The Jacksonville High School J’ettes Dance team season has recently come to an end. Last season was amazing. The accomplishments made, five state championship titles, and the basketball game performances, were unprecedented. But with that amazing season coming to an end, it is time to think about the future for the J’ettes dance team. They are losing seven seniors, two of which were the captains. But this coming year the girls plan to try to reclaim their state wins. Tryouts are right around the corner.

The tryouts are a very exciting, yet stressful time for dancers wanting to be on the team and for the coaches. There are so many components taken into thought when considering who is right for the team. They must have technique and skill, showmanship and spirit, and they must have good behavior and grades since it is a school team. The dancers must also be able to pick up choreography fairly quickly. Being part of this team is very time consuming but so worth it. The J’ettes have practice several times a week to get their routines in tip top shape for competitions and basketball games. At the tryouts, the dancers are asked to do many things. On the first night, the girls will be asked to do a leap, triple turn, fouette turns, a straddle jump, and a c-jump individually along with any other skills the coaches would like to see. They will begin learning the tryout routine on the first night as well. On another day of tryouts, the girls will be asked to perform a solo choreographed by themselves. And on the last day, the girls will perform the tryout routine that they learned all week in front of a huge panel of judges. It is very nerve racking.

The tryouts can be stressful, but the J’ettes cannot wait to have a new team. It is sure to be a great year.