With roughly six weeks until Sing Song opening night, preparations for the dance team, which perform alongside hosts and hostesses, are happening.
Courtney McGaha, director of student productions, was a judge along with the Pop Squad coaches and choreographers —Amber Ramzanali and Peyton Bourland. Judging was based on the ability to quickly pick up choreography while maintaining great stage presence with the fun aspect. Auditions were held on Jan. 28, and 26 dancers were chosen.
“The dance team has existed since probably about the early 2000s, but it has changed a lot over the years,” McGaha said. “This current iteration has been around since 2019. The auditions are a way for us to open up the dance team to everyone on campus, regardless of their skillset or background, to perform at Sing Song.”
The audition required those interested to learn a short dance combination that is a part of the opening number, perform it twice and showcase any additional skills they wanted to show the judges. The chosen dancers were split between different songs and performances.
This year’s dance captains include Julie Hall and Julisa Castro. Practices are held as a team once a week from 2-4 pm in the studios in The Royce and Pam Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center. This year’s dancers include:
- Julie Hall – Captain
- Julisa Castro – Captain
- Alaina Stewart
- Ashlyn Murrah
- Brianna Shawhan
- Caroline Warber
- Claire Paty
- Delaney Rohrback
- Evelyn Jacobo
- Hannah Clarkson
- Hannah Hindman
- Hannah Irby
- Jackson Dodd
- Jennifer Garcia
- Joy Standefer
- Kseniia Schneider
- Lauryn Byrd
- Lyndsey Klein
- Madelyn Guerra
- Madison Williams
- Presten Baumer
- Sarah Trahan
- Sarah Trollope
- Shelby Gesin
- Victoriya Bychkova
- Xhalli Greer
“Rehearsals consist of reviewing previously learned dances and then learning a new dance routine or at least starting one,” said Hall, junior early childhood education major from Cleburne. “We have several different styles of dance routines this year so each rehearsal is a little different which makes it all the more fun.”
This year’s performance will consist of five dances in total. As Sing Song approaches, the rehearsal schedule will increase. The dance captains are responsible for communicating with the team about important information, helping make decisions about who will be in which dance and creating positive morale during rehearsals. Hall encourages those who are interested in being a part of the team to try out next year.
“You meet new people, have fun, and create memories with a tight-knit community of other students who are right there with you,” Hall said. “Being a part of the dance team since freshman year has been one of the highlights of my whole ACU experience.”
