Last week, Dance Team tryout practices were held from Tuesday to Friday with the final audition on Saturday. Some of the people who auditioned gave their thoughts on the week.

“To prepare for the audition we had to learn a dance and have it memorized and cleaned within the days before tryouts,” freshman Emily Prine said. “Along with the dance, we had to do right and left splits, leaps and turns.”

Those auditioning were required to attend at least two tryout practices and fill out an application and agreement sheet.

“The requirements for tryouts are simple,” junior Breanne Kruse said. “The worst part of auditions is that they sneak up on you. I usually find myself extremely out of shape and sore after a week of tryout practices, because I don’t prepare. Once you go to one tryout practice and learn the dance though, it’s important to practice it so that you don’t just know the dance, but have perfected it. It’s your responsibility to make sure you’re confident in the dance.”

Watching tryouts is Prine’s favorite part of the week.

“I like being able to see the people who could potentially be on the team,” Prine said. “The worst part for me is being nervous. The nerves always hit me the night before I tryout.”

For Kruse, feelings of nervousness never hit until she got out on the floor.

“We do it twice so the judges can evaluate you and the other two girls you perform with,” Kruse said. “This year I messed up the first time so standing there waiting for the judges to be ready for round two was really nerve racking.”

Though junior Wendy Zimmerman was sick throughout the week, she felt tryouts were fantastic.

“Overall, I was exhausted but I still managed to give a little attitude,” Zimmerman said. “The kick-line was the worst part for me. I totally screwed it up and went off the wrong leg, but I gave the judges a wink and kept smiling and laughing. That’s what counts.”

13aarthur@usd489.com