Everyone has heard of all the typical college sports: basketball, soccer, hockey and lacrosse. But what about the teams that go unnoticed? For example, is the Quinnipiac community aware that in the midst of all the fantastic teams that exist, there also is an incredible kick line team being formed? As senior Danielle Garten quotes, “As head of the team, I want to get us noticed. People of Hamden need to know we’re out there and that we don’t plan on staying in the shadows for long.”
Just what exactly is kick line? It’s like a dance team, but not. A team of about thirty girls work together producing routines that include difficult dance moves. “We want to become the motivators for basketball games and such” stated Danielle. “We’re not cheerleaders and we’re definitely not trying to be, more like energizers to get the crowd going for the second part of the game.” The group also hopes to participate in some local competitions once the season gets underway. They were invited to a couple contests last year but were unable to attend due to lack of uniforms and time.
So what does it take to be on the kick line team? One must have some dance ability and be able to keep in time with music and to execute the dance steps. Flexibility is also a requirement. Although they don’t perform lifts or stunts, there are some pretty crazy moves to master. Performance and confidence also fall into this category. Because the group performs for large crowds, dancers can’t be shy or timid. “I think the most important quality that someone needs to have is dedication” emphasized Danielle. “We had some problems last year and this year I really want us to excel. If they are not serious about it, then they probably shouldn’t show up to tryout.”
Danielle became involved in kick line during junior high and competed on her high school cheerleading squad. “It’s unbelievable that such a small group knows about us. In New York, kick line is a very popular thing and everyone has heard about it. Here people look at me and say, `kick what?'” After a year of trying to put this together, things finally seem to be working out.
Tryouts will be held next week and all are welcome to attend. Who knows, soon we could be seeing a lot more of this uncharted