This year, Barlow’s Bruinettes have done it all. If you have gone to any football games, basketball games, or assemblies you might have seen the Bruinettes performing at halftime with one of their signature pom routines. However, the Bruinettes don’t just perform at halftime during various athletic events, they also have a season where they compete against other dance teams from other schools.
The 2023-2024 dance season began on May 10, 2023. Over the course of a three day tryout, all are expected to learn the dances the first two days and then the real audition begins on day three. Before the competition season starts in the fall, the Bruinettes prepare extra early by going to summer camps together. Since their season is around eleven months long, it is important to know who they are spending this time with and how to work well in a group. Junior Molly Sorenson says, “It really does feel like another family, and I love them to pieces!”
During competition season, the Bruinettes mainly focus on the state competition categories (Jazz, Pom, Hip-Hop, Traditional, and Show), but they only do one or two categories depending on what the dance team choreographer, and head coach, April Anderson is looking for. Competitions are scored based on precision, projection, and technique. In order to qualify for state, the Bruinettes must score a 70 in their previous seven competitions.
A typical competition day begins early in the morning. First, the Bruinettes prepare for the day by getting their hair and makeup done and stretching. Next, they watch other schools perform to show support, and then the Bruinettes perform their number(s) before watching the remaining schools. One thing that is unique about school dance competitions compared to conventional dance competitions is that they do something called drill-downs. A drill down is competitive military commands where judges assess you based on reaction time and ability to follow directions. Captain Jaidyn Worley said, “I like drill down because it pushes my memory and it is a big puzzle to figure out!” Lastly, they end the day with awards, take a few pictures, clean up, and go home.
Luckily for the Bruinettes, they qualified for state this year in the Traditional category where they performed their dance entitled “The Conflict” and placed 8th. This year there are only two seniors on the team who also happened to be team captains, Madison Hodge and Natalie Weed, who both helped lead their team through a successful season.
Junior Brooke Rinard said, “Even though being a Bruinette is a huge commitment, it is worth it and it is super fun. I look forward to seeing you at tryouts!” If you are interested in being a part of the dance team, tryouts are on April 30-May 2nd and you can reach out to Coach Anderson for more information.
