The pep rally is about to begin, and the dance team takes their place. Five, six, seven, eight. The dance begins and the crowd erupts with cheers as they perform. Senior Rachel Pugh is very familiar with this sound. She has been dancing for almost six years now.

“I think that dance is a great choice for people who do not classify themselves as athletic,” Pugh said. “You have to have a different coordination. It is also a good way to find yourself.”

Pugh started dancing when she was in the seventh grade at Traylor Dance Academy, and then she transferred to Dance Kraze two years ago. Between these two schools she has trained in jazz, tap, and lyrical.

“Jazz is my favorite because it is what I started with, and it is what I have done the longest,” Pugh said.

Pugh started dancing for the Royalettes as a freshman. There she was introduced to hip-hop.

“Since being on the team I noticed that as a senior you have more responsibility,” Pugh said. “Instead of looking for guidance, you have to be the one to give it.”

Although Pugh loves to dance she is not looking for a career in it.

“I like dance, but it is something for stress relief, and it is something that I’m good at,” Pugh said. “But I want to pursue something more academic. It is not something I am going to give up though.”

Senior Jasmine Jones by JoJo Taylor

Senior Jasmine Jones went from hearing the sound of the swish from the basketball net to hearing the music she dances along with.  She had to make a tough decision whether to stick with basketball or move on to dancing.

Michael Jackson was the one person who inspired Jones to start dancing.  She has no doubt that he started a beginning to the new generation of dance.  His whole mentality in life was devoted to dancing.

“Hip hop is my favorite type of dancing because I can express any of my emotions,” Jones said. “It is different than any other genre of music.”

Jones has been on the dance team for four years.  This year is different, she believes that the team has become a family.  As a senior, Jones plays the part of one of the captains.

“It feels amazing to be a leader on this team,” Jones said. “It is just good to know that we have come so far, and it feels even better to know I was a part of it.”

Jones does not want to major in dancing, but she would like to dance for the college of her choice.  She wants to audition for Dancing with the Stars or So You Think You Can Dance.  Her last wish is to have a dance studio in her house.  Dance will always be apart of her life.

“The reason I chose dance, even though I love basketball, was because I have a passion for dancing.  My life revolves around dance,” Jones said.  “It was the hardest decision I have ever had to make.”

 Corrine Harris by Lindsay Pugh

While senior Corinne Harris hasn’t ever stepped foot in a dance studio and only joined an organized team when she was a freshman, she has been dancing for far longer.

“I danced around everywhere when I was little,” Harris said.

Harris has been on the Royalettes Dance Team for four years out of the five it’s been active.  The team performs twice at each home football game, during pregame and halftime. This year, the team has stepped up, learning two new dances each week instead of one.  It hasn’t been a challenge for Harris, “a fast learner”, but a lot more has to get done in the three afternoon practices before the game.

The increased effort being put in by the team makes Harris hopeful for a win at the Manchester Lancer Dancer Invitational dance competition, as well as their new choreographer, Tiffany Miller, “an amazing teacher.” The Royalettes placed for the first time last year, earning a third place trophy in the kick line category.

“That’s my best memory of dance team,” Harris said. “I felt ecstatic and accomplished when we won.”

Harris is also passionate about literature, all because of her sophomore and junior English teacher, Karen Rhodes. She plans on attending Spelman College, located in Atlanta, Georgia. She wants to major in psychology and eventually become a social worker.

But she’ll “always be a dancer.”

 Akeylah Cooper by Lindsay Pugh

When she joined the Royalettes dance team this year, Senior Akeylah Cooper had her biggest challenge in trying to get to know her teammates.

“It’s important to have strong relationships with them,” she says. “They [need to] know they can come to you.”

Cooper danced when she was little, but stopped. Her passion was reawakened in her freshman year, when she enrolled in a dance class held at her old high school.

Currently, she’s dancing with the Royalettes every football game. Learning two dances per week used to be difficult for Cooper, but she’s adapted quickly.  Now the team is preparing for the Manchester Lancer Dancer Invitational dance competition. Cooper says she thinks the team has a  very good chance of placing.

“We’ve gotten so much better, it’s unbelievable.”

Cooper also enjoys her job as a guidance aid, assisting the guidance department.

“I love the [working] environment,” Cooper said.

Cooper plans on attending VCU and earning a degree in neonatal nursing. Cooper intends to incorporate dance into her future. After she graduates, she plans to take two dance classes during college and dance on her college’s dance team if they have one.  Then she’ll step out of her dance shoes and into her scrubs.

Becca Soon by: Blier Smith