There are a lot of events that Hampton University students look forward to throughout the year and one of them is the Majestic Dance Troupe tryouts. Every year Majestics hold tryouts in order to recruit some new talent and add on to their team. The Majestic Dance Troupe Team has been in existence at Hampton University since 1992 and they hold a specific standard that they look for in those trying out.
On Monday, the team taught the choreography to the female and male hopefuls but Tuesday was the big event for them and the rest of the campus. Auditions to join the team always takes place in front of the entire campus and a row of judges in the student center, and like any other year the student center was packed full of people to see who exactly was trying out to join the team, those supporting and yelling out their friends names, and some simply just enjoying the entertainment. Auditions began with Majestic members performing the specific choreography that the hopefuls were also going to perform and then the auditions began!
Graduating Senior, Terrell Snead, said those trying out deserved all the credit for going out and performing in front of a crowd full of critics, “Some people handled it well and really showed out but others you could tell their nerves got the best of them. But I respect anyone who would put themselves out there to go after their aspirations”. The hopefuls came down in groups of fours and performed to the best of their ability in the middle of the student center in front of the judges. After performing the choreography twice they were then given the chance to do their own individual freestyled 8 count that would hopefully seal the deal for a spot on the team. Dominique Jackson, a graduating senior and third year Majestic member, says she liked what she saw, “We found some really amazing talent. After people got over being nervous about trying out they were able to really show us who they were during their freestyles. We accepted a lot of new girls”. One of the great things about these tryouts is that it’s literally a show! A DJ and hosts accompanied the tryouts and made it an enjoyable event beyond just the dancing. Overall, the auditions were entertaining on both ends of the spectrum and we congratulate those who made the team!