Twenty-four women auditioned for the Cal State Long Beach Dance Team in the Walter Pyramid Tuesday.
The audition consisted of women ranging from incoming freshmen to fifth-year seniors and included some who had been on the team in previous years.
Dance Team Coach Rey Lozano said the team would be composed of seven to 16 full-time undergraduates and possibly graduate students. The current team consists of 11 women.
“[The nerve-racking part] is coming in at the young age of the spectrum and auditioning with older girls who have had experience being on the team,” incoming freshman and business economics major Claire Hunstein said.
The auditions began with simple combinations, such as jazz walks and high kicks, and soon escalated to more advanced choreography, featuring multiple turns and leaps. The exercises were performed in pairs determined by the women’s assigned numbers. Finalists were taught a four- to eight-count combination. Toward the end of the audition, each dancer performed a concise self-choreographed jazz solo.
According to Lozano, the judges’ determination is based largely on the dancer’s personality and ability to communicate cohesively with her fellow teammates and supervisors.
“[Having a team of new dancers] changes everything,” Lozano said. “It will determine the focus for the team because some girls may not be as strong technically. A lot of girls are returning, so their focus depends on where they want to be directed.”
Next year’s official Dance Team will be announced on May 9 around noon, online at BeachPride.com. Lozano stated he would prefer to have 14 dancers on the team, but it depends on the outcome of the auditions.
The CSULB Dance Team holds three-hour practices three days a week between September and January. The dancers are allowed to take the summer off to take dance classes or intensives, held outside dance studios.
This year’s Dance Team placed second out of 25 in the jazz category at the 2011 Universal Dance Association College National Championship, which took place at the Orlando, Fla. Cal State Fullerton took first place in by only one point.
Former CSULB Dance Team members have continued in professional sport dance teams and others have tried out for popular FOX TV show “So You Think You Can Dance.”
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