AU Rhythm is dancing its way to a new squad.
The team choreographs dance routines to popular dance songs and performs at events such as the Miss Glomerata Pageant and football pep rallies.
Each year AU Rhythm competes in Huntsville. Members say this is their biggest competition. The team is hoping to travel to Tuskegee, New York and Georgia for several contests this year.
The AU Rhythm team practices on Sunday and Thursday from 7 - 9 p.m.
"If there's a big event coming up like a step show or anything like that, we usually practice more than that," said Danielle Phillips, public relations and community service chairwoman for the team.
Phillips has been part of AU Rhythm for two years.
AU Rhythm captain, Chris Colvin, said he has been part of AU Rhythm for three years. Colvin had no dance experience prior to coming to Auburn, but began taking classes when he enrolled as a student.
Colvin said dance experience is not required of those trying out.
"You've just got to have rhythm," Colvin said.
It is required that students trying out are enrolled at Auburn University and maintain a 2.0 GPA.
For the first round, a choreographer teaches a routine to groups of potential members.
After each group has performed, there is an opportunity for students to show off freestyle dance skills that will make them stand out.
A list is posted after the dance portion of people invited back for the interview round, which takes place the following day.
In interviews, captains look for people who will be dedicated to the team. They consider personality and also give people trying out an opportunity to express themselves.
Captains want to know what a person will bring to the team, as well as what the team will do for them.
After that round, a second and final list is posted listing those who made the team.
This year, AU Rhythm was looking at adding eight or nine new members to the team.
Korshetta Rudolph, a freshman, and Sarah Lambert, a sophomore, both undeclared in the College of Math and Science, saw AU Rhythm perform at Camp War Eagle and decided to try out.
Rudolph danced at the Jeff Davis Auxiliary for three years before coming to Auburn.
Lambert has been dancing since she was two years old, but has been focusing on hip-hop dance for the past six years.
Freshmen Adria Harris and Nagaria Davis heard about AU Rhythm over the Internet. They were both interested in joining a dance team at Auburn, and AU Rhythm was exactly what they were looking for.
AU Rhythm is well-known around Auburn, but the team wants to receive more recognized across the state and in the Southeast by competing several times this year.
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