The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

Gotta kick it up

Gotta kick it up

One week after Nationals, the Marquesas and Spirit squads are back in action

 

 

 

 

You would think that Nationals would be the cherry-on-top for the Marquesas and Spirit squads—the perfect end to an amazing season. But one week since Nationals, both teams are bringing it harder, faster and stronger.

 



Dance Team members review the routine with those auditioning for the team. Photo by Yaamini Venkataraman.From April 6 to April 8, dance team held their workshops, with the audition day on April 9. The routine itself was choreographed by returning officers, juniors Carolyn Chang and Kelly Woodruff, with incoming officers sophomores Teresa Li and Camille Mol polishing the routine the weekend before tryouts. For the first two days of tryouts, officers taught the routine and reviewed it April 8. On April 9, the dancers were ready to kick it up and show that they were Marquesa material.



"It is pretty intense…it’s like a new season right after [Nationals]. But it’s like any other kind of audition," Li said. "We teach it and you practice it a bunch of times. Just try to do the across the floor and do the routine. We have pirouettes, leaps and kicks because [MVHS Dance Team] is known for their kicks."

Cheer and Song routines were equally intense. Tryouts were from March 30 to April 2, run by 2009-2010 head captains seniors Daniel Chang, Amber Myerholtz and Christine Wang.  Sophomore Amy Kahng tried out for both teams, and aside from juggling the workshops for both routines, she had to find the time to perfect them.



"[The routines were] much harder than I thought [they] would be. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it was pretty insane, especially the song team routine." Kahng said. "The routine called for advanced moves, like triple pirouettes, leg hold turns and several turns a la seconde."



As if insane routines weren’t enough, when trying out for the teams, those auditioning felt the intimidating gaze of a large panel of team officers, coaches and for the dance team tryouts, there were people from dance studios evaluating the dancers. To make the experience less nervewracking, people were auditioned in groups of three to four.



At the end of the week, some were eliminated, and others rose up to the challenge. When tryouts were finished, next year’s cheerleaders and dance team members cleared their minds, and got ready to kick it up for purple and gold.

 

 

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