As competition season draws near, the dance team is busy stretching, learning their new routines, and bonding.

For manager Annika Findlay, the new season means a new position on the team. After two years of performing, she is managing the team for the upcoming season.

“[Being the manager is] kind of like just helping out our coach. At the meets I’m going to help her do people’s hair and makeup and I helped her kind of make a final decision on which song they’re going to do for jazz and I’ve done a little bit of work with Ellie and coach on choreographing,” Findlay said.

Her teammate and captain Ellie Hoppe strives to continue to encourage this welcoming atmosphere during her time as a captain.

“I really want it to be an open environment where anyone can talk to anyone and people can feel comfortable asking for help and they feel comfortable sharing things,” Hoppe said.

[In Print] This story is reprinted from The Rubicon print edition: Nov 21, 2017