"People come to see beauty, and I dance to give it to them"
- Judith Jamison
The Sophisticated Ladies are the auxiliary dance team for the Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands. Known for their beauty, style and grace on and off the field, the Sophisticated Ladies pride themselves on passion, dedication, and heart for their university, community and the artistry of HBCU dance. Envisioned and designed to be the upper echelon of dance teams, the Sophisticated Ladies brings sass and sophisticated flavor to the stands and a bold, jazzy flare to the field.
Today, the Sophisticated Ladies are comprised of well rounded, student dancers trained in ballet, jazz, contemporary and other dance genres. Members maintain a 2.8 GPA or higher and, are committed to serving the Nashville community through outreach initiatives. Bonded together through their love and respect for dance, the Sophisticated Ladies are proud of the rich legacy that continues to generate productive doctors, lawyers, teachers, entertainers, counselors, scientists, and community leaders who DANCE…Forever Sophisticated.
Sophisticated Ladies Coordinator: Melaneice Gibbs
SophisticatedLadiesofTSU@gmail.com
The Sophisticated Ladies invite all Middle Tennessee High School majorette dancers to audition for a special live performance. Dancers must have a 2.5 GPA, reliable transportation to attend 1-2 weekly practices, and be able to successfully perform the following skills: double pirouette, calypso, toe touch, grand jete or any other leaps. Details for the performance will only be given to those who are selected.
All prospective high school students must submit a completed online application by October 2, 2021 at 6 pm. Online applications must be completed in its entirety to be considered and receive audition location and details. Online application includes uploads of:
- Headshot
- School transcript
- 30 second dance video (solo video. No team videos)
Performance Auditions: Sunday, October 4, 2021 at 10 am on the campus of Tennessee State University
- Closed private auditions. No parents or coaches will be allowed in the building
- Prospective dancers must show proof of a negative COVID test within 3 days of the audition
- Dancers should wear all black fitted dance attire. This includes, but is not limited to dance shorts, briefs (tights should be worn), leggings, sports bra, tank top, crop top, etc.
- Dance/Jazz shoes are preferred, but not required
- Hair should worn down or in a performance style ponytail. See Sophisticated Ladies website or social media to see performance style hair.
EMAIL COACH MELANEICE GIBBS FOR ALL QUESTIONS OR ISSUES WITH THE ONLINE APPLICATION:
SophisticatedLadiesofTSU@gmail.com