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 I'm so pleased and proud to say I survived Tryouts this season. I say 'survived' as it was the most gruelling and physically demanding challenge EVER! Arriving at the preliminary round on Sunday 4th June, everyone looked amazing. You'd have thought it was a beauty pageant or a Miss Scotland audition. It was at this point I planned to trip up a few girls who looked too good!
Enrolments got under way and the girls were chatting away to each other, making the new girls feel welcome and settling nerves. Then it was time to move upstairs into the studio. Once we were all crammed in and after a welcoming from Carole Anne – the gruelling day began…
The studio was warm and crammed, and was about to get even warmer as our 'torturer' Will, took us thru not one, or two… but three warm-up routines! Then straight onto a 'boot camp-style' punishment class… I thought my body was going to collapse. Looking round the room every single girl was giving it their all, you can't afford to pause for a second and don't even think about reaching for the water bottles. A regular 'FLOOR NOW' bawled from our 'Commander Will' meant we had to hit the floor and quickly scurry on our hands and knees to the centre of the room, get up and re-commence the task you were at.! I'm sure some of the girls must have thought they'd walked into the wrong room. No, this was indeed the Rockettes auditions. During my seventh round of ab-crunches Carole Anne appeared with a cheesy smile above me and chanted 'smile thru the pain girls, smile'… I actually think I jumped up and rugby-tackled her to the ground… or maybe I just wanted to, but physically didn't have the strength to.
With arms, legs and bodies aching we were pushed on to the next level downstairs in the gym which included fitness and endurance tests, stamina tests, and strength and flexibility tests. Sighs of relief were heard around the gym as the tests eventually came to a close… but… things haven't even got started yet! Back upstairs in the studio and it's time to stretch, splits – both legs – leaps and kicks across the floor and double and triple pirouettes! We hadn't even started the dance routine yet!!
The routine was a jazzy number to a funky wee song called 'Running' by Lenny Kraviz. It was really, really good and everyone was enjoying themselves by this time. The 'glam chick-look' most girls arrived with had been replaced with a 'dragged-thru-a-hedge' appearance. I'm obviously speaking for myself here. As the routine progressed a few screams and ouch's were echoing round the room as some girls' high-kicks were a bit too high and ended up in other girls' heads!! Again, I'm obviously speaking for myself here. :o) So we split into two groups and it was easier to high-kick and back-kick. Hey, 'back-kick'! ouch! I looked like a wild bull kicking it's way round a china shop. Nearly broke my neck the first time.
Everyone coped extremely well with the routine and I'd say by the end of day one, it was 'Even Stevens'. No one was ahead of anyone. As everyone dwindled away from the gym it was every man for themselves. It would now depend on how well the routine was perfected and indeed how much more was still to be added the following Sunday…
The following Sunday arrived all too quickly for my liking. I'd buffed down the carpet in my spare room practising the routine in front of the mirrors. My back-kick still resembled Donkey from Shrek and my left leg hurt!! :o( I was also up at the crack of dawn doing some work for the Daily Record. So literally had two minutes to grab my change of clothes and get to the gym, no time to take off my 'panda' make-up. The other girls and the judges must have thought 'She's a bit over done'!! I honestly don't normally wear that much make-up! Honest!!
I grumbled under my breath when Sergeant Will arrived, knowing fine well what was going to follow. No 'boot camp' this week which was a relief. After warm-up and stretch the second part of the routine was taught. A briefing from Carole Anne and the panel of judges followed and we were sent downstairs to get ready to audition.
As the auditions got underway upstairs the dressing-room resembled a scene from 'Fame' downstairs. Hot pants, crop tops and coloured tights and leg warmers scattered everywhere. Corners of the gym were packed with girls going over the routine, checking timings etc… I spent most of my time on the massage machine trying to warm my leg and stretch. Once seated in the carpeted area of JJB, we started sharing some jokes and sing-along songs. Charlie's joke was the longest joke I have ever heard and defo not worth the punch line. I'd share it with you but I'd need another couple of pages here. Eventually it was my group's turn to go in… Gulp…!
The studio was cool and silent as the three of us walked in. I was feeling quite nervous. As we approached the judging table I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Dear God, my 'panda eyes' looked even darker..! I desperately wanted to take forty steps back from the table so I wouldn't be so close. It was too late, the questions had began, besides I felt a bit better when I saw Carole Anne, my fellow 'panda' had been tarred by the same make-up brush.! After 'question time' and splits right and left leg, we performed the dance routine through twice. I saw 'Donkey' in the mirror pointing and laughing at me when I did my back-kick, but I ignored him and gave it my best shot. My left leg didn't feel sore as I high-kicked and I smiled all the way through. Feeling I had done OK, with no mistakes my group left the studio and joined the girls back downstairs.
I feel that being a four-year veteran is probably more nerve-wracking than being a new Rookie. You have nothing to lose coming in the door to audition for the first time and everything to gain. However, being a Vet on the squad is daunting and I certainly felt the pressure. No one really asks how you are feeling about auditions, if you are nervous. They assume you 'know' that you are guaranteed a place. That then makes you feel like maybe you don't deserve a place, as according to other people you're only getting in because you are a Vet.! So you have to work harder, and prove that your performance on the day is still good enough for game days. You don't want to lose your place, miss out on all the fun things we do, the games, the promos, the calendar… everything. Just even seeing everyone at training every week. If anyone thinks that it's easy for a Vet to audition again, as if their place is guaranteed, wait till you are in that position!
So it was call-back time in the gym. The judges had been debating for some time while we all grew hungry and tired downstairs. Everyone sat down anxiously waiting on their name to be read out. The judges seemed impressed and thanked everyone for their hard work and efforts over the past two weeks. It was a little tense and then Adrian started to read the names out. MY name was called first!! arggghhhhhhhhhhh!! I know that doesn't mean anything at all in any way, the names are randomly called, but I was so chuffed. A plastic surgeon could not remove the smile on my face. I stood up at the front of the room and instantly knew how the other girls were feeling, waiting for their name. Next out was Kat Foran… she let out a squeal, then Clayr and Claire and Hazel… and by this time I was lost in arms and hair… everyone hugging and feeling so relieved that their efforts had been rewarded. I was especially pleased for Michelle O'Hare making the main squad. Michelle has been part of the Support Squad for three years and she was in tears to have finally made it thru. Great to see an old member back too, Pauline McGlinchey, likewise our brand new Rockettes Rookies Lynne, Deone and to all our new members on the Support Squad.
I'm sure all the girls will agree that it was a very hard-going two weeks but defo worth the effort and hard work. To all the girls who didn't quite make it this time, well you have left with first-hand knowledge of what will be expected of you next year. So go away and work hard, take classes, stretch and come back next year and give it another go. I'm proud to say I'm part of the squad again this year, but if I didn't quite make it I would be proud to say that 'It's best to have tried and not succeed than to have not have tried at all'.
Let's hear it for a great season!
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