Dance Team

“HSHS Dance Team” - Madi Stolarik

This is the first year Holly Springs High has officially introduced a dance team that was established by two members of the HSHS Dance Program. Dance team captains, senior Chelsea Slocum and junior Ella Bucy are both dancers who are committed to the dance program and have dedicated time and work into showcasing the dance program at sports events. The dance team performs during halftime at the home basketball games, cheering on the Hawks varsity men and women players.

I spoke to both captains and asked them, “Why start a dance team?” The two expressed how they “both would like to be on a college dance team” and thought it would be a fun opportunity to represent HSHS dancers perform both their love and talent during halftime for the student section. I further asked, “What were the goals for the team?” The two responded that despite it being the first official dance team, they were “excited to have a lot of interest and just hoped to create a fun experience” for both the members and the student body. The two discussed that the team rehearsals are based on the game-day schedules but are typically “two lunch rehearsals [before a game] and an hour or two after school to learn a new routine.” At the beginning of the basketball season, the captains held auditions for dancers interested in the dance team. The captains selected a total of “sixteen members. Twelve are full-time members and four members switch out for different games”. The dance team is broken into three groups, each performing a choreographed dance at two games. Overall, the dance team would perform a total of three different dance performances at the end of their season.

Danielle Schaefer, a junior, expressed how she “loves the energy of the crowd when [they] are performing”. Danielle further emphasized that “It’s so fun hearing purple craze cheer us on as we dance!”

The dance team is currently rehearsing new choreography for their two final upcoming performances. The dance team will be performing in the February 7th game against Apex High School and will be performing on February 11 against Panther Creek High School. There is a possibility that the HSHS Dance Team will be performing throughout the playoff season, so look forward to future halftime performances!