How Can I Become a Pink Panther?
Any current, incoming, or transfer student with dance experience and interested in becoming part of the EIU Pink Panther Dance Team Tradition must audition. This year the team will begin competing at regional and national UDA competitions.

Eligibility: You must be enrolled as a full-time EIU student with 12 or more academic hours and provide evidence of a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or higher from either EIU, a transfer college, or high school. Incoming Freshmen or Transfer students are welcomed to audition and need to show proof of admittance to EIU.

Qualifications: It takes a combination of positive attitude, dance ability, ability to work in a team, showmanship, fitness, and appearance to become a Pink Panther dance team member. You should demonstrate the ability to do all technical elements on left and right. This includes kicks, leaps (regular, switch, calypso, chainés center/turning disc), jumps (toe, C) splits, and turns (double and triple pirouette, fouetté, turns in second, axel, tour, chainés, piqué, etc.) as well as overall dance ability and style to perform pom, kick, jazz, and hip hop routines. You should be familiar with common ballet terms and movements (i.e.: pas de chat, penché, attitude, chassé, développé, relevé, plié, passé) . Showmanship is the result of your attitude and the energy that you put into your dancing. Appearance is a result of being physically fit and well groomed.

Forms: You will need to fill the necessary forms and bring with you to auditions your $20 fee payment, a copy of the front and back of all current health insurance cards, and a non-returnable current photograph. Necessary forms are: Liability Release; Medical Information; EIU Pink Panther Application. For current EIU students needing a physical, please download the Health History Upate form to bring to Health Service. Please electronically type the required form information for both the Medical Information and EIU Pink Panther Application forms, print electronically completed forms, and then sign and date each form.

Fee: non-refundable $20 check or money order payable EIU Panther Athletics-Pink Panther Auditions to cover paperwork processing and choreographers.

When: For Fall 2008, Informational meeting Monday in the MLK Union Martinsville Room, 5-6pm. Auditions begin on Tuesday with registration from 4:30-5:30pm in McAfee North Gym with auditions beginning promptly at 5:30pm. First Cuts will be Tuesday evening with a list posted by 10pm (approx) for Wednesday & Thursday call back auditions. Second Cuts & Interviews will be held on Friday beginning at 5pm in McAfee North Gym with a final list posted at 10pm; Mandatory Team meeting on Saturday, 10am-2pm approximately.

Auditions are closed to the public.

Evaluation: Prospective team members will be evaluated on technique and kick routines with call backs for the second and third day to be taught hip-hop one evening and jazz the following evening. Both routines will be judged the fourth day with interviews. A final list posted that evening. Mandatory meeting will be held the following day. You want to look game ready for each evaluation during the audition process - makeup, hair, outfit should display your best features and characteristics.

Collegiate dance is very demanding and rewarding.