Leaping across dance cultures

For many girls, making the Red Rhythm drill team, means a focus on jazz, military and kicks to perform and compete. But for freshman Rachel Guo, a background in Chinese dance was what got her on the 2016-17 team after just half a year of learning varieties of techniques. To find out more, Wingspan’s Janet Nguyen sat down with Guo.

Wingspan: How long have you been dancing?

Guo: “I’ve been dancing since I was 5.”

Wingspan: What made you want to try out for drill team?

Guo: “My friends Janet and Amy encouraged me to try out and it seemed like a lot of fun.”

Wingspan: How is jazz, military, and kicks different from Chinese dancing?

Guo: “Chinese dancing doesn’t really incorporate any of those techniques needed for drill team, but in my class we do a few jazz techniques and we do kicks for part of our warm ups.”

Wingspan: Do you like drill team dancing or Chinese dancing better?

Guo: “I like drill team better so far because you form a bond between the girls which you don’t have to do in Chinese dance.”

Wingspan: How did you feel during tryout week?

Guo: “During tryout week I felt very nervous and anxious, but at the same time it was a lot of fun.”

Wingspan: What are you looking forward to being on Red Rhythm next year?

Guo: “I am looking forward to making new friends and learning new dances.”

Wingspan: What are you least excited about Red Rhythm?

Guo: “The least excited thing about drill is the amount of time you have to put in it.”

Wingspan: What’s your favorite style of dance in drill team? Why?

Guo: “My favorite style is jazz because I like all the techniques and how it’s very sharp but at the same time you can express yourself.”

Wingspan: What’s your least favorite style of dance in drill team? Why?

Guo: “My least favorite style is kick because it’s very tiring and there’s a lot of aspects that I must think about in order to get a sharp and good looking kicks.”

Wingspan: Who helped you the most with drill team techniques?

Guo: “Ms. Nothe and drill team class helped the most because that’s where I learned all the technique and where I learned what they were looking for during tryouts.”