Auditions

The 2008-09 auditions took place on Sunday, April 27, 2008. I remember showing up with my mom nervous yet anxious to start the audition. Looking at all the girls trying out only put my stomach in a knot, but once the audition actually started I felt much more comfortable.

We were tested on a free style first, and of course I'm the one that gets the latin song! (I was almost the only white girl there and I get the latin song! :) Then they moved on to the solo portion, where I completely blanked out and basically had to free style again! The last part of the audition was the technique, the whole time all I could think was "Just don't fall! Just don't fall!" I was so nervous that I was afraid I would fall in the middle of a jump or out of my turns. But in the end everything worked out!

I MADE THE TEAM! When i heard my name called I didn't even know what to think! I just got up and tried not to fall down while walking up to the group of girls that had already made it. It was a great day and I was ecstatic (and still am) that I made the team! I'm really excited to see how this year goes!

Come back to read more about my rookie year on Dazzlers :D

Nationals

As basketball season was coming to its close, we started to get more and more focused on our competition routine to take to Nationals in Daytona, Florida! It took us a long time to fundraise the money we needed, but we eventually got through it and found ourselves on the NDA stage with amazing costumes, really professionally mixed music, and awesome make-up. The second time we performed was so full of energy, and we all felt how amazing we did, so we were all REALLY pleased with our performance, as was everyone else that traveled to support us. It was great to have the experience dancing on that huge stage and I was really glad that we went. The whole team bonded the most, I'm sorry to say, at the end of the year, but I'm so glad that we did. It's hard to see my old vets leave. I looked up to so many of them, but now they're off to bigger and better places in their life and I'm so proud to have known all of them.This whole year was really hectic, but LOTS of fun! I would recommend this experience to everyone that I know! I still remember walking into auditions freaked out about making it at all, and then if I did, how would I get along with the girls? But this year was so amazing, and I appreciate every team mate because they all brought their own flavor to the team and made it so complex and diverse. In summation, the year was amazingly busy, but also amazingly fun. It was a challenge just trying to manage my time to include family, school, life, and dance, but in the end, it was definitely worth it. I love being a Dazzler and I hope that those of you reading this can one day experience how fun it is being one!

Oficially signing off for the 2007-2008 year,
Lauren Perez