showcase
About three fourths of this entire year, I hated Golden Girls. I was unhappy, loosing love for dance, but most importantly felt useless to the team. I made my mom promise to me that no matter what I said, not to let me try out again. For months I contemplated whether or not to try out again. 95% of me said no, but there was still that 5% that said yes.
It was the beginning of April, all events were basically done and it was time to practice for our Spring Showcase. Every year the Golden Girls have two showcases. One in the fall to show off what we’ve got this year and usually during parents weekend so they can see how hard we have been working. And another in the spring. This one is the most important because it is always the Friday before tryouts. This show lets all girls and guys come to see what we’re made of and mostly to intimidate them. I remember watching the Spring Showcase the night before I tried out for the first time…And let me tell you, the intimidation works. By the night, my passion and love for dance had come back to me. I realized that although for football and basketball games, all I may be doing is kicking my leg and chanting “GO NOLES”, but I do that because I am spirited. I cannot forget about dancing, that’s how it got me on this team in the first place. The show was amazing. I was in many more dances than the Fall Showcase, and it was fun actually being on the stage this time rather than watching what I could be. My favorite dance was choreographed by my dear friend Rachael for her mother who has been fighting cancer. It was a very passionate song, and each of the dancers represented a word from the lyrics; “I run for HOPE, I run to FEEL, I run for TRUTH and for all that is REAL. I run for your MOTHER, your SISTER, your DAUGHTER, your WIFE, I run for you and me my friends… I run for LIFE”. It was so amazing to be a part of this special moment between Rachael and her mother.
We didn’t have much time to sleep before the next morning came bright and early. It was first day of try outs and it was very strange being already on the team. All of the team at that time wore our “Fear the Spear- Golden Girls” tank tops for the learning portion, and then we blended with the rest of the girls for the rest of the day. First cuts were short and sweet, basically just trimming off the top that really just didn’t belong there. Second cuts were the most excruciating. First cuts took a total of 6 hours going two girls at a time. It was a jazz dance to Lady Gaga’s “Telephone”. Let’s just say I hope I never hear that song again. Next cuts was just the Hip Hop dance to Black Eyed Peas- “Imma Be”. Although I was much more confident with the Hip Hop piece, I completely blacked out in the middle of the routine and couldn’t pick up the choreography. I looked ridiculous standing next to a girl trying out doing better than I was. After a night of crying and determining to redeem myself the next day, I was ready. I redeemed myself in Hip Hop as I did it perfectly and also completely re did my improve choreography for my jazz dance. I felt so relieved. As they put the final 30 girls in a line to look at our appearances, I was starting to feel that nervousness come back. That next cut broke down my entire team. We lost a freshman rookie, our ballerina of the group, Lexi. It was a devastating sight to us all, and crushed everyone. The nervousness just grew, especially hearing the next decision. I, along with 6 other girls was chosen to do our contemporary solo we created to so to say, dance for our lives. Right as I ended my solo I ran back behind the curtain and just broke down, hoping that was enough to save me. After all I had done this year, and finally decided that I couldn’t lose Golden Girls because it was a part of my life now, I wasn’t going to let it slip through my hands that easily. About an hour later after much deliberation, the judges came back and announced our new 2010-2011 team... And I was a part of it. It was the most relieving thing to hear my number be called. My solo definitely reassured my coaches that Saturday’s tryout was a fluke and it reminded them of my talent. Even Assistant Coach Rasheedah said “your solo was so great and so beautiful, I cried. Thank you”.
And so my rookie year ended. And I was now officially a Vet. Let a new year begin.
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