One class. Two teams. More than 50 hopefuls.

Dance Team Prep is a semester long course offered for students who are wanting to audition for the Royals or Rhythm Dance Company. The course offers dance technique to help prepare the students for auditions, and working on proper dance team technique.

“I have been dancing for nine years,” freshman Colleen Gallagher said. “But this the most nerve-racking thing I’ve experienced.”

Although Gallagher has been dancing for more than half of her life, she is still preparing for these tryouts. Her favorite genre of dance is jazz but still wishes to work on other types of dance as well.

“I can express myself in all ways and feel comfortable,” Gallagher said. “But meeting all the new people in the class has been my favorite part so far this year.”

For auditions, students will learn a kick and a jazz style dance routine within two days before auditions. Routines will include things such as different types of high kicks, turns and leaps that students currently work on in the class. They also have to show the judges their turns and side splits.

“I had a positive experience with auditions,” sophomore Royal Brooke Templeton said. “It was not hard, it was pretty easy and laid out for you, but you obviously had nerves going into it because you were unsure about the outcome.”

Royals and Rhythm auditions are Dec. 9 and students will find out their results that Friday, when they are posted on the dance website at 4:30 p.m.

“I’m nervous for auditions,” Maglich said. “But it helps to know how auditions will be laid out and that we’ll find out soon after auditions if we made the team.”

Multiple students audition every year. There are more than 50 students taking Dance Team Prep as a course right now, who are wanting to audition for one of the two teams.

“Dance Team Prep is a good experience overall,” freshman Sophie Hall said. “You get to learn and watch different people who may be at a higher level of dance than you. You’re able to compare yourself to them and that helps you become a better dancer.”

The only male dancer in the class, freshman Zane Lopez, decided to check out dance for the first time this year.

“I think the class is preparing us well,” Lopez said. “Especially me because I don’t have experience like others do.”

Although Royals and Rhythm are dance teams, they do more for the school than just dancing.

“Royals and Rhythm are the drill teams for Rouse,” Templeton said. “They also try to provide a support system for all the other clubs and they perform at school events and bring in school spirit.”

The two teams look for dance ability, but also for other things that don’t necessarily involve technique.

“We look for flexibility, showmanship, execution of dance styles and kicks,” Royals director Amy McKee said.

Not only do Royals and Rhythm provide a support team for the school, they create sisterhoods which provide them with a positive experience on the dance team.

“The best part about being a Royal is the sisterhood we all have,” Templeton said. “The fact that you can go in, whenever it is, 7:30 practice or whatever, you know you have 41 other girls who are there for you with whatever you need their help with. I totally 100 percent recommend trying out. Even if you aren’t completely sure if you want to do it, I say try out so that you know at the end that you gave your everything and even if it doesn’t work out like you thought it did, you still tried out and you’ll know forever that you went for it.”

The dance team students will find out the final verdict on who made the team, Dec. 11.

“If I don’t make Royals,” Gallagher said. “Over Christmas break I’m going to lay in bed the whole time, watch Netflix and eat popcorn.”