The student news site of Westwood High School.

Westwood Horizon

The student news site of Westwood High School.

Westwood Horizon

The student news site of Westwood High School.

Westwood Horizon

Baby Sundancers Announced

Baby+Sundancers+Announced

On Tuesday, Dec. 2, the intense four-day-long tryout process for Sundancers began.

It was a long and stressful, yet fun week for dancers to come together and share their passion for the sport.

From Tuesday through Friday, 41 hopefuls rose early in the morning, meeting in Westwood’s auxiliary gym from 7-8:30 a.m. New material was taught daily by the current Junior and Senior Line Officers.

“The audition dances were a little challenging, but I felt like I knew them,” Baby Sundancer Garima Singh ‘16 said. “Somehow, I managed to keep my nerves down during the auditions, so I didn’t freeze up in the middle, which was good.”

The two different combinations taught varied in style and technique. The first was a Jazz/Kick routine to the song “What You Know,” by Two Door Cinema Club. In this high-energy dance, students were challenged by quick-paced steps and were pushed to maintain their stamina.

The second was a Contemporary routine to “Sort of,”by Ingrid Michaelson. This routine contained more technique, and required dancers to connect to the lyrics of the song and express their emotions.

“At first it was confusing to learn the dances because it is hard to pick up the routines that quickly, but once I got to go home and practice they got easier and I started enjoying them more,” Baby Sundancer Chrislyn Shepard ‘18 said.

In addition to performing the two routine in front of a panel of four judges, it was required to go “across the floor” with pirouettes and leaps.

On Dec. 5, the long awaited audition day arrived. The morning rehearsal served as a mock audition to help dancers release some of their nerves. Actual auditions began at 5:00 p.m. Groups of four girls performed each routine for the judges, rotating after each piece was presented.

“I was very nervous for the actual audition, but also really excited to show what I learned,” Baby Sundancer Liliana Assaf 18’ said.

It was about a 3 hour long process, and after the auditions, the atmosphere buzzed with nervousness and anxiety. Everyone was released at 8:30 p.m., and hurried home to see the results, which were posted shortly after at 9:00 p.m.

“I was extremely excited and so happy to find out that I made in,” Singh said. “I got really nervous right before the results came out, so I was also really relieved when I saw my number there!”

Sundancers have added 12 new babies (the endearing term for brand new Sundancers) to the team. There are nine freshman, Khira Patel, McKennah Robertson, Sarah Minjarez, Chrislyn Shepard, Rain Quintero, Liliana Assaf, Ellie Despain, Sydney Busfield, and Brooke Culp; two sophomores, Leah Wu and Morgan Thomas; and one junior, Garima Singh.

“I wanted to join Sundancers because I really like to dance, and now I’m looking forward to bonding with the other Sundancers and dancing on the field next football season!” Leah Wu ‘17 said.

All the girls’ hard work and dedication has paid off and they will now they be put into their own “baby” class for second semester. There, Ms. Shelby Kelly, the Sundancers’ director, will train the dancers for Escapade and ensure that they are prepared for next year’s football season, where they will become official members of the team.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover
About the Contributor
Khira Patel, Heritage Portraits & Ads Editor
Hi! My name is Khira Patel and I am an Assistant Editor for the Heritage. This will be my third year as a member of student press and fifth year working with yearbook design. My favorite movies are 27 dresses and anything Marvel. I’m a SunDancer and I love to cook and bake. You can also find me snacking on Hot Cheetos, carrots, or green apples at any time of the day. I can’t wait for another year with the best staff!

Comments (0)

Westwood Student Press intends for this comment area to foster welcoming, thought-provoking discussion. Comments are expected to adhere to our standards and to be respectful and constructive. As such, we do not permit the use of profanity, foul language, personal attacks, or the use of language that might be interpreted as libelous. Comments are reviewed and must be approved by a moderator to ensure that they meet these standards.
All Westwood Horizon Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *