Captains help lead Evergreen dance team

Eighth-graders Kelsey Solberg, Jessica Chester, Melanie Hoff, Becky White and Carly Evanson move to the groove. They are the team captains of Evergreen Middle School’s Dance/Drill Team.

With the help of school secretary Janet Hall, the girls choreographed a seven-minute dance to the beat of clips from “Rent” and “High School Musical,” two popular Broadway shows. More than 70 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade girls fall into line. “It’s frustrating to teach sometimes,” said Chester, “It’s hard to tell people they’re not doing it right.”

The girls watch the dancers and tap the shoulders of the ones who are missing the steps. The tap is a reminder to work harder or clear your head by running some laps.

The captains are only doing their job: Fine tuning the dance in a short amount of time. Twelve two-hour practices hardly seem enough but somehow they manage. The five girls practice extra hours on the weekends so they can lead the dance with more confidence.

Outside of this intramural activity, the girls take on other management roles. Chester is in yearbook and the others are in leadership class. Being drill team captains has helped them meet more of the students in the school. “People know us,” said the girls. “They call out our names in the hallways and say hello.”

As of now, the girls are testing the waters of their futures. Though Hoff is sure she will continue to dance, the others may choose sports. For now, they are using this time to shine and help the other dancers on the team to do the same. “There’s a dancer inside every girl,” said Hall, “and they all deserve to be a star.”

The final piece is inspiring. They incorporate basketballs, jerseys and choir robes into the elaborate performance. The main costumes are black shirts with gold, silver, blue or red sleeves. They perform during halftime at the school’s basketball games. In the future, they will perform at a pep assembly and at the Junior Lilac Parade.