Walk to center stage. Don’t trip. Keep a smile on. Hands behind your back. These thoughts race through senior Kristin Hauck’s head as she hears thunderous applause and prepares to perform. 

In addition to being the Silver Stars’ Captain, Hauck has been involved with studios such as Premiere Dance Center and Rise Dance Company since she was four years old.

“With my dance journey, I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve been able to maintain an enjoyment for dance throughout the years,” Hauck said. “Whether that was studio dance or drill team, I haven’t gotten burned out yet and I think it’s because I’ve had a lot of different opportunities that have allowed me to continue my love of dance.”

Hauck earned the title of Silver Stars Captain in spring of 2018. 

“Being captain has impacted my life because it has allowed me to lead others and have an impact on them,” Hauck said. “It’s so cool that I get to be a part of people’s lives every day.”

Before becoming captain, Hauck participated in Silver Stars by competing in solos, trios, and group dances. 

“We are proud of Kristin for leading the team as captain this year,” Silver Stars assistant director Emily Davis said. “She has always led by example, which makes it easy for others to follow.”

Hauck works closely with six other officers: Veronica Rapp, Trinity Vogel, Chloe Borsch, Jade Fattouh, Landry Case and Gabby D’Angelo to teach the team and assist the directors every day. 

“One of the best parts about Kristin is that she never gives up,” junior lieutenant Fattouh said. “Even when she’s exhausted, she always comes to practice early and continues to impress the team with her skills.”

Hauck is a straight-A student and she said that dancing helps relieve the tremendous pressures she  faces trying to get into the college of her choice.

“My favorite part about dance is being able to perform and show people what I’ve been practicing,” Hauck said. “Dance is so fun and is a great way of [relieving] stress.”

However, Hauck’s busy schedule means she only gets about four to five hours of sleep per night. 

“I don’t usually get much sleep because I have dance before and after school, and then I have to do my homework,” Hauck said. “I try to take breaks and naps when I can though.”

One important aspect of Silver Stars is keeping up A and B averages in order to dance in performances.

“Kristin’s academic achievements are extremely impressive,” Fattouh said. “Sometimes she’ll help people with their homework and encourage people to challenge themselves in both dance and school.”

Hauck excels in classes such as BC Calculus and AP government.

“My only strategy that I use is to get as much done during the [school] day as possible,” Hauck said. “Whether that’s during fit or lunch, I’d rather use my time at school productively.”

Before becoming a Silver Star, Hauck danced at Premiere Dance Center until she was a sophomore. 

“I have wanted to quit in the past because I had been doing studio dance my entire life, and I was kind of getting tired of it, but then joining Silver Stars was something new and different,” Hauck said. “That made [dance] super fun.”

Hauck’s technical training, which is the preciseness of her movement, is due to many years advanced ballet and other dance styles. 

“Hauck is a strong technical dancer,” Davis said. “In addition to Silver Stars rehearsals, she trains weekly at a studio in Round Rock, and she’s very powerful and compelling to watch perform.”

According to Hauck, both studio dance and drill team have advanced Hauck in her dance journey, but in different ways.

“Drill team is more performance based, while studio is more competition based,” Hauck said. “Even though you do competitions in drill team, you’re mostly performing at football games and putting on a spring show.”

With new TV shows such as World of Dance and Dance Moms, young dancers like Hauck often find themselves aspiring to dance professionally in their future. 

“When I was little, dance was something that I took more seriously, but as I got older, I’ve been able to have more fun with it and it’s something I can do outside the stress of school,” Hauck said.

According to Hauck, one of the most important aspects of dance is teamwork. 

“Dance is special because not only do you get to meet your best friends in dance and build relationships through that, it’s also super fun,” Hauck said. “It’s also not super competitive all the time, so you don’t have to worry about winning. You get a sense of self enjoyment, and you don’t have to win to feel good about yourself.”

Contemporary dance is a style that combines jazz, ballet, and modern.

Related Stories

Silver Starts Westwood Contest

Silver Stars perform for the Macy's Day Parade

Silver Stars Spring Show; behind the curtains

Silver Stars Take on Spring Show

“My favorite style of dance is contemporary,” Hauck said. “It’s so fun because it allows you to use your emotions and you can apply your own experiences while doing it.”

By training multiple days a week, Hauck says she has been pushed physically and mentally with difficult choreography.

“There are definitely a lot of assumptions about dance, and people think it’s just something easy for ‘girly girls’ to do, but it just depends on what level you’re dancing at,” Hauck said. “I think that when you train a lot, dance is very hard and takes a lot of skill, brain, and artistic ability.”

Hauck won first place for her solo at Crowd Pleasers Austin Showcase and the American Lone Star Dance Championship this year.

“[Winning her solo] is a huge honor, and it was really rewarding to see all of her hard work pay off,” Davis said. 

Hauck is graduating this year and the title of captain will be passed on to another team member. 

“Kristin deserves recognition because of her dedication to Silver Stars over the past three years,” Davis said. “She’s an amazing captain, and she will be greatly missed.”