Working on their routines since October, Red Rhythm will be competing in a contest for this first time since the onset of COVID-19 when they take the floor at McKinney High School on Saturday. 

“So we’ve been preparing for basketball performances to have a dress rehearsal before we compete,” director Nicole Nothe said. “That way they have an opportunity to perform in front of an audience before the judges. But it is a new style so it has taken a little time for some to catch on, but we are doing a good job. We feel pretty prepared.”

Performing multiple different styles such as team contemporary, military, pom, and prop, they are doing something for the first time. 

“I am super excited for our team to compete this weekend, and we’ve been putting in a lot of work in order to be prepared,” senior captain Kelsey Madden said. “This year we’re competing four routines instead of three. One of our team’s routines is contemporary, which is the first time our team has ever competed in this style on Red Rhythm.”

Being unable to perform during the 2020-21 school year has the officers such as junior Gabby Stiles eager to perform.

“I am really excited for the contest, it is our first actual contest in two years since last year was a covid year, so it didn’t exactly run how it typically would,” Stiles said. “So I am really excited for our team to experience that, and we’ve also worked really hard, and we have some new styles of dances we are doing this year, which is really exciting.”