Online Auditions Decide Next Year's Teams
By Katherine Rowe
By Katherine Rowe
As school switched to distance learning following prolonged closure, the dance and cheer team have continued to work towards next year by holding auditions online.
By having students record themselves doing routines and choreography, coaches were able to decide the next season’s teams by analyzing the videos they submitted.
The cheer team’s head coach, Jeneé Dampier, feels that even though these auditions are not the same as they would have been in person, they are still necessary to complete before the season begins for both dance and cheer.
“I wanted to provide some normalcy during this time and also give the athletes something to look forward to,” Dampier said. “Being part of this team is very important to those who are a part of this family, and being able to start the season again gives them something to keep them busy.”
Along with cheer, dance decided to hold auditions online as well. Claire Guazelli, 11, explains how the team’s head coach, Lisa Yap conducted online auditions and how she felt about this method of deciding next year’s team.
“For the auditions, dance team alumni choreographed a routine and that video was uploaded to Google Classroom. We had to learn that dance and record it and turn it in by a certain date along with some across the floors, which coach (Yap) told us what to do and what songs to use in another video,” Guazelli said. “I think it was a good way to still have the auditions and make it accessible for as many people as possible. It was easier for me to learn the dance, compared to being in person, because I could go at my own pace.”
Although not able to interact with his teammates in person, John Read, 10, found the auditions to be better than his expectations, and anticipating a season that will otherwise be unaffected by COVID-19.
“The change to online tryouts hasn't affected me a whole much. I'm just hoping that we will get a season,” Read said. “Cheerleading and being on the team means everything to me, as the team is basically a second family.”
By having students record themselves doing routines and choreography, coaches were able to decide the next season’s teams by analyzing the videos they submitted.
The cheer team’s head coach, Jeneé Dampier, feels that even though these auditions are not the same as they would have been in person, they are still necessary to complete before the season begins for both dance and cheer.
“I wanted to provide some normalcy during this time and also give the athletes something to look forward to,” Dampier said. “Being part of this team is very important to those who are a part of this family, and being able to start the season again gives them something to keep them busy.”
Along with cheer, dance decided to hold auditions online as well. Claire Guazelli, 11, explains how the team’s head coach, Lisa Yap conducted online auditions and how she felt about this method of deciding next year’s team.
“For the auditions, dance team alumni choreographed a routine and that video was uploaded to Google Classroom. We had to learn that dance and record it and turn it in by a certain date along with some across the floors, which coach (Yap) told us what to do and what songs to use in another video,” Guazelli said. “I think it was a good way to still have the auditions and make it accessible for as many people as possible. It was easier for me to learn the dance, compared to being in person, because I could go at my own pace.”
Although not able to interact with his teammates in person, John Read, 10, found the auditions to be better than his expectations, and anticipating a season that will otherwise be unaffected by COVID-19.
“The change to online tryouts hasn't affected me a whole much. I'm just hoping that we will get a season,” Read said. “Cheerleading and being on the team means everything to me, as the team is basically a second family.”