SunDancers Welcome Newest Members

The+newest+members+of+the+SunDancers+pose+with+each+other.+Photo+credit+to+Westwood+SunDancers.

The newest members of the SunDancers pose with each other. Photo credit to Westwood SunDancers.

Students took to the gym to participate in SunDancer auditions for spots on next year’s team. The audition results were announced on Monday, Dec. 4. Hopefuls put in years of practice and effort prior to audition in order to do their best.

“Before the audition I had already taken a ton of dances classes, but I also went to the SunDancer Intensive that was offered, where we prepared and learned things that would be useful for the actual audition,” Vivian Lang ‘21 said.

The audition is a lengthy process. To start, the hopefuls attended a parent night which detailed all the needed information for someone with an interest in auditioning. Then, for one week, students were asked to join current members of the SunDancers in learning two pieces. Those auditioning had to report to the small gym at 7 a.m. every morning for four days while learning the dances. On the last day, a mock audition was held in the morning, followed by the real thing after school.

“My biggest struggle during the audition process was trying to not be nervous about the audition itself and trying to learn the dance without letting anything get to me,” Kylie Chesbro ‘20 said. “I also judged myself way harder than I normally would have, telling myself I need to point my foot harder, I need to be straighter or maybe stand up taller, when in reality there probably nothing I could have done better.”

Results were released not long after the last group’s audition, shortening the time those auditioning had to wait in suspense. The baby SunDancer list was also made up of numbers rather than the girls’ names to evoke some privacy for not only those who made it, but those who did not.

“I’m really excited for all of them,” Jasmine Wang ‘20 said. “They all seem really sweet and I’m friends with most of them, so I’m overall just really excited.”