The vibrant energy and graceful moves of dance interweave to form an experience with a universal appeal; the Sapphires aim to bring this experience to our school. The Sapphires, the official dance team of Seven Lakes, brighten up football game halftimes with their energetic routines and display their highest skills in contests.
“During the beginning of the fall semester, we learn and perform football routines for the halftime performance at our football games, which is the side of Sapphires that most of the school sees,” sophomore Hannah Dong said. “After learning these routines we start cleaning them, meaning we go through each individual movement and talk through it to make sure everything is perfect for the contest floor.”
Preparing for their numerous commitments requires so much practice, and the Sapphires put as much time and effort as they can into preparing for their performances.
“We have 6:15 morning practice almost every day,” Dong said. “Every Monday we also have something called masterclass, which basically just means a teacher or choreographer comes in to help us with our technique and just improve us as a team. Occasionally we’ll also have all day Saturday, which can range from 7 to 12 hours of practice on a Saturday.”
Many of the sapphires have danced since very young ages; Dong has danced since the age of three, and Sapphires lieutenant Alice Bao started at the age of 4. Their love for dance combined with their aptitude for teamwork allows them to put their best into their performances.
“I think having a good mentality is a super important aspect of being a better team member,” Dong said. “I try to focus on thinking about things that benefit the team rather than just myself.”
With this teamwork, the Sapphires have gained an irreplaceable sense of camaraderie through everything they do together.
“(The best part about the Sapphires) is definitely meeting the people,” Bao said. “I’ve made friends with a lot of people in Sapphires that I wouldn’t have met otherwise because of us (being in) different grades.”
The Sapphires engage in various different team-building activities; one such activity is Retreat, which is an integral part of the Sapphires’ season.
“It’s basically just a weekend where we go out into the woods and we just practice our contest routines,” Dong said. “This not only helps our dancing but it also is a great form of team bonding.”
Regardless of the fun parts of being a Sapphire, it’s no surprise that all the dancers have a serious commitment to the group–in addition to all the other things they may have to juggle in their lives. Time management is an important skill to have for each and every member.
“It’s definitely important to prioritize what’s more important,” Bao said. “We always get our schedules beforehand with times and what practices and other things we have to do, so I’ll base my other activities around that.”
However, the Sapphires are just as much a tightly-knit group of friends as they are a group of dancers, and the members truly cherish that.
“We spend so much time together and we’re always there for each other through every high and low,” Dong said. “Sapphires has become my home away from home and having this bond with my team members is by far the best thing that has come from Sapphires.”
