After a year of perfecting routines and performing them to crowds of eager students, Manhattan High’s dance team will begin turning a new leaf with tryouts for the next year just around the corner.

“We usually get between 20 to 40 students who come and try out and there are always people who show up the first day of tryouts and decide to try out and there are always people who decide it isn’t for them, coach Leslie Finnell said. “It’s really exciting [going into tryouts]. It’s fun to meet the new people and see what is coming.”

While tryouts take place May 5 and students are scored by three judges, Finnell will conclude seven years of coaching the team.

“Mr. Dorst asked me to coach the team but I’m really glad [I did it],” Finnell said. “They’re a great group of students who care about their school and I think they do a great job of representing Manhattan High. Most of them are not studio dancers but they love to dance and you can tell when you watch them.”

For sophomore Bella Hager, dance always sparked her interest.

“Trying out last year, my freshman year, was the scariest thing ever. There were all these people coming back to try out for another year and that was intimidating,” Hager said. “I never danced with a company before high school and I’d always wanted to. I thought being a part of the dance team would be fun and when I tried out I was really nervous but it surpassed my expectations. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Senior Hannah Craig has been a part of the dance team all four years of high school.

“It’s been a roller coaster but totally worth it,” Craig said. “I love that every year there are new girls to dance with and become friends with. The dynamic of the team is very different each year and it’s been amazing because I can see how much I’ve improved over the years. [I hope] they continue to improve each year. Integrity matters and I hope that future teams uphold a good reputation for themselves. I would like to the see the girls on the team continue working on choreography because I know the girls this year wanted to try some more difficult dances.”

The seniors will soon walk away from a final year on the team, but after tryouts are over, so will Finnell.

“This is my last year though because of the budget cuts,” Finnell said. “I don’t know how it’s going to work yet, but they’re advertising for a new head coach. It’s hard but it’s out of my control. I have to teach another math class and I’m here to be a math teacher so that’s what I have to do. My hope is that they find a group of girls who work well together, who want to be there and enjoy dancing and can help support the school.”

This year, budget cuts forced Finnell to teach a class during the hour she had previously coached dance.

“She wasn’t able to be with us first hour because she had to be in her classroom so I didn’t really see her except for on game days,” Craig said. “I missed having our coach at practice every day. We have a great assistant coach, but this was her first year with us and it felt a little crazy at times without Mrs. Finnell. She was always so organized and on top of everything. Mrs. Finnell was amazing. Her big thing was always cleaning the dance so everything looked sharp when we performed. She wanted us to be like a family and she did a good job at making us feel close and like everyone was an important asset to the team.”

Hager agrees.

“I’m really sad about [Mrs. Finnell not being our coach next year], Hager said. “She has been the best coach ever and she always lifts our spirits and when we get hard on ourselves she’s really nice about it. She’s such a good coach and I’m really going to miss her.”

Along with getting a new head coach, budget cuts will continue to affect the dance team.

“We might not be able to go to as many things as we did this year,” Hager said. “We work with the band and we travel with them to competitions but we might not be able to do that next year. We probably won’t be getting any new uniforms either.”

Still, the dance team looks to the future with excitement.

“I think the dance team is important [to the high school] even though we’re kind of just for show. It’s something fun to watch at pep rallies and it shows school spirit,” Hager said. “[Being a part of the dance team] is like being a part of any team. We feel connected and we have a dynamic together.”