The Bingham High School Dance Company has caught the attention of everybody in the school. With their beautiful dances unveiled to us at halftime shows or assemblies, it makes anyone who thought they were graceful look like a clutz. They have become an event that everyone looks forward to. But how much do we know about these girls? Do they compete like their counterpart, the Minerettes? How often do they rehearse?

As we all know, the Dance Company performs at the football and basketball halftime shows. They almost never perform the same dance twice in a row, and it is usually choreographed to some catchy-pop song or a low-key moody one. Everyone is impressed by the dances, we would all think that it was just their coach, Gina Terrell, choreographs it all. But, most of the dances are actually choreographed by the students. In an interview with Isabella Housel, senior and Dance Company President, she said “…and we choreograph our own dances, which is what, I think, a lot of people don’t realize is that we get to be hands-on and make- up the stuff we’re doing.” Amazed? It shows that the Dance Company is full of talent, seeing how they are able to create incredible dances that amaze even the most cynical spectator.

The team does an incredible number of performances throughout the year. As mention before, they perform at the sports’ halftime shows. But we’ve also seen them at various assemblies throughout the year. On top of that, they perform at different festivals and charitable events. Do they compete at all? Actually, they don’t. They simply dance for the love of dancing.

With all these performances, when do they rehearse and how long? According to Isabella, the team rehearses every day, to about 7:00 in the evening for this time of year. All of it is for the more frequent performances and their upcoming concert. The Dance Company concert is a collection of dances throughout the year grouped into one showing. It displays the various styles of dancing, from upbeat dances to the slow and beautiful ones.

Speaking from personal experience, being part of a team builds camaraderie that affects your life. While we only see the performances of the Dance Company, we do not see how it has changed their lives. They have formed a bond that is so strong, they call themselves family. They all help each other get through the day. They even help each other the monotonous tasks, like homework and moving cars of the driving range.

All this hard work and numerous performances, is it all worth it? Isabella thinks so. “Not only has it made my high school years really enjoyable, I feel like it’s been the foundation for me to move forward with dance. Because of Dance Company, I have learned the things necessary to major in dance and go further with dance, rather than it just ending with high school. That’s the biggest blessing from Dance Company, it’s taught me and enabled me to move forward with dance.” The Dance Company have definitely made an impact not only on the lives of the girls involved, but also on the entire school. We always love watching them and can’t help but feel impressed by them. Don’t forget about their final concert this year. It is on April 24, 25, and 27. It is a big event for the team and they would love to showcase it to the school. Their theme for this year is Limitless.

Also, if you are interested in auditioning for the team, audition dates are May 7 and 8. If you’re nervous, don’t be! Isabella offers some advice, “My advice is just to not be scared. I remember when I tried out, I was expecting it to be super tense environment, and to feel like I didn’t know anybody. But the instant I got there, it was an overwhelming feeling of calmness and tryouts were so much fun. Anyone who wants to should just go for it, no matter what your dance background is.” You can pick up a flyer in the dance room or the main office and if you have any questions, find a member and ask them.​