When the Sky Dancers walk onto the field, one can often hear a few of the girls counting the rest of the dancers on. These dancers are the seven Sky Dancer officers, each in charge of a group of Sky Dancers called a squad. In these squads, the officers are responsible for making sure their hair, makeup, attire, and everything needed to be a Sky Dancer is correct.
The officers not only fix peoples hats before performances or count the dancers on and off the field, they are the connecting pieces between the team and the coaches.
“We’re basically the connection between [Lindsay] Harris of what she can’t see within the team,” explained Sky Dancer lieutenant April Aguilar. “Mainly, you just need to be able to keep doing your job because there are people depending on you.”
In order to become an officer, the students have to go through a mentally and physically challenging week of auditions. It begins with the candidates teaching the team their own choreography.
“During the teaching process, behind the scenes, the candidates arrive early to practice to learn our tryout dance that we will perform in front of the judges/directors in small groups,” explained junior first lieutenant Kristen Drumm.
The senior officers then choreograph and teach the candidates a routine. At the team tryouts, the candidates receive a small group of dancers to be responsible for throughout tryouts. After a week of tryouts, officer candidates perform their learned dance and teach their own choreography in front of the judges/directors. The final piece of tryouts is the interviews.
“The audition process to become an officer was very grueling and nerve racking,” explained lieutenant Jordan Eldridge. “In the span of one week we had to teach the team a dance, learn our dance for tryouts, help with team tryouts for the team, and go through an interview with a panel of judges.”
After the interviews are over, the candidates are told to wait at home.
“If you get a phone call from a senior officer telling you to come back up to the school, you made officer,” described Drumm. “When all of the new officers arrive back at the school late that evening, we then find out our rank.”
After the dancers find out their position, they immediately are role models in the Sky Dancer community and are excepted to lead the group of girls. Sky Dancer captain Hayes Harkins especially feels this pressure.
“I wake up earlier than I have in the past, [and] normally the first thing I think about is Sky Dancers, what we need to accomplish that day, and who expressed to me a concern the previous day,” described Harkins. “Prior to practice I convene with [Coach Harris] to discuss anything and everything, such as the upcoming pep rally, or getting field time to rehearse that weeks field routine.”
Each day, she is in charge of all members, including those who have infractions, and making sure everything is going correctly. Being captain is not only keeping everyone on task but also choreographing and teaching dances, stretching the team, and giving directions on the field.
“Leading such an amazing and dedicated group of young women is fantastic. It was a hard position to achieve and it is still challenging at times,” elaborated Harkins. “It’s humbling to be able to represent them, because they are all amazing. It’s definitely a stressful job at times but well worth it.”
See photos of the Sky Dancers below:
