UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SPIRIT
JOIN THE TEAM
Future Huskies!
Thank you for your interest in the University of Washington and UW Spirit Program. Tryouts for the 2024-2025 season will be held in-person on April 13th (Noon - 8pm) and April 14th (Noon - 8pm) for cheer and dance. Mascot tryouts will be held in-person April 13th from Noon - 4pm. Tryout registration is due Monday, March 18th with all required paperwork and medical forms due Friday, April 5th. Please read the tryout information below and register for the team you are trying out for. Please note that the first round of dance team tryouts will be by video submission due on Monday, March 18th.
CHEER TEAM
The cheer team consists of 12-14 stunt partners performing single-base stunts, tumbling, sideline cheers and dances. The cheer team cheers for football, volleyball, gymnastics, women’s basketball and men’s basketball as well as participates in other athletic events and community activities each year. The cheer team competes at UCA Nationals in the D1A GameDay and D1A coed divisions. This season we are looking to add 6-8 flyers and 6-8 bases to the cheer team.
Tryout Requirements - Tryouts will be held Saturday, April 13th and Sunday, April 14th
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Submit tryout registration by Monday, March 18th
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Submit letter of recommendation with registration form.
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Submit Medical forms by Friday, April 5th. Medical forms will be emailed to you after you register. If you don't turn in completed medical forms you won't be cleared to tryout.
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Tumbling (Each athlete will perform a standing tumbling and running tumbling element)
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Standing Tumbling (on dead mat):
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Standing back tuck (preferred)
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Standing back handspring back tuck (preferred)
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Standing full (preferred)
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2 back handsprings to tuck/layout/full (preferred)
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Running Tumbling
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Round off back handspring back tuck (preferred)
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Round off/layout (preferred)
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Stunting
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Bases + Flyers
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Toss Extension
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Liberty (Pick 1: Toss/Target/Hands)
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Bases - Cupie (Pick 1: Toss/Hands)
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Flyers - Stretch (Pick 1: Toss/Target/Hands)
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Two stunt connected sequence (Toss hands does not count as a stunt - only one extension can be used in the combination.)
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Ex. Toss Extension hands Cupie would satisfy this requirement for bases, Toss Extension hands Stretch would satisfy this requirement for flyers.
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For your tryout you can choose what base or flyer you tryout with, as long as they are also trying out.
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Fight Song (taught at tryouts/clinics)
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Toss Extension in fight song required
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Band Dance - Old Four
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Flyers only
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Sideline Chant (taught at tryouts/clinics)
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Standing Tumbling (Back handspring, back tuck, full preferred)
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The team will be announced on April 14th following tryouts at around 7:00/7:30pm.
Clinics and Open Gyms - Marv Harshman Court
Clinics:
Sunday, March 3rd (10am - 2pm) Register Here
Sunday, April 7th (10am - 2pm) Register Here
Open Gyms - (Tryout paperwork and medical forms must be turned in)
Monday, April 8th - 6pm - 8pm
Wednesday, April 9th - 6pm - 8pm
DANCE TEAM
The dance team consists of 24 dancers. The dance team cheers for football, volleyball, gymnastics, women’s basketball and men’s basketball as well as participates in other athletic events and community activities each year. The dance team competes at UDA Nationals in the D1A GameDay, D1A Jazz, and D1A Pom divisions. This season we are looking to add 8-10 dancers to the dance team.
Round 1 – Video and Registration is due Monday, March 18th.
Submit video with tryout application. Please make sure this video is no longer than 6-8 minutes in length
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Submit tryout registration by Monday, March 18th
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Submit letter of recommendation with registration form.
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Submit Medical forms by Friday, April 5th. Medical forms will be emailed to you after you register. If you don't turn in completed medical forms you won't be cleared to tryout.
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Introduction: Your name, class standing for 2024-25, why you would like to be a part of the Dance Team, and your area of interest academically
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Skills:
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Triple/Quad/Quint Pirouette in parallel passé position on the right
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Minimum of 3 eight-count turns a la seconde on the right (1 combination of straight seconds, 1 elite turn combination of your choice)
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Toe touch
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Switch leap on either side (ex. switch tilt, switch center, switch arabesque)
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Aerial (right, left, or front)
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Leg extensions - choose one or a short variety that best displays your strength (tilt extension, side extension, penché, needle/scorpion)
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Leg hold turns (right or left)
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Center leaps (right or left)
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Headspring
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Kip up
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Elite dance acrobatic skill of choice
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1 minute solo in any style (must exhibit your strengths in technique as a dancer)
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Dance Finals – In person Saturday, April 13th and Sunday, April 14th
Upon submission and if invited to finals, the dancer will receive the Fight Song, Jazz, and Hip Hop combination to learn before the live auditions. We will review this material during day one of our auditions. You will learn the Pom combination in person. Each combination will be 30-45sec.
Day 1 - Dancers will learn or review.
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UW Fight Song
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Pom Combo
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Jazz Combo
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Hip Hop Combo
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There will be an optional open practice session to run your individual solos in the audition space.
Day 2 - Dancers will perform.
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UW Fight Song
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Jazz Combo
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Hip Hop Combo
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Pom Combo
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1 minute solo (costume optional)
The team will be announced on April 14th following tryouts at around 3:30/4pm.
Clinics and Open Gyms - Marv Harshman Court
Clinics:
Sunday, March 3rd (10am - 2pm) Register Here
Sunday, April 7th (10am - 2pm) Register Here
Open Gyms - (Tryout paperwork and medical forms must be turned in)
Monday, April 8th - 6pm - 8pm
Wednesday, April 9th - 6pm - 8pm
MASCOT
The Harry the Husky mascot team consists of 5-6 mascots. Harry the Husky performs at football, volleyball, gymnastics, women’s basketball and men’s basketball as well as participates in other athletic events and community activities each year. Harry the Husky competes at UCA Nationals in the D1A Mascot division. This season we are looking to add 3-4 mascots.
Tryouts will be held Saturday, April 13th.
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Submit tryout registration by Monday, March 18th.
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Submit Medical forms by Friday, April 5th. Medical forms will be emailed to you after you register.
Mascot Tryout Requirements
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Interview
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Game day situations in-suit
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Dance
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Prop usage
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Crowd Engagement
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90 sec skit to your own music/audio track. Bring props to use for your skit