Clayton Ridge dancers audition for All-Iowa Team
Clayton Ridge Drill Team members Paige Thomas, Erika Sarazua, Caylee Rohner, Kailey Dempster, Delaney Brown, Claire Brandt and Britany Arce auditioned for the All-Iowa Honor Dance Team on Aug. 23, in Newton. Over 500 dancers from 110 high school dance teams across the state tried out for the 200 available spots in the performance at the girls state basketball tournament in March.
By Kaitlyn Kuehl-Berns
Seven dancers from the Clayton Ridge Drill Team traveled to Berg Middle School in Newton on Aug. 23 to represent their team at the All-Iowa Honor Dance Team audition.
Dancers in attendance included Britany Arce, Claire Brandt, Delaney Brown, Kailey Dempster, Caylee Rohner, Erika Sarazua and Paige Thomas.
The All-Iowa Honor Dance Team is celebrating its 45th year of honoring the top dancers from high schools across the state. Each August, over 500 dancers audition for the 200 coveted positions on the team. This year, 110 high schools were represented at auditions.
High school dance teams who are members of the Iowa Dance/Drill Team Association can select up to eight dancers to audition. Those chosen for the team will meet in Des Moines in March for rehearsals prior to their performance at the championship game of the girls state basketball tournament.
The Clayton Ridge Drill Team left for auditions well before the sun was up. They arrived and got warmed up and were placed in formation based on their audition numbers. The group then spent three hours learning three routines—a pom, a kick and hip hop—then wrapped up in time for lunch and some practice before auditions began.
Auditions are done in alphabetical order, in groups of about a dozen dancers. They each wear white T-shirts and black pants. Everyone looks the same and there is nothing noting what school they’re from, their grade level or if they have been selected before. Everyone starts at a blank slate and judges select only the top dancers.
Arce, a junior member, was in the first audition group this year. Reflecting on what it meant for her to be selected as a top dancer on the team, she shared, “It means a lot to me knowing that all the work that I put into the drill team is being recognized. It gives me confidence and motivation that I know I can accomplish anything I put my mind into.”
Sophomore Sarazua was a participant in the All Iowa Honor Dance Team this past March as a member of the pre-game show. She performed with 49 other dancers from across the state in a patriotic hoopla and color guard routine.
Sarazua explained the audition experience as, “very long and tiring, but worth it.”
Commenting on how she would feel if selected, she shared, “It would mean so much because it would show me that other people see potential in me to be a great dancer. I would be very proud of myself for achieving one of my biggest goals.”
Brown, a freshman member, said what stood out to her about the audition process was “the positive energy from the other dancers that radiated throughout the day. Even at times when it was stressful or nerve racking, the people in my group made things seem easier.”
Dempster, a sophomore on the team, commented on how her experience this year differed from last year.
“It wasn’t nearly as nerve racking because I already knew what to expect,” she said.
Though the nerves calmed going into her second year of auditions, Dempster shared the challenge of learning new and complicated material so fast was just as rewarding at the end of the day, knowing that she put in the work and tried her very best.
Junior member Brandt reflected on what it meant to represent Clayton Ridge, sharing, “Getting chosen was a really great feeling, but also came with a lot of responsibility to show that, even though we are a small school, we can still accomplish just as much as the bigger schools can. I feel lucky to get to carry the tradition of excellence this team has built.”
When asked what advice they would give teammates auditioning in the future, all the girls stressed the value of putting in time to prepare and entering the audition room with confidence.
Newcomer Thomas said, “Make sure you practice any chance you get. All you can do is your best.”
Acknowledging the tryout process can be stressful, Arce said the advice she would give would be “Don’t let the nerves get to you. It’s normal to be nervous, but do your best to not get in your own head. If you mess up during your audition, use that as motivation to hit your next moves harder.”
