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232. College Dance Recruitment Tips · Anything But Routine

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: We don't wait for the rhythm.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: Do we make the rhythm?
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_01: We call, we create anything but routine.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_02: Hi everybody, I'm here with Jenny Rage on Anything But Routine.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_02: And and Jenny, welcome back.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_02: This is like the third podcast we've done or more, I think.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_02: There's actually probably four.
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  SPEAKER_02: So now I want to talk about college recruiting, and you I know you do a lot with that with the Minnesota Combine.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_02: So what are dancers like just tell me a little bit about the recruitment process, how it's it's changed a lot since in the last 10 years.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think um I think it's a really cool and progressive change for Dance Team as Dance Team continues to get recognized more um at the collegiate level and you know, and in everywhere.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_03: Um, probably about seven or eight years ago, um, some bigger schools went to a recruitment model rather than having masses of kids come and audition for their team.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_03: They were trying to find ways to I don't want to say weed out, but to get the right kids in and looking at their programs.
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  SPEAKER_03: And to do this, uh some schools started to do a recruitment model.
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  SPEAKER_03: And so that is definitely prevalent in your larger schools now.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so I think there's there's three different ways to get on a college team now.
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  SPEAKER_03: There's there's teams who are doing a full recruitment model, there's one that are doing a hybrid model where kids turn in a recruitment video and then they're invited to a final audition.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_03: And then there are still some schools that do a full audition process where you go, there's a one to two-day audition process, and you know by the end of that couple days if you made the team or not.
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  SPEAKER_03: So there's all three of those things.
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  SPEAKER_02: Um You said the first model is full recruitment.
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  SPEAKER_02: And what explain what that is to somebody that doesn't know.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
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  SPEAKER_03: So um I would say for the full recruitment process, if you are looking at a school that only has the recruitment process, then you want would want to try and get on their radar as early as freshman or sophomore year.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_03: They are starting to um set their rosters and look for potential dancers for their rosters for two to three years out at this point.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_03: That is crazy to me.
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  SPEAKER_03: That is a huge change.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_03: It is a huge change.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_03: Um, it's it's some pressure and maybe some added um time, energy, stress, financial commitment to those things.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I would say my biggest piece of advice to kids is first and foremost, do not put all of your eggs in one basket.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_03: There are there are so many college dance teams out there at every level, D1, D2, D3.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and I truly feel like if you have solid dance training, you come from solid dance programs, there could be a place for anyone and everyone to be a part of a team.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_03: If you are looking at some of those high profile top 10 D1A teams, um it's gonna be harder.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_03: It's gonna be harder.
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  SPEAKER_03: And and if you put all your eggs in those baskets, um there's a really higher chance of of rejection and and some disappointment there.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but there are there are kids out there.
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  SPEAKER_03: I mean, you may be one of the kids they're looking for, so don't shy away from it.
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  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_03: But I think first and foremost, look at where you want to go to school, you know.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and I think that's an important piece.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_02: I think they look at the dance team and they don't think of I I remember my son was going to college and the football coach was like, you gotta go where the campus is what you like and you can see yourself there.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
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  SPEAKER_02: You know, you don't go just because the dance team is just part of it.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's it's a yeah, it'll be a big part of your experience, but it's not, it shouldn't be the only piece of your decision.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_02: Like what are you going into?
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  SPEAKER_02: What do you want the end end result to be?
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  SPEAKER_02: Like what is your career gonna be?
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  SPEAKER_03: Is the school fitting what your career and is it something, you know, is it something that your famil like is um even sustainable for your family?
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_03: Can can your family afford it?
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_03: Because um, I I will say, you know, those bigger, you know, those bigger top ten programs that you know every kid dreams to be a part of, which is amazing, you're not getting scholarships there.
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  SPEAKER_03: You're probably getting scholarships at smaller D3 schools before, you know, yeah.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_03: It's a very different game than other sports.
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  SPEAKER_03: Isn't that frustrating?
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_03: It is frustrating.
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  SPEAKER_03: Um when is that gonna change?
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_03: It it it will change when dance is brought in as an NCAA sport.
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  SPEAKER_02: And they need to do it.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_03: And that would that would really change the dynamic of what dance team looks like in college.
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  SPEAKER_03: They would have to compete more, they would have to be cool.
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  SPEAKER_03: Um but college athletics is a business and it is a big, big business.
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  SPEAKER_03: And now with NIL and other things playing into that, I do think there's some room for dance team to grow there.
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  SPEAKER_03: Um, but it also is that college dance team, the competitive side of it is run by private companies.
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  SPEAKER_03: Right.
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  SPEAKER_03: It's not run by the NCAA.
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  SPEAKER_03: And so there would have to be a big shift in kind of um the model.
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  SPEAKER_02: You wonder when they're gonna figure that out.
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  SPEAKER_02: The NCAA.
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  SPEAKER_02: It's kind of like when the Minnesota State High School leads.
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  SPEAKER_03: When they brought us in, they figured out figured out they can make a ton of money off.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they figured out, oh wow, dance team generates as many fans as hockey.
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  SPEAKER_02: You know, it it's like, oh, we want to run that, you know.
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  SPEAKER_02: Right.
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  SPEAKER_02: Before that, they didn't want us, but that could happen.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_03: So I think, you know, like you said, kids need to look at what campus they're gonna thrive on, what their end goal is, not just in dance, but beyond that, and making sure they're in the right place academically first.
• 5:40
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• 5:43
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• 5:48
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• 6:01
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• 6:06
  SPEAKER_03: I know for dancers in Minnesota, one hard thing for us is we go from competing 15 times a year, where when you go on to be a part of a college team, you're more of a part of a spirit program and you're it's more cheering on the sidelines and then one week in the year of competing.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_03: So knowing that you're okay being a part of that.
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  SPEAKER_03: Um, one of the things that I do think has really been a great thing in the last couple of years is through um the National Dance Coaches Association, which both of us are a part of, um, is they got some college coaches together and said, we need to make a common recruiting guideline and a common recruit video.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_03: Because if you had a kid who was looking at four different schools and having to submit a recruit video to four different schools, they meet they might be creating and submitting four completely different videos.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_02: Because every school was wanting a different thing.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I know that because my granddaughter just went through it.
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  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it was like and it is and it's a lot.
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  SPEAKER_03: There was a like four years ago, I had nine seniors who all wanted to go on to college dance team, and they all luckily made one.
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  SPEAKER_03: But we were, I think we made 30 different videos that year because they each needed to make four different videos and things like that.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_03: But we got some college coaches together at both D1, D2, and D3 level, they all worked together and said, okay, what are we really all looking for initially to get these kids like on our radar?
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_03: And they created a common recruit video guideline.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_03: And so, similar to the College Common app, um, dancers can now create one video, one application, and submit it to several different schools on September 1st.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_03: And so, and then their timelines are similar of their senior year.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_03: So, your senior year, September 1st, you would submit your recruit video to the schools you want to be considered for, and then they would reach back out to you to let you know you are being considered as a part of our process.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, you know, and then kids can go from there.
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  SPEAKER_03: Leading up to that though, you do need to put yourself out there and start making relationships with those coaches of the teams you want to be a part of.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then, you know, one of the things we talked about in our special session with the kids today is, you know, if you have this dream school you want to be a part of and you went to three of their clinics and you've reached out to their coach four times and you've made several touches and have not gotten anything back from them, um, it's probably time to redirect your energy somewhere else, you know.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_02: Because they they aren't wanting you.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and that's just the reality of it.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_03: You are not the right fit for their program, probably if you haven't heard back from them after that many um touches, and then redirect your time, energy, and resources towards um more attainable options at that point.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_02: And so I have another question.
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  SPEAKER_02: So college coaches talk, obviously.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
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  SPEAKER_02: So say you're trying to, this is what I find is hard for the athletes.
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  SPEAKER_02: Like, so they're going to this one and this one and that one.
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  SPEAKER_02: Then one of the coaches hears they went to this one.
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  SPEAKER_02: Does that negatively affect them?
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  SPEAKER_03: Um, I would love to say no, but I do think um there's some natural, well, if we're not their first choice, we might not want them, you know, kind of thing.
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  SPEAKER_03: So I really felt they gotta keep their options open.
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  SPEAKER_02: They do have to keep their own.
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  SPEAKER_02: That's what I think is so hard.
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  SPEAKER_02: They still might be their first choice.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
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  SPEAKER_02: But yet they're worried that they haven't heard anything.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
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  SPEAKER_02: So what do you think about that?
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  SPEAKER_03: Just I I encourage kids to be as transparent as possible as possible.
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  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
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  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_03: You know, and I think social media is a huge thing because obviously, you know, the kids want to post that they were there and they were grateful to learn at this workshop, but then a coach from another school sees it, sees it and was like, wait, what are they doing there?
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_03: And if anything, it might make you more marketable if you do it in the right way.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, if you are all in on school A, but you just want to, just in case you don't get an offer there, you're gonna go look at B and C.
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  SPEAKER_03: I think it's okay to be transparent and say, I'm gonna continue to, you know, and I did this with a kid a couple of years ago because she got an offer from a school she really wanted to early on.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_03: But she's like, But I don't want to stop training.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_03: I don't want to stop, you know, putting myself out there and learning in other places, even though I do probably want to end up at option A.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_03: And I said, well, then you need to be very transparent and say, Thank you so much for this offer.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_03: I am honored.
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  SPEAKER_03: You think I would be a great part of your team.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_03: I am going to continue to train and continue to look at any opportunity to get better.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_03: But not but not necessarily commit to better out there.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_03: That's but I wanna but I want to learn and and see all there.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_03: See what's out there, see all there is out there.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that transparency gained her more respect than if she just kind of did it on the side.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_03: So I think being transparent in a very professional way um can do that.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_03: There's also um, you know, a lot of kids, you might not have the financial means or the time availability to go to 20 different clinics for 20 different schools and things like that.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_03: And that's where things like the combine, like we started the one in Minnesota several years ago, and now we're doing it every other year.
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  SPEAKER_03: Now, when is that?
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  SPEAKER_03: So it will be in March of next of 2027.
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  SPEAKER_03: We didn't do one in 2026, and we're gonna start doing them every other year.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_03: And what the combine in Minnesota is, is just colleges in Minnesota and the states immediately surrounding.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_03: So if you want to stay in the Midwest, Iowa, North Dakota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Wisconsin, if you want to stay in the Midwest, then we're bringing all those college coaches to one place.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_03: You do a full day of dance and you're doing like a showcase of each of the things that you're learning, but then the college coaches can just look at the kids in this area.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and it gives you an opportunity to um meet with all of these coaches in one place versus going to 15 different clinics because that's not feasible for some families.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_03: Financially financially.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_03: So there are several combines like that on a national scale, too, that draw all over the country, which are awesome.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_03: And I've been a part of some of those great events as well.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_02: I went to one just to watch it in Dallas.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_02: And that was neat.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_03: They're they're very cool.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_03: And it and it's cool.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_03: A lot of pressure.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_03: It's good to put kids in the, and you'll know if you can handle that pressure in a situation like that.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_03: But putting yourself out there in things like that, on top of going to the individual clinics, is definitely something I would encourage doing.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_03: Um, just to put yourself out there and learn and train more.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_03: And that is another one of the biggest things that I'm hearing, you know, in talking with college coaches, you know, through being a part of these combines and other things.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_03: Um, because this has kind of been my passion project since I stepped away from coaching.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it gave you something to do.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_03: You needed to fill the time.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_03: I but just, you know, being kind of that liaison for for both kids the dancers and the coaches.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and and coaches are are definitely saying, you know, there's a lot of talent coming out of, you know, different pockets of the country and things like that.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_03: But the thing they really want to see more of is dynamic dancers, not dancers who are just good at this or just good at what their team was good at here.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_03: They want to see kids who are versatile and things like that.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_03: So I do encourage kids to, you know, go to different clinics and try different styles and learn from different teachers because that is definitely gonna make you more marketable down the road.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_03: You may be the best kid in your area, and that's incredible, but you're gonna go up against 400 kids who are the best kids in their area.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_03: So putting yourself out there to be able to learn from a lot of different people and excel in a lot of different arenas is gonna make you stand out in these situations as well.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_02: Well, good.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_02: I appreciate all your knowledge.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_02: And I know the kids are out there just wondering all this.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_02: So I think it's a valid topic.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_02: So thank you, Jenny.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_01: Make the rhythm.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: We call, we create the routine.