Add to your team order
Light-Up LED Pom Poms
Metallic streamers with LEDs built into the pom, a rechargeable pack, and one remote that changes the whole team’s color at once.
$145 USD per pair
For dance team directors building a new team: order one matched set of light-up pom poms right after the announcement, so dancers rehearse with the poms they perform with and the whole team switches colour together by remote. Team pricing is $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs.
How should a director structure tryouts?
Build the new team’s order into the tryout calendar, so the poms arrive with the team rather than after it. The structure most directors use:
- Information meeting for dancers and parents: dates, costs, commitments.
- Clinic days where dancers learn the tryout routine and the pom combination.
- Audition day: routine in small groups, technique across the floor, and an interview if you use one.
- Scoring and selection by a panel.
- Announcement, with the first team meeting date.
What should the tryout rubric score?
| Category | What judges look for |
|---|---|
| Technique | Turns, leaps, kicks and placement |
| Pom motions | Sharp, placed and in time |
| Routine execution | Memory, timing and energy |
| Showmanship | Projection to the back of the room |
| Teamwork and commitment | Attendance and attitude at clinics |
Publishing the rubric before clinics tells dancers exactly what to work on and keeps the result defensible with parents.
What should the new team's first order include?
- One matched pom set, ordered together with spares.
- Practice wear in team colours.
- Performance uniforms, sized after the team is announced.
- A plan for night performances: halftime, theme nights and lights-down moments are where light-up poms pay off.
How many pairs does a new dance team need?
At our team rate of $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs:
| Group | Pairs | Cost at the team rate |
|---|---|---|
| Team of 12 | 14 | $1,680 |
| Team of 18 | 20 | $2,400 |
| Varsity and JV, 30 together | 32 | $3,840 |
Pair counts include two spares. Shipping is quoted with the order.
When should a director order for the new team?
| When | What to lock in |
|---|---|
| Before tryouts | Budget set and supplier chosen |
| Tryout week | Expected team size estimated |
| Announcement | Final count confirmed and order placed |
| First rehearsals | Poms in hand for choreography |
| First performance | Matched set, every remote set to team colours |
Ordering right after the announcement means the team rehearses with the poms it will perform with, and every pair arrives from the same order so the set matches.
How do you explain team costs to parents?
- List every cost at the information meeting: poms, practice wear, uniforms, camp and competition fees.
- Separate team-owned from dancer-owned items: poms are often bought by the programme and reused.
- Offer a fundraiser to cover equipment.
Parents say yes faster when they see every cost on one page at the start, and when they know which items the programme owns and reuses year after year. Put the dates of every performance on the same sheet so families can plan.
How do you run clinic days?
- Day one: warm-up, technique across the floor, and the first half of the tryout routine.
- Day two: the rest of the routine and the pom combination, taught in small groups.
- Day three: run-throughs in audition groups, with feedback from current team members.
Teach the pom combination with the poms the team performs with, so dancers learn the weight and the motion they will use on the team. Current team members are the best assistants: they demonstrate, they spot struggling dancers, and they show what the team looks like.
How should the team be announced?
- Post results privately, by email or a list with candidate numbers, rather than reading names aloud.
- Include the first team meeting date and the parent meeting date in the announcement.
- Hand out the cost sheet at the first meeting, not the tryout.
- Offer every dancer who did not make it a short feedback conversation based on the rubric.
A clean announcement sets the tone for the season and gives parents the information they need to say yes quickly.
Who should sit on the judging panel?
- The director, who knows what the team needs.
- An outside judge, such as a studio owner or a coach from another programme, for an independent view.
- A former team captain or alumna, who knows the team’s standard.
Three judges scoring the same published rubric, with scores averaged, keeps the result fair and easy to explain. Keep the score sheets on file through the season in case a parent asks.
How do you request a quote for the new team?
Email or DM us with the expected team size, team colours and the date of the first performance. We make our light-up products ourselves and will tell you plainly what fits your date. See team orders for how a group order works.
Frequently asked questions
How do you run dance team tryouts?
An information meeting, clinic days to learn the routine, an audition day scored on a rubric, and an announcement with the first team meeting date.
What do judges look for at dance team tryouts?
Technique, pom motions, routine execution, showmanship, and teamwork and commitment.
When should a new dance team order poms?
Right after the team is announced, so the team rehearses with the poms it will perform with.
How much do light-up poms cost for a dance team?
Our team rate is $120 a pair on 10 or more pairs. A team of 18 with two spares is 20 pairs, or $2,400 at that rate.
Who pays for dance team poms?
Often the programme buys them and reuses them; dancers usually pay for practice wear and fees.
Should tryouts include a pom combination?
Yes. Pom motions are scored in pom routines, so test them at tryouts.
Who should judge dance team tryouts?
Three judges is common: the director, an independent outside judge and a former captain, all scoring the same published rubric.
Should results be announced publicly?
Most directors post results privately, by email or candidate number, and offer feedback conversations to dancers who did not make the team.
See also: dance team pom poms and cheer pom poms buying guide.
Questions: info@neoncowboys.com.
