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Farasha Moultrie

Senior Nailah Morgan and junior Mia Rangel practice pirouettes.

Farmerettes will hold prep clinics for middle and high school students, dance one and two classes and drill prep to attend and prepare dancers for tryouts. The prep clinic will be held in the main campus dance room on Feb. 5, Feb. 19, March 5 and March 19 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. This is an opportunity to learn new dance skills and prepare to become future Farmerettes.

“At these tryout clinics, we focus on one-on-one time, working with [current] members of the team and potential new candidates,” assistant director Allyson Turquette said. “Mainly practicing kick technique, pirouettes and leaps. Also, stretches to get our right and left splits which is required to make the team.”

The aspiration is to have the girls practice with current Farmerettes so they can help follow techniques and connect with each other. This will also help with making friends, and getting used to dancing and knowing what to do for tryouts. 

“Our prep clinics are to get comfortable with team members, set expectations for what we [look for], to know what tryouts would look like and hopefully meet some new friends,” Farmerette director Hannah Bunce said. 

For those who are already dancers, this opportunity may be beneficial to improve themselves or for Farmerettes, to remake the team. Dancers will learn the style of Farmerettes: a fusion of jazz, contemporary, hip-hop and cheer. They are also known for their kick lines during varsity football games and their sparkly outfits. Summing this up, knowing their style is expected at practices. 

“Even if you’re familiar with dance, you might not be familiar with our style as Farmerettes,” Bunce said. “If you feel confident on the dance side of it, this is a great time to make connections with people who will be rookies or make the team with you.”

Along with this, there are some Farmerettes who participated in the prep clinics last year which means that they’re more experienced dancing by themselves and helping others. Farmerette service officer Nailah Morgan has been on the team for three years and attended last year’s prep clinic as well. 

“When I was at the [last] prep clinic, we were in the process of doing trials for officers, so I felt like it helped me a lot with leading and teaching people for next year,” Morgan said. 

Becoming a future Farmerette means being a leader and setting standards and goals for themselves. Leading teammates in the right direction is a representation of the group and this experience can help build connections along the way in the prep clinics. 

“[Something] that is important to be a Farmerette is how you present yourself in and out of the organization,” Farmerette captain Mia Rangel said. “In practice or out of practice, it’s good to be a nice, kind person who is always motivating people because Farmerettes cheer others on.”