Searcy, Ark., (LP) — The month of April is here and you know what that means. Spring, pollen, lots of rain, and ,of course, dance tryouts come to mind. Searcy High School Lady Lionstepper tryouts were held April 2nd through the 6th. Searcy offers numerous amounts of clubs and extracurricular activities with dance being one. It’s important to be apart of a club or sport in high school. Dance is good for physical and mental health and is the perfect way to get involved in the school and the community. “Dance is the hidden language of the soul.” —Martha Graham
Tryout week is one of the most stressful weeks of the whole year. The girl must learn a group timeout dance, a choice between a pom or jazz dance, and the fight song. They’re also required to show the judges an individual eight count kick, turn, leap, their splits, and their choice of any dance moves. Some of these dance moves include calypso, sea jump, side leap, or even something as simple as a cartwheel! The girls only have around three to five days to learn and perfect these tasks.
Most of the girls who tryout have been dancing since they were four years old. A two year Lionstepper, Zoe Neighbors, is a prime example of that. “I’ve been taking dance classes ever since I was seven and it has definitely prepared me for Lionstepper tryouts,” stated Zoe. Zoe is a junior trying out for her senior year. She has made lifelong friendships and numerous amounts of precious memories. “I can’t believe I’m trying out for my last time ever. It’s relieving but also super sad,” said Zoe.
Coach Simpson and the seniors do their best to make tryout week a stress free week but also try to challenge the girls. Co-Captain Pallas Manley touched on the subject. “From several years of experience, I know how tough and tense tryouts are. I could barely sleep the whole week,” said Pallas. It’s imperative to keep your physical and mental health in check. Pallas gave a few pointers on how to mentally prepare for the girls trying out. “The best advice I could give is sleep, relax, and have a good attitude. Stressing only makes it worse and with no sleep your body will be exhausted and you will not be able to perform to the best of your ability,” advised Pallas.
Mrs. Simpson is a firm believer that a good attitude and good grades can carry you a long way in life. That is the number one characteristic she looks for in a girl. “You must have a minimum 2.5 GPA and excellent teacher evaluations in order to even tryout for dance,” stated Mrs. Simpson.
Dancing is a chance to get away from all the stress in life and to be carefree. Searcy High School Lady Lionsteppers have an impeccable reputation of being a marvelous group of young ladies. Good luck to all the girls trying out for 2018-2019 Lionsteppers! If you have any questions contact Searcy High School at 501-268-8315.
