Elite Competitive Company

The Elite Competitive Company is Tulsa's home for motivated dancers ready to take their training to the highest level. Our company dancers receive advanced instruction across multiple styles, perform at regional and national competitions throughout Oklahoma and beyond, and represent Elite Dance of Tulsa as ambassadors of clean technique, sharp artistry, and unwavering team commitment.

What the Company Is

Our competitive program is more than an extracurricular. It is a year-round training environment built for dancers who are serious about growth — technically, artistically, and personally. Company dancers commit to multiple weekly rehearsals, supporting technique classes, and competition weekends from January through summer. In return, they get the kind of intensive instruction, performance experience, and team identity that turns talented kids into accomplished young performers.

The company is led by our Owner and Artistic Director Sheri Sprague and Assistant Company Director Erin Hoftender, with choreography and instruction across the full faculty. Meet our full faculty.

What Company Dancers Experience

Advanced technique training in ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, tap, and acrobatics
Multiple competition routines each season — solos, duets, small groups, and large groups
Regional and national competitions across Oklahoma and the country
Convention experiences with master teachers from the dance industry
Photo and video projects that showcase the season's work
Travel weekends that build close team bonds
Detailed judge feedback that accelerates growth

Competitions and Conventions We Attend

Our company competes at a curated set of well-known regional and national events including Dancemakers, Rainbow, StageOne, Revel, KAR, Talent on Parade, and Tremaine. Each event brings its own atmosphere, scoring style, and opportunities for our dancers to grow.

Our most recent KAR Tulsa weekend brought home a wave of top finishes, including title awards, multiple first-place soloists, and convention scholarships. Read the full KAR Tulsa April 2026 recap.

Auditions Are Open to All Tulsa Dancers

Open auditions for the Elite Competitive Company are held each May, and they are open to all dancers — current Elite students and dancers from other Tulsa-area studios alike. We look for technical foundation, work ethic, coachability, and the spark that says a dancer is ready for the commitment.

Most dancers who join the company have at least one to two years of consistent training. That said, every dancer is evaluated individually, and we work to place each new company member on the team and in the routines where they will thrive.

What to expect at the audition

A technique combination across multiple styles to assess fundamentals
An across-the-floor section showing turns, leaps, and traveling combinations
A short improvisation or choreography assignment to see personality and adaptability
A brief conversation with our directors about goals and commitment

Auditions are a positive experience by design. We want dancers to feel welcomed, not tested. Many of our strongest current company members were nervous at their first audition — and walked out with a place on the team.

What We Look For in Company Dancers

Competitive dance asks a lot. The dancers who thrive on our team tend to share a few qualities:

Genuine passion for dance — the kind that shows up in practice between classes, not just during them
Coachability — taking corrections without taking them personally
Team-first mindset — celebrating teammates' wins as much as their own
Resilience — bouncing back from a tough performance ready to work harder
Reliability — showing up consistently, on time, prepared

Skill matters. But these qualities matter more, because they are what allow a dancer to grow over multiple seasons. Learn how to tell if your child is ready for competitive dance.

Why Families Choose Elite

Our competitive program has been training Tulsa dancers since 2012. What sets us apart in the Oklahoma competitive scene is the combination of three things: professional-grade faculty, a genuinely supportive team culture, and a commitment to growth over trophies.

The trophies do come. Our dancers consistently bring home title awards, first-place finishes, and convention scholarships. But more important than any placement is the kind of young people our company produces — confident, disciplined, resilient, and grounded in a love of the art form. Read more about the real benefits of competitive dance for kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the time commitment for competitive dance at Elite?

Company dancers typically train three to five days per week, plus competition weekends across the season. The exact schedule depends on the number of routines each dancer is in. We share specifics with each family at audition time.

How much does competitive dance cost?

Beyond standard tuition, competitive dance includes costume fees, competition entry fees, and travel costs for events outside Tulsa. We outline all costs clearly with each family well in advance so there are no surprises. See our base tuition rates.

Can my child be on the company and still play other sports or activities?

Yes, with realistic expectations. Competitive dance is a real commitment, and dancers who are also serious about another sport need to plan their schedules carefully. We work with families to find a schedule that supports the dancer's overall growth without burning them out.

Do dancers need to take ballet to be on the company?

Yes. Ballet is the technical foundation our company is built on. All company dancers take ballet as part of their weekly schedule. Learn more about our ballet program.