Dixie State University Dance Team hopefuls can expect to be judged on their skill, their studies, and most importantly, their spirit.
DSU’s Dance Team performs at football and basketball games, and it also devotes time to service around the community. Tryouts for next year’s team are April 26 and 27. This year’s team had 10 dancers, but the team is not limited to that amount.
Co-president Hailey Hammer, a sophomore elementary education major from St. George, said she hopes more girls come out for the team this year for the opportunity to dance now the school is a university.
“We are so excited to see all the girls and the talent for our first year as a university dance team,” Hammer said.
Adviser and coach Kori Esplin said candidates must be trained in all dance styles.
“It’s imperative that they’ve been technically trained in jazz, ballet, hip-hop and lyrical,” Esplin said.
Esplin said the candidates most likely to make the team will be those who have been training for more than 10 years.
However, excellent technique is not all it will take. Esplin said dance team members are expected to maintain a 2.7 GPA and commit to around 200 hours of service in the school year.
“They’ve got to represent Dixie State [University] in the very best way,” she said. “We do a lot of community events and a lot of community service.”
But, most importantly for Esplin, she wants team members with high school spirit that translates to a desire to entertain.
“They need to know more than dance,” she said. “They need to know to entertain. That’s really the deciding factor—if they know how to entertain an audience.”
Esplain said new dance team members could expect to spend six to eight hours a week in practice, as well as anywhere from 50-75 hours of games and community service.
Esplin said one of the biggest benefits of making the team is the opportunity to become heavily involved with the school.
“The dance team is something that’s been around for more than 30 years, and it’s a wonderful way to get involved and to be a part of the spirit of Dixie,” she said.
The friendships from making the team will be what team members value the most.
“They’ll have friendships that will last forever,” she said. “The college friends you meet are usually the people you’re friends with forever. I think that’s what they treasure the most—the relationships and bonds they form.”
Dance tryouts will be held April 26 and 27 in the Burns Arena at 8 a.m. Auditions will be closed to the public.
