It’s a week of hard work and dedication. It’s a week of preparation and stress. A week of laughter mixed in with the worry. A week of short breaths being sucked in and only being exhaled when that last stance is hit perfectly. For Timber Creek Sky Dancers, homecoming week is hectic as well as a big deal.
Homecoming week is a big week for everyone, but for Sky Dancers, the week is filled with endless preparation.
Since homecoming is widely popular, the team steps out of their normal routine to provide a fun time for the student body. This includes walking in a parade and staying after their halftime performance to welcome the senior homecoming court on the field. It may seem easy but the girls agree that it is quite stressful when the team is known for their perfect performances.
The girls spend all week working on every aspect of their performances to ensure that things will go smoothly and flawlessly. With the parade being the first thing that the girls worry about during the week, sophomore Hannah Kocis tells Talon what it’s like to prepare and be in the parade.
“The homecoming parade itself was super fun, some stress here and there, but we really put a lot of work into it. Our coach even had us walk up and down Main Hall to practice walking and fight song!”
After overcoming the small hill that was the parade, the girls faced an even bigger one that Friday. They had two performances — Pep Rally Hip Hop, and Field Pom. Senior Haley Harvey describes what is going through her mind on days like Friday.
“I’m constantly thinking about if I have everything with me or not and making sure I’m ready on time. Also not mixing up the choreography of two different dances,” Harvey said.
Junior Kristen Fox, who is a Sky Dancer Lieutenant, describes the craziness of getting ready for pep rallies.
“Getting ready for pep rallies is super stressful. We normally get only about 20 minutes and everyone is running around like chickens with our heads cut off,” Fox said.
After the girls get ready in record time, they practice the dance one more time and then enter the gym to stand in tunnel lines. Once out there the girls wait for their turn to perform.
“Performing at the pep rallies is my favorite because the energy from the students is insane and the adrenaline is way high.” Fox describes.
After the pep rally comes the final stretch of the day — the game. Senior Alexa Fishman talked about how the girls get ready and what it’s like on the field.
“We have to make sure we have every single piece of our uniform, which is quite a lot: leotard, skirt, tights, overlay, gauntlets, belt, hat, boots, and earrings. You also can’t forget our curled hair, performance makeup and our signature red lipstick,” Fishman said. “Game day is the most stressful day of the week, remembering all of your clothes, costumes, makeup, and the actual dances, all while being a classy, put-together, respectful lady.”
Additionally, homecoming is a big game for the girls because their Sky Dancer alumni attend the performance. The former members know exactly how the girls should look and act, so it can be a big weight to carry.
“Just knowing that my former teammates are watching me perform motivates me to be the best I can be and exceed their expectations,” explains Fishman.
The field is another story.
“We have to remember tunnel lines, stand lines, fight song, school song, our halftime performance, and what to do when the homecoming court comes onto the field,” says Fishman.
After what seems like the longest week of their lives, the girls are finally able to get on the bus after the game and head back to the school. Even though the week proved to be a challenge, the team agrees that they love what they do and wouldn’t have it any other way.