are All-Around Solos competed on stage?
What is each All-Around Solo judged on?
What level should I compete in All-Around Solos?
Can I compete in another level of Solos?
When do I move up to the next level?
What level should I compete at if I will 1^st place in one solo, but not the other?
How do All-Around Solos make each competition more exciting and more fulfilling?
Will the All-Around Solos change every year?
Where do I get the All-Around Solo information?
How do I use the DVD and CD?
Who do I contact if I have questions?
Contact Solo Committee

What are the All-Around Solos ?    return to Table of Contents.

All-Around Solos are similar to Freestyle and A Cappella in that dancers compete individually, but each solo is pre-choreographed by America On Stage Staff and everyone in each level does the same solo on stage. Each Solo focuses heavily on a certain area of clogging and power tap.  There are 5 different solos:

·        Line: Focuses on Arms, Heads and Hands motions with steps

·        Show: Focuses on Energy, Showmanship, Jazz, and Hip Hop set to a themed  piece of music

·        Traditional:  Focuses on Bi-footed clogging with Clean and Clear Sounds

·        Percussion:  Focuses on Rhythm and Sounds using beats and syncopated steps

·        Challenge:  Focuses on the hardest steps of the specific level and moving in to the easy steps for the next level.

All-Around Solos are much less expensive giving each person the chance to compete as many times as possible at a competition.

Each of our 6 levels (novice, beginning, intermediate, advanced, championship, pro) has 5 All-Around Solos, so all can compete and improve at the level they currently are. There are a total of 30 All-Around Solos – (5 in each of the 6 levels.)

What are the purposes of the All-Around Solo?    return to Table of Contents.

All-Around Solos focus on a specific part of clogging and power tap. By focusing, hopefully, we can all improve on individual aspects, and make us better “all-around” dancers. All-Around Solos also provide choreography to dancers (and directors) who may be unsure of what to do in freestyle, and want to compete. All-Around Solos also are much less expensive ($8-$12 depending on competition – same cost as freestyle - and you may compete as many All-Around solos as you want) and so each dancer can compete more times at competitions without much more cost or time spent by directors. Parents will enjoy All-Around Solos as well because it gives them more of an opportunity to see their child perform.

How long are the All-Around Solos?    return to Table of Contents.

Each All-Around Solo is 32 counts long and has an 8 count interlude to change dancers.

How do I earn a 1st place?    return to Table of Contents.

Solos are judged on three specific things
1) Knowledge – Dancers should compete the solos exactly as it is taught including all steps, angles, arms, timing, and sound. Mistakes deemed big enough are scored as a 2^nd or 3^rd place.
2) Dance Ability – Energy, high legs, endurance, smooth transitions, and all dance abilities are judged.
3) Showmanship – Smiling, eye contact, look of confidence, and all showmanship abilities are judged.

Any incompletion in these areas are cause for a 2^nd or 3^rd place.

What is the focus of each All-Around Solo?    return to Table of Contents.

·        Line: Focuses on Arms, Heads and Hands motions with steps

·        Show: Focuses on Energy, Showmanship, Jazz, and Hip Hop set to a themed  piece of music

·        Traditional:  Focuses on Bi-footed clogging with Clean and Clear Sounds

·        Percussion:  Focuses on Rhythm and Sounds using beats and syncopated steps

·        Challenge:  Focuses on the hardest steps of the specific level and moving in to the easy steps for the next level.

Who makes up the All-Around Solo?    return to Table of Contents.

Each All-Around Solo is choreographed by the All-Around Solo committee. This committee consists of world-class dancers who determine which steps are in each level. The All-Around Solo is then recorded and made available on DVD and CD. All parts of the All-Around Solo are mandatory and must be completed without any changes or additions. Dancers are judged on their ability to compete the entire All-Around Solo.
The committee includes: Jenny Powers (Co-Chair), Bethany Hulse (Co-Chair), Ayrion Adams, Scotty Bilz, Jessica Dawes, Lindsey Greenwood, Missy Maughan, Misty Peterson, & Maria Tucker.

Where do I get the All-Around Solo information?    return to Table of Contents.

What is the best way to teach the All-Around Solos in class?    return to Table of Contents.

We suggest three options:

1.      Private Workshop. Call the Solo Committee and ask to set up a workshop for your studio/teams. Workshops usually cost just $10 dancer and require a minimum of 20 dancers.  Members of the Solo committee will come to your studio, teach the solos to each level, run a mock competition, and assist you with any questions. You can then follow up in class reviewing and polishing each solo. Instructors who have a private workshops will receive a solo DVD and Music CD free.
Contact the America On Stage Solo Committee for workshops and any questions!
 Jennifer Powers - jennyp@americaonstage.org
 Bethany Hulse - bethanyh@americaonstage.org
 Ayrion Adams - ayriona@americaonstage.org
 Scotty Bilz - scottyb@americaonstage.org
 Jessica & Sierra Dawes - jessicad@americasonstage.org
 Lindsey Greenwood  - lindseyg@americaonstage.org
 Missy Maughan - missym@americaonstage.org
 Maria Tucker- mariat@americaonstage.org

2.      Come to Autumnfest Solo and Duets competition in November! Solos are taught and competed that very day! Compete your All-Around Solos, freestyle, A Cappella, Duets, and Short Duets without any pressure from teams. Come see this new and exciting style of competition!
 

3.      Self teach: Learn the solos off the DVD yourself and teach them to your class. You are welcome to contact any members of the Solo committee and have them come for help or polishing.

While there is no one way, it is suggested to use the All-Around Solos in class like you would teach another dance to your students. Teach them all the solos and each week go through them. This gives each person five choreographed numbers to compete along with all their team dances and any individual or duets. By teaching the All-Around Solos, each individual will be able to compete many times at competition.

What is each All-Around Solo judged on?    return to Table of Contents.

Each solo is judged heavily based on its focus, but is also judged on – knowing all the steps and movements, facing the correct directions, high energy, clear sounds, smiling, eye contact, and other performing traits. Each dancer is scored either a 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd place.

How much does it cost to do an All-Around Solo?    return to Table of Contents.

Each All-Around Solo costs just the price of a freestyle ($8-$15) to compete. Dancers may compete as many All-Around Solos as they want. This should allow dancer to compete as many dances as possible without additional significant cost.

How do All-Around Solos make each competition more exciting and more fulfilling?    return to ToC

It is the hope at America On Stage that dancers will compete two team dances (or more), Freestyle, A Cappella, Short Duet, Duet, and All-Around Solos at each competition. Since there is not always time to learn so many events in a year, we hope that the addition of five pre-choreographed All-Around Solos will give every dancer the chance to compete all their team dances and be able to compete two more times in All-Around Solos without significant time required, thus making each person’s competition experience more enjoyable with the chance to compete as many times as possible.

What level should I compete in All-Around Solos?    return to Table of Contents.

Dancers should compete in the level they currently compete in freestyle. If dancers currently are not competing freestyle, they should use the level of their team. If they don’t have a team, use the following as a guide – 1^st year competing = Novice, 2^nd year competing = Beginning, 3^rd year competing = Intermediate. All other levels above that should be chosen after winning in lower levels.

Can I compete in another level of Solos?

No. Dancers must compete in the level they are currently qualified in and then qualify to compete in higher levels. Each dancer may compete ONLY the solos in their level at any competition. Dancers must win 1^st in the level they are competing at twice before they can compete in the next level.

When do I move up to the next level?    return to Table of Contents.

Dancers must win 1^st place twice in a level before moving up. Dancers may move up in the middle of a competition year or may remain in the same level throughout the year. (i.e. an intermediate dancer competes and wins 1^st place twice at two regional competitions. They may still compete intermediate at any other competition including Nationals in that same calendar year. They must move up to the next level the following competition year after having won 1^st place twice in a particular solo.

What level should I compete at if I win 1^st place twice in one solo, but not the other?    return to ToC.

If a dancer wins 1^st place twice in one solo and not in the second solo, and wants to compete at the next level, they should compete the solo they won 1^st place in the higher level and the other solo in the lower level. Dancers can not move up to the next solo level without winning 1^st place twice in that solo.  Many dancers will be in one level for one solo and another level for another solo.

How are All-Around Solos competed on stage?    return to Table of Contents.

Novice-Advanced Levels
All-Around Solos are competed with 4 dancers on stage at the same time being watched by two judges. Each judge will watch two dancers only and will score both dancers. Two lines of dancers will be located behind the competing dancers and as each dancer finishes the All-Around Solo, they will exit and 4 more dancers will take their place. The song repeats the same 32 counts with an 8 count interlude for changing. Dancers need to change places in those 8 counts. Thus it is a repeating continuous event. Like A Cappella, dancers will be scored in age divisions with male and female dancers competing together.

Champ-Pro Levels
All-Around Solos are competed with 2 dancers on stage at the same time being watched by four judges (two for each dancer). Each dancer will get a score from the judge and their scores will be averaged. Two lines of dancers will be located behind the competing dancers and as each dancer finishes the All-Around Solo, they will exit and 4 more dancers will take their place. The song repeats the same 32 counts with an 8 count interlude for changing. Dancers need to change places in those 8 counts. Thus it is a repeating continuous event. Championship will receive multiple awards, Pro will receive single awards (one 1^st, one 2^nd, one 3^rd, one 4thm one 5^th per age division.) Like A Cappella, dancers will be scored in age divisions with male and female dancers competing together.

How many All-Around Solos are there?    return to Table of Contents.

We are introducing three more – Percussion, Traditional, Challenge - in addition to the two last year – Line and Show.

Will the All-Around Solos change every year?    return to Table of Contents.

The committee will decide which solos will change and which, if any, will stay the same. Usually, there will be a change of 2-3 Solos each year. Watch the DVD to see which are new.

How do I use the DVD and CD?    return to Table of Contents.

Insert the DVD into any DVD player and choose from the menu which solo you would like to watch

Insert the CD into any computer and a question and answer page will pop up (this page!)

Insert the CD into any CD player and the All-Around Solo songs will play, once normal and once slowed down.

Who do I contact if I have questions?    return to Table of Contents.

E-mail America on Stage’s Solo Committee at solos@americaonstage.org

Go to the website at www.americaonstage.org

Solo Committee Contact Information

Contact the Solo Committee for questions, scheduling of workshops, and general questions.

 Jennifer Powers - jennyp@americaonstage.org
 Bethany Hulse - bethanyh@americaonstage.org
 Ayrion Adams - ayriona@americaonstage.org
 Scotty Bilz - scottyb@americaonstage.org
 Jessica Dawes - jessicad@americasonstage.org
 Lindsey Greenwood  - lindseyg@americaonstage.org
 Missy Maughan - missym@americaonstage.org
 Misty Peterson - mistyp@americaonstage.org
 Maria Tucker- mariat@americaonstage.org             

Thank you for everything and we look forward to seeing you at competition this year!

Sincerely,

America On Stage All-Around Solo Committee