For the Silver Stars, the beginning of the spring semester means many early mornings of practice, costume fittings and performances. Their determination to succeed is paid off at the annual marching auxiliary competition early on in the year.

The marching auxiliary competition is a pageant-based company in Dallas. The event takes place at Bowie and starts on Feb. 6 and continues through that weekend as the Silver stars compete against many other schools.

With variations of many dances, the dancers are allowed creativity and freedom to add their own unique touch.

“There are numerous divisions within each contest. The Team competes in the Super Team Division, the category for teams larger than 50 members. We have 3 different Ensemble Companies – Jazz Co, ContempEns, and SeniorCo,” director Courtney Allison said.

Each division involves different energy and character.

“Our Team Jazz is upbeat and fun, our Team Kick is intense and precise, and our Team Open is an exploration of technology and the way it affects our daily lives. Some girls dance up to 8 different pieces in a day. That’s a lot of physical stamina, as well as mental and emotional stamina,” Allison said.

Dedication and hard work are big factors of the practice schedule.

“We practice every morning from 7:30 to 9:30 at both Bowie and Burger, and the time you go in for practice depends on what dances you are in. We also don’t get late starts. We still come in at 7:30 so while everyone else is sleeping and enjoying their extra time off school, we are practicing,” sophomore Kendall Franz said.

This unique opportunity helps the team grow and bond together.

“Since we do the same dances at multiple competitions, we really learn how to work together and communicate with each other to get what we need to make the dance better for the next competition,” sophomore Lynsey Gagner said.

Although there are numerous awards, the team is really competing against themselves to improve.

“We are trying to bring a unique idea to the floor when we dance and do it to the best of the team’s ability. Being innovative and creating pieces that require an audience to reflect on more than the choreography we are presenting, is where we want to be,” Allison said.

In order to succeed in this contest, lots of practice time must be devoted to improving the routines as a team.

“We have to utilize every single minute of practice, which means being extremely focused and quiet throughout so that we can make the most out of the short amount of time we are given to ensure we look our best come competition day,” Franz said.

Because Bowie is hosting the event, extra help and support from groups outside of the dancers are involved.

The team is rewarded with the feeling of knowing they achieved something great.

“My favorite part about it is getting to perform to an audience and really commit to the story behind our dances. It is also refreshing to see our team’s hard work show out on the floor at contest,” sophomore Morgan Andrews said.

“The majority of the silver star’s parents volunteer at this one and the freshman Silver Stars who will become rookies next year are also required to help out so they show other teams to their dressing rooms, are judge’s assistants and what not,” Franz said.

With different dance styles, the students learn to appreciate them because of their variety and creativity.

“It gives me a growing admiration for some of the pieces, especially jazz, because I can feel us improving as a team and also as ourselves and I’m really excited to watch the finished products back on video after we’ve performed,” Franz said.

Not only does it benefit the group but individuals learn from the experience also.

“It teaches us individual work ethic because we have to all work hard within ourselves or else the dance won’t look good as a whole,” Gagner said.

When the competition was nearing, the team began to focus more on perfecting the small details rather than learning the basics to the drill.

“We are currently in the process of polishing and perfecting our pieces, which means we take them section by section and our directors and officers specify pretty much every single movement and count like this arm is in a 45 degree angle, you’re back has to be flat when bent over in whatever way in this specific count,” Franz said. “Your head snaps up on this count.”