The sound of pounding, loud music and heavy breathing fills the air as students practice for the Silver Star tryouts.

On November 14-16 after school, Silver Star clinics are held to teach the kick dance and jazz dance. On Thursday, November 17, the tryouts will be held after school. Students audition in groups and perform one dance and then later perform the other dance.

The co-director of the Silver Stars Courtney Allison hires three independent judges to determine who makes the team.

“We also have an administrator in there at all times to make sure everything is handled fairly and that everybody gets what they need out of that day,” Allison said.

To make the team students can’t just be a good dancer, they have to meet other requirements.

“The requirements for people auditioning are that you have to be passing your classes,” Allison said. “We do send out a Google doc to teachers as a character study, so the teachers can write back and say if you’re a good kid or a kid that talks too much. It’s really just the ability and drive and who wants to be in and the talent level.”

The audition dances are created and taught by the Silver Star officers.

“The hardest part about tryouts is pushing through the whole week because it’s definitely a long and tiring process of learning the dance and going over it again and again,” sophomore Katrina Kilsby said. “As far as the actual auditions, it’s hard to just breathe because I always feel so pressured that I only have one chance to show the judges I should be on the team.”

Pre-Drill is a class for students interested in trying out for Silver Stars. Pre-Drill prepares students for how a drill team works and the techniques they use.

“This class helps prepare potential candidates for auditions,” Silver Star Director Emily Davis said. “In Pre-Drill, we stretch, practice technique, and work on leaps and turns. Students in Pre-Drill are also given the opportunity to learn and be evaluated on a jazz and kick routine. Since these are the same types of dances that are taught and auditioned during Silver Star tryouts, this is a good way for the girls to gauge how ready they feel for auditions.”

The techniques and skills learned and utilized in Pre-Drill are similar to the skills required to become a Silver Star.

“[Silver Stars] have practice every morning Monday through Wednesday,” Kilsby said. “We practice from 8 to 10 in the morning,  Thursday and Friday we practice from 7:30 to 9:30, and Monday through Wednesday we stretch, kick across the floor, then polish the dance we’re performing at that week’s football game.“

Kilsby continues describing the Silver Stars’ schedule.

“Thursday and Friday we practice the dance on the field to get an idea of what the spacing will be like when we perform,” Kilsby said. “Friday, band comes out onto the field and we practice our dance as they play the song. Thursdays and Fridays we will go back into the gym and continue to clean the dance.  This is the routine for football season. However, now we are about to start winter show and competition which is 8 to 10 in the morning doing the same routine,  cleaning all our dances.”

Allison and Davis guide the Silver Stars and provide them with advice throughout the rehearsal process.

“Be confident in what you do so much so that if you make a mistake, make it look like it was supposed to be that way,” Allison said. “So many times we go into auditions and we doubt ourselves and that doubt is the thing that clouds everything and we aren’t really able to fully commit and be present with our movements. But if you truly and fully commit to the movement that you’re doing even if it’s wrong, we can see you’re a performer and you’re committed to the idea and for me that’s the most important part.”     After the try-outs, results are posted on the door outside of the gym hall at 4:30 for students to see if they have made it or not.

“I will miss our seniors dearly, but I’m excited to see what our new team will look like,” Davis said.