Aug. 27, 2008

Chicago, Ill.- The UIC Dancing Flames will hold auditions for the 2008-09 team next week, coach Toya Ambrose announced on Wednesday, Aug. 27.

There will be three audition dates, all of which are mandatory:

Thursday, Sept. 4: Audition Workshop, 6:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 5: Final Audition, 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 6: Interviews/Announcement of New Members, 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.

All audition activities take place in the basement dance studio located in the UIC Physical Education Building at 901 W. Roosevelt Road on UIC's South Campus.

There may be cuts made throughout the process.

The Dancing Flames perform at all home men's basketball games, support other UIC athletic teams, promote school spirit, and compete on the regional and national levels. The team is currently ranked second in the nation in UDA Division 1 hip hop, and in 2007 the Dancing Flames were crowned national champions.

The team performs primarily pom, jazz and hip hop.

For the workshop and the final audition, participants are asked to wear a short top (show your stomach), shorts/nude tights, and nude jazz shoes/dance paws. Please make sure hair and makeup is done at all times. For the interview, dress is business casual. No jeans or gym shoes, please.

Those who audition for the Dancing Flames will be evaluated on the following:

-double/triple pirouettes
-flexibility/kicks
-leaps
-overall technique (pointed toes, spotting, center)
-attitude/enthusiasm during the interview
-overall appearance
-precision of choreography
-showmanship

Once it is decided who has made the team, new members must be prepared to start practice immediately on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 5:00 p.m. Regular rehearsal is Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 6:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Toya at DanceCoach@uicflames.com.