The Dance Team

In sixth grade I remember seeing the high school dance team at a football game. They were amazing! They danced to great music (exactly the songs I loved to hear on the radio back then). Also, they had great dance routines, they could kick super high and wore cute uniforms. I remember thinking, “When I get to high school, I’m definitely going to be on that dance team!” 

However, by the time I actually got to high school everything had changed: the music, the uniforms, even the style of the dance routines. Everyone was horribly disappointed to hear about all the changes, and nearly everyone dropped out of tryouts immediately, never looking back. Only eight of us stayed. Not even half the size of the team the year before.

Up until this particular year, our school hadn’t had a band, and the dance team had performed all their routines to a cassette tape, piped through a loud-speaker. But now, there was a newly assembled junior high band and they sounded really great considering that most of them had only recently begun learning their instruments. But there was a catch. In order to sound as good as they could, they had to play really fast. The result? Humorously fast dancing in the half time show every weekend. I remember yelling to the drummer as I kicked frantically, “SLOW DOWN!” He looked at me helplessly as he yelled back, “I CAN’T!” 

Our uniforms consisted of a sequin V neck top— as itchy as it was unattractive, paired with a strangely long, blue, polyester circle-skirt. The school wanted the skirts to be longer than usual for modesty reasons, but it did’t make much sense because we were kicking our legs way up high. I think pants wound have served their purposes better, but would have looked equally awkward, so it’s just as well I didn’t suggest it. 

The actual dancing had changed too. As I mentioned, we still had kick-lines (kicking at record speed) but in addition we had a lot of less popular dance moves. I remember one in particular where we were instructed to jump gracefully into the air and land on the ground like falling leaves. Easier said than done, thanks to gravity. And impossible if you try it at double the speed.

When I think back on those days spent trying to learn ridiculous routines to surprisingly fast band music, in itchy, unattractive uniforms, it always makes me laugh. We felt embarrassed often but we were in it together, and most of us were having a pretty good time. Though not good enough to sign up the next year.

~Amy